The OU-JLIC Fellowship for Campus Professionals is a year-long training program for couples interested in working with North American college students. The fellowship is available for couples living in both Israel and America. The program consists of two components: group meetings once per month and hands-on work with college students. The program offers an annual stipend and all related expenses paid. Fellows will be prioritized for future OU-JLIC positions.
Rachel Atwood, formerly Rosenberg, was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She attended high school in Atlanta, GA and then continued her education in Shaalvim for Women for one year and Stern College for three years. She currently is living in Jerusalem with her husband, Ben, as he studies in the Gruss Kollel. Rachel serves as the Assistant Director of the Tikvah Fund’s gap year program and teaches a chaburah in Shaalvim for Women. She looks forward to beginning law school in the fall at Emory University.
Ben grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is currently studying for semikha at the Yeshiva University’s RIETS. He recently graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva College with a B.A. in English, and was a Straus Scholar at YU’s Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. Prior to college, he spent two years at Yeshivat Har Etzion. Ben has extensive experience working with Jewish young adults at Camp Moshava IO, NCSY, and the Tikvah High School Institute.
Ben and Rachel met in the summer of 2018 as co-counselors for NCSY’s TJJ. They have worked on many programs together in the past and look forward to continuing their work as a team of educators. They have a passion for working with Jewish teens and young adults and are excited to be participating in the OU-JLIC fellowship in Israel and hope to continue their work with OU-JLIC back in America.
Hannah grew up in Teaneck, NJ by way of Rochester NY and attended the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva HS for girls. She considers herself an intown girl with an out of town heart. Hannah then spent a year learning at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim in Jerusalem, proceeded by volunteering for a year of national service at Chorev Elementary School in Jerusalem. After Hannah made Aliyah, she got married and then finished a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Informational Systems from Jerusalem College of Technology, Tal Campus. Hannah currently works as a Tax Associate at Masamerica in Tel Aviv. Hannah and Yehudah have an adorable son Daniel who spends most of his time rocking out to Sesame Street. Hannah’s hobbies include reading non-fiction books of the Culinary Arts (cookbooks), spinning- the thing on the bike that goes nowhere, binge watching Friends and learning פניני הלכה. Hannah has spent most of her adult life living in Sha’alvim, where she also serves as an housemother to the students of the Yeshiva. Hannah is extremely passionate about being a mother, personal growth, and expressing love through food.
Yehudah hails from Cedarhurst, NY where he graduated as valedictorian of his class at the Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, High School for Boys. Yehudah went on to Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel, where he learned for a year and a half before enlisting in the IDF and serving in the Golani Brigade as a sharp-shooter. After his service, Yehudah went back to Sha’alvim to continue his Torah-learning pursuits and is currently working to complete Semicha from the Mizrachi Musmachim program. Yehudah currently works on the staff of Yeshivat Shaalvim as a Teacher’s Assistant, where he gives shiurim on topics ranging from Talmud, to Jewish Philosophy & History. Yehudah is also completing a bachelor’s degree from the Jerusalem College of Technology in Business Management & Entrepreneurship. Yehudah’s hobbies include playing Chess or other intense sports, drinking French press, reading biographies, and discussing current events. He enjoys a spirited debate and loves to schmooze. Yehudah is passionate about Torah, Judaism, and his family. Hannah and Yehudah have also gained invaluable experience as members of the Mizrachi Shalhevet Leadership Seminar, where they became certified Chattan and Kallah teachers, and as fellows of the OU- JLIC Shalhevet Campus Fellowship.
Ariel and Dorit live in Baka, Jerusalem, Israel with their son Ivri. They love having guests over and their Shabbat table is always filled with a plethora of people from a range of backgrounds.
Ariel, a native-born Israeli and Jerusalemite somehow landed up with an American girl from New Jersey. Ariel studied in Horev high school in Jerusalem, Mechinat Eli and served as a commander and sniper in an elite unit in the army. Ariel can often be found exploring the latest unmarked hiking trail, organizing the local Minyanim or tutoring adolescent immigrants in Hebrew and Judaic studies while playing basketball or soccer. When he isn’t busy learning with a neighbor he works as an accountant, but he secretly hates numbers.
Dorit grew up in West Orange, NJ, but she always dreamt of making Aliyah. Dorit attended Stern College for Women and then worked as a Beit Midrash Fellow at SAR High School. Shortly afterwards, Dorit made Aliyah. She studied school psychology at Ben Gurion University and education at David Yellin College in Jerusalem. Dorit is an English reading specialist and a School Psychologist. She also teaches at a local elementary school. Dorit is passionate about helping immigrant children and their parents acclimate in the Israeli school system. When not counseling or teaching, you can find her reading a book, studying to be a Kallah teacher or trying out a new recipe
Josh Fagin was born and raised in Woodmere, New York. After graduating from DRS Yeshiva High School (’13), he spent two years studying in Yeshivat Hakotel. In the following year, he participated in the All Day Learning Program in Yeshiva University. Upon completion of his degree in Jewish History from Yeshiva University, Josh returned to Israel to continue his studies at Yeshivas Itri in Yerushalayim and gave a weekly chaburah at Yeshivat Hakotel. He has been very involved in NCSY Kollel over the last few years. Josh currently lives in Yerushalayim with Adina and their son Yaakov. He is currently continuing his rabbinic studies at Yeshivas Itri.
