Amidst the joyous holiday of Sukkot, we are thrilled to announce the 2024-2025 Elissa Froman Social Change Fellowship cohort in New York and Los Angeles.
Throughout the week of Sukkot, we dwell in booths, sukkot, that represent the Clouds of Glory that protected the Israelites as they journeyed through the desert. Sukkot is an opportunity to enjoy celebratory meals, connect with others, and reflect on the experience of dwelling in a temporary structure or on the big questions that Kohelet or Ecclesiastes, which we read over Sukkot, puts forth.
Throughout their year of learning with the Elissa Froman Social Change Fellowship, fellows will have space to connect with NIF grantees working in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and for deep reflection. Just as the seven days of Sukkot are fleeting, we’re sure this year of learning and growing will zoom by, but our fellows will carry with them important skills and lessons that will serve them as rabbis for years to come.
This year’s cohort includes rabbinical students studying at HUC-JIR on its New York and Los Angeles campuses as well as at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. Hailing from Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, this year’s fellows come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but share a passion for learning and a dedication to spreading awareness of the crucial work of NIF.
Read the fellows’ bios below and join us in welcoming them all as they begin this exciting and important part of their journeys to becoming Jewish leaders who are committed to forging a future in which all those in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza can dwell in peace.
Zoe Dressner-Wolberg is a third-year rabbinical student at HUC-JIR in New York. She is a graduate of the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University where she studied Bible and Religion respectively. A passionate Reform Zionist, Zoe has represented the Reform Movement at Israel’s National Institutions since 2018. She has teaching and analytical experience in Jewish and Israel education.
Karry Taylor is currently a third-year rabbinical student at the Ziegler school of Rabbinic Studies. Born and raised in a small town in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of southern Alberta, Karry has worked with and served Jewish communities in California, Canada, the Negev area of Israel, and western Siberia. She is currently a spiritual care intern at Beit T’Shuvah, a Jewish treatment center.
CJ Mays (He/Him) is in his final year at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, he pursued political science degrees at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Delaware before choosing the rabbinate to merge his passions for social justice and community service. CJ has served at Ohr Shalom in Grand Junction, Colorado, Open Temple in Venice Beach, California and currently serves at Kol Ami in West Hollywood.
Passionate about innovative Jewish rituals, CJ identifies as a Reform Neo-Chasid, integrating Hasidic spirituality into Reform Judaism, bringing in practices such as Reiki, meditation, heartfelt prayer, and niggunim. A progressive Zionist, alongside his work with the Elissa Froman Social Change Fellowship, he also serves as a fellow for the iCenter and is an alum of the Leffel-Israel Education fellowship. In his free time, CJ enjoys abstract expressionist painting and is a docent at LACMA, sharing his love of modern art with visitors.
Nico Losorelli is in his final year at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Nico received his Bachelor’s in Music from The University of California, Berkeley, focusing on Opera and Early Music, with some musical theatre on the side. Nico worked in television production for a number of years, rounding out his time in that field working for Jim Carrey for two years as his second assistant on the show “Kidding” on Showtime, after which he shifted course to follow the path of the Rabbinate. Nico has a diverse set of experiences when it comes to Israel, from being a volunteer with Achvat Amim, in which he had the opportunity to engage in co-existence work via a panoply of Israeli and Palestinian social change organizations, to being a fellow in the AIPAC Leffel fellowship, learning about the indispensable diplomatic relationship between the United States and Israel, particularly in the wake of October 7th. He is looking forward to rounding out his experiences via the Elissa Froman Social Change Fellowship with the New Israel Fund, in the interest of having the broadest possible understanding of the challenges and questions facing both Israel and the Palestinians. Nico is also in his second year as a rabbinic intern at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, and is a frequent contributor to the Jewish Journal’s “Table for Five”.
Sarah Klein is a passionate aspiring rabbi and educator, currently embarking on her third year at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. In May 2023, she earned her Master’s in Jewish Education from the William Davidson Graduate School at Jewish Theological Seminary through its distance learners’ program. Originally hailing from metro Detroit, Sarah is a proud Midwesterner. Before entering rabbinical school, she served as a program director at several Conservative synagogues in Michigan and furthered her studies at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Sarah’s diverse interests include cooking without recipes, delving into psychology and philosophy books, and curating her impressive Motown record collection.
Sarah Livschitz is a fourth-year rabbinic student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She is passionate about Jewish community, text, music and nature. Sarah is the rabbinic intern at NuRoots and also teaches fourth grade at Leo Baeck Temple.
Sarah is a long-time supporter of the New Israel fund and was an Elissa Froman Social Change Fellow during her first year of rabbinic school in Jerusalem.
Sarah grew up in New Zealand and was involved in Progressive Jewish life from a young age, attending Beth Shalom in Auckland and joining Habonim Dror. Before starting at HUC-JIR, she worked as a policy advisor, writing apolitical research and advice.
Hannah Lybik (she/her) is a fifth-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and a rabbinic intern for Honeymoon Israel. Hannah is a born and raised Midwesterner, but now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alec. Hannah received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester, where she studied psychology and neuroscience. Following graduation, Hannah moved to Rishon Letzion, Israel where she volunteered as a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow. After a profoundly meaningful experience in Israel, Hannah moved to Chicago and began working for Hillel. In her role, Hannah had the opportunity to lead several trips with Taglit-Birthright Israel and a trip through the Maccabee Task Force to explore nuanced perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with students from various religious backgrounds. Over the past decade, Hannah has also had the privilege of building Jewish community through her work in youth groups, Jewish summer camping, Reform synagogues, and Moishe House. She loves to read, experiment with new recipes, practice yoga, study Talmud, and explore restaurants around the city.