Adam is currently pursuing a Master’s in International Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Previously, Adam completed his Bachelor’s at Vanderbilt University, where he was awarded the full-tuition Chancellor’s Scholarship. During his time on campus, Adam was the Vice President of Programming for Hillel and partnered with Be’chol Lashon to organize cultural exchange trips to Jewish communities in Latin America. After graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, Adam earned a Fulbright Scholarship in Mexico City. Through his work at the United Nations Youth Association of Mexico, he developed a passion for youth empowerment and education. Seeking hands-on experience in this realm, Adam then volunteered for the Jewish Agency’s Project TEN in rural Oaxaca. Most recently, at Accenture, Adam served as Program Manager for Skills to Succeed, a professional development bootcamp for underserved students. Adam enjoys triathlons and snowboarding and is an Ironman finisher and Maccabi Winter Games gold-medalist.

Alex is an Associate in JPMorgan’s Technology & Disruptive Commerce Group based in Southern California where he helps raise capital for Startups. Prior, he was a financial communications consultant at two PR firms and spent time working in an Israeli FinTech startup. In his spare time, Alex aids social and humanitarian non-profits locally and nationally. This includes serving on the Young Professional boards of the American Jewish Committee, Jewish National Fund, Jewish Family Service LA, and Safe Place for Youth – a homeless youth shelter in Venice. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics and attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and UCLA. Alex has lived in Paris, Bologna, Washington DC, and Jerusalem in addition to LA. He lives in Silver Lake with his cat Gracie.

Ariel was born in Detroit, Michigan, growing up surrounded by Mel Brooks and Mr. Bean humor. He attended Jewish day school from nursery to 12th grade, and then went to the University of Michigan. While in Ann Arbor, he majored in Political Science and Film, and was an active committee member at the University of Michigan Hillel House. After college, he moved to Los Angeles to work in television, and then onto Chicago to work in Jewish non-profit. After pursuing an MBA at Tel Aviv University, Ariel is now Chief of Staff at the Jewish Theological Seminary; passionate about Jewish unity and education. In his spare time he enjoys biking, aimlessly walking, hosting Shabbat dinners, and attending improv shows.

Avia is a skilled software engineer specializing in frontend web development, with a passion for creating user-centric digital solutions. An active participant in life’s varied pursuits, Avia enjoys pickleball for its dynamic gameplay, explores the world of tumbling for a physical challenge, and delves into learning Chinese, enriched by their life and work partner Gong’s insights into Chinese culture. Together, they are venturing into starting a business in the small animal trade, aiming to combine their love for pets with entrepreneurial spirit. At home, Avia’s life is further enriched by a loving family and five beloved pets: a dog, two rabbits, and two guinea pigs. Having previously joined Entwine’s Rwanda and Bosnia & Croatia trips, Avia returned with a renewed passion to engage more deeply with their Jewish community both locally and globally.

Bahareh Aghajani is a traveler, foodie, hipster coffee connoisseur, and attorney. While her day job may be in healthcare law, her true passions lie with all things food and travel ranging from cooking unique pasta recipes from TikTok to trying new restaurants to leaving the country and imagining a new life in Europe at least once a year. You can typically find her at the airport en route to her next adventure, at the gym working on her (seemingly never-ending) fitness journey or reading at whichever local coffee shop she happens to be near. She loves arts and crafts, museums, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog, Cassie. Bahareh was privileged to travel to Rwanda with JDC Entwine and looks forward to a future Morocco program. She loves participating in local engagement events with the JDC Entwine community, learning about all the culture our world has to offer.

Brian is from Kansas City, where he works in marketing for a healthcare advocacy organization. A graduate of Syracuse University, Brian enjoys sharpening his cooking and baking skills, spending time with his family and friends, exercising, and going to concerts and sporting events. He also likes to support Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Jewish Family Services, and The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, where he serves as an officer and Board Member. Brian was compelled to become a Community Representative after having an unforgettable experience on Entwine’s Inside Jewish Argentina & Uruguay trip in August 2023.

Emily is a Minnesota resident who enjoys the seasons and spending time outdoors. Her favorite activities are reading and golfing in the summer. Emily works at Target HQ in supply chain where she enjoys connecting teams together. Emily became involved with JDC Entwine by attending an Insider trip to Argentina. She then joined her community as trip chair to another Insider trip to Greece.

Gabrielle Walker was born & raised in the suburbs of Detroit. Gabrielle graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors in Int’l Relations and received her Masters in Public Policy & Administration from Northwestern University. Currently, Gabrielle works (remotely) for the federal government as a Program Management/Financial Analyst. Gabrielle is a board member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s NEXTGen Board, and dedicates her time to the Global Impact Team and engaging with her Jewish community! Gabrielle loves to spend time with family, friends, and her sweet “fur baby” (B.B). Gabrielle fervently supports all Jewish and Israeli causes, as well as the Ukrainian people! Her hobbies further include going to the cinema, taking B.B. on walks, going to the Detroit Schvitz (bathhouse), writing, reading, and being kind to everyone & anyone!

Jacklyn is a literary agent representing authors of fiction, nonfiction and illustrated books. She’s passionate about helping writers find their voice and tell their stories. A lover of history, she adores learning about different cultures and time periods and cherishes any opportunity to immerse herself in new (or old!) places and meet the people who call that place home. She did just that on JDC Entwine’s “Inside Jewish Greece” in 2022 and “Inside Jewish Bosnia & Croatia” in 2023, on which she was Trip Chair. She’s also an avid advocate for Israel and a strong US-Israel relationship. Her education reflects her cultural wanderlust and love of stories: She studied English, Classical Civilization and Medieval Studies for her undergraduate degree and Screenwriting for her graduate degree, both at Boston University. She’s originally from Omaha, Nebraska and doesn’t think she’ll ever lose that friendly Midwestern disposition.