Adina Fagin is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland. She attended Berman Hebrew Academy and then spent a year and a half in Shaalvim for Women. Adina graduated from Stern College with a Major in Biology and a Minor in Jewish Studies. Since graduating, Adina has taught in Shaalvim for Women, and now works in a lab studying the way elderly people recover from injuries. In her free time, Adina volunteers as a crisis counselor at the crisis text line, hangs out with baby Yaakov, and has recently picked up yoga. She too lives in Yerushalayim.
Rav Josh Lehman grew up in Monsey, New York but has spent most of the last decade living in Israel. After studying in Yeshivat Hakotel for 2 years and serving as a combat soldier in the IDF, Josh continued on to study Computer Science at the Jerusalem College of Technology. He then received Smicha from the Mizrachi Musmachim Program while serving as a Gemara shiur assistant and teacher in both Yeshivat Hakotel and Aish HaTorah.
In addition to playing guitar, running, and enjoying a good football game, Josh loves to spread his passion for learning Torah through a warm yet sophisticated lense. He loves to build full and meaningful relationships with everyone he meets and never gets tired from a long shmooze.
Rikki Lehman grew up in Miami Beach, Florida. She studied for a year and a half in Sha’alvim for Women in Yerushalayim, and went on to study in Stern College for Women, where she majored in psychology. During her college years, Rikki was involved in informal education, as an NCSY advisor during the year and on summer programs such as Michlelet and TJJ. The summer after graduating Stern, Rikki made Aliyah and worked as a madricha and part-time teacher in Machon Maayan. She now works as an Admissions Coordinator for Yeshiva University in Israel, and continues to teach classes on Navi and Modern Jewish Thought in Machon Maayan.
Rikki is a big coffee lover and enjoys road tripping with family and friends. She is passionate about teaching and learning from people of all different backgrounds, and creating lasting relationships with those around her.
Ben and Ellie Menora live in Alon Shvut with their four beautiful children – Maayan, Hodaya Malka, Moshe and Ayelet Rachel.
Ben made Aliya as a kid from Chicago, IL. He served for 3 years in the IDF’s Golani brigade, and continues to serve as a staff sergeant in the IDF reserves. Ben studied in Kerem B’Yavneh before and after his army service, and he then completed a law degree in Bar Ilan University, splitting his time between the law library and the BIU Kollel. After 2 years as a legal intern, his love of learning and teaching Torah brought him to Yeshivat Har Etzion, where he joined its Kollel, got involved with the overseas program and completed a teaching certificate at Herzog College. Ben loves running, hiking, playing music and learning and living Judaism with family and friends.
Ellie was born in London and lived there until the age of 13 when she made Aliya with her parents and five siblings. From the age of five she trained in gymnastics and swimming and at the age of fifteen became an instructor teaching kids of all ages. She attended Midreshet Tehilla in 2010, and went on to earn her bachelor’s of science in nursing at Machon Tal in Jerusalem. She started her nursing career in the emergency room in Shaarei Tsedek. Ellie has also been volunteering as a medic for Magen David Adom since 2014 and loves being able to help people day or night. She also trained with Rabanit Shani Taragin to become a Kallah teacher.
In her free time Ellie thoroughly enjoys hiking, running, swimming, spending quality time with her family, and hosting meals on Shabbat and yom tov.
Nimrod was born in Jerusalem and raised in New Jersey. He studied at Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maale Adumim, and then at Yeshiva University where he received a BA in Political Science in 2014. In 2018 he received an MA in Modern Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School and Rabbinic Ordination from RIETS. He is currently pursuing an LLB from the Law Faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and works at the Rabbinical Courts of the Rabbinate of the State of Israel. Nimrod loves sharing words of Torah and learning new things. He is passionate about Jewish History and Israel.
Chana grew up an Army brat, moving around the world. She received a BA in Middle Eastern and Religious Studies from the College of William and Mary and an MA in Global Communication from George Washington University. As a graduate student, she spent a year doing research in Rabat, Morocco with the Boren Fellowship. Chana has a unique professional background – she previously worked as an Intelligence Analyst for a government contractor and a Social Media Analyst for the US Navy. She currently works as a Senior Digital Analyst for DKC. In her spare time, Chana loves learning Torah, reading a good book, running the occasional half marathon, and trying out new recipes.