Jacob Meier was born in 1994 in Minneapolis. Jacob graduated with a food science degree and currently works for General Mills. When not working, Jacob enjoys cross country skiing, cycling, camping and music. Jacob participated in the 2023 Entwine trip to Greece with the Minneapolis community, and went on to travel to other Jewish sites in Barcelona and Budapest; even learning about Entwines work in Hungary. Jacob is looking forward to the opportunity to participate in future Entwine trips!

Jason is marketing and business executive who leads growth for digital brands within the tech, AI and media industries. Most recently he has worked at Common Sense Networks, Sony Pictures, and Facebook. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS) and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with honors in both Cybernetics and Applied Mathematics. Jason previously traveled with JDC Entwine to Rwanda. He is passionate about building Jewish community and currently serves as the founder of the LA Jewish Surf Club, the President of HBS Jewish Alumni Association and leads the Never Again Network, a grassroots organization dedicated to taking action against antisemitism to make ‘Never Again’ a reality. He is currently is a member of the UCLA’s Entertainment Board. In his free time, Jason enjoys surfing, skiing and listening to Old Time Radio.

Jordan is a graduate of Lynn University and masters graduate from the University of Houston. He has always had a passion for Global Perspectives. This interest has been further deepened by his friends and family. Growing up with a Jewish and Latino Family, they have ingrained in him an interest in travel. He is particularly proud of his grandfather who was the first Honorary Consul of Colombia in the 1960s. In terms of leadership roles, he has served on his University Hillel Board as well as the local Atlanta YJP board.

Lauren Olens lives in Atlanta, GA where she grew up. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri to study international studies at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by Shenzhen, China and Taipei, Taiwan, to teach English and keep learning Chinese. Upon returning to Atlanta, Lauren works as a technical program manager for fintech software. Outside of work, Lauren loves going on walks with her dog, Boba (named after bubble tea), and created a blog where Boba reviews all of the parks she has visited (over 100!). She also loves traveling, having participated on the JDC trip to Croatia and Bosnia. Her most recent trip is to South Africa with her husband for their honeymoon. She also loves trying lots of different foods from different countries and styles.

Lisa is originally from Upstate New York and spent her teenage and now adult years in Southern California. She graduated from UCLA with a major in Geography and a minor in Spanish with a year spent abroad studying at a Spanish university in Madrid. Lisa has always worked in the print/publishing industry and currently sells ed tech for a higher educational publisher. She enjoys international travel, including most recently her experiences with JDC Entwine in Bosnia/Croatia (2023), Rwanda (2022), Georgia/Azerbaijan (2017) and St. Petersburg, Russia in 2016.

Maya was a 2022-2023 JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps fellow, and is currently attending an accelerated nursing program to get her Bachelor of science in Nursing. While a fellow, Maya worked collaboratively within the Jewish community of Helsinki focused on youth engagement and education. Prior to making an impact in Finland as a fellow, Maya served the Michigan State University (MSU) Jewish community as an engagement associate within the Lester and Jewell Morris Hillel. A graduate of MSU, Maya received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in youth and society in 2021. In Maya’s free time she loves watching football, specifically the Detroit Lions, spending quality time with her friends and family, baking, and taking any opportunity to travel.

Missy first joined Entwine as part of the Greece trip in 2024. She is originally from Duluth, MN but has spent most of the last 12 years living in the Twin Cities. Missy is a card service specialist for a small credit union who spends her free time partner dancing, crafting, enjoying the great outdoors, and exploring new dog-friendly venues with her pup, Pike. She is involved with several Jewish organizations and cannot wait to expand that involvement as a Community Representative!

Hailing originally from Maryland, Michael has called New York home for the past eight years. Holding a computer science degree from the University of Maryland and a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, Michael has worked his whole career as a software engineer. Michael’s involvement with Entwine includes three impactful Insider trips to Estonia and Finland, Israel (where he served as a co-chair), and India, fostering a profound connection to diverse Jewish communities around the world. Michael is a fixture in NYC Jewish life, actively engaging in Jewish young professional events from social happy hours to Shabbat services and dinners. In his free time he sings in the young professional Jewish choir, Zamir Noded and bikes around Manhattan.

Nicci is a proud Jewish woman who has lived in 5 countries and studied 7 languages. Nicci currently lives in Washington D.C., where she works as HIAS’ Corporate Partnerships Specialist. Nicci served as a JDC Entwine Jewish Service Corps Fellow in Europe from 2022-2023, where she worked alongside eight others in supporting the world’s most vulnerable and fostering Jewish life and values. She enjoys traveling, visiting the city’s many museums, and searching for the best bagel in DC.

Originally from Baltimore, Rachel is an educator and community builder who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduating from Tufts University, she spent a year teaching English in Spain, then taught high school history back in MA for several years. In March 2023, Rachel started working at UTEC, a nonprofit in Lowell, MA that supports young adults in overcoming barriers to their future success. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys reading, pub trivia, dance fitness classes, and bringing friends together. She was thrilled to feed her love of history and travel on the JDC Entwine-CJP Inside Jewish Bulgaria trip in September 2022.

A native Texan, Ross is the Director of Programming and Social Justice at Temple Beth-El, a Reform congregation in San Antonio. Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Texas at San Antonio, he volunteered abroad through Project Ten at Kibbutz Harduf in Israel. Additionally, Ross is a first-year student at the Zelikow School at Hebrew Union College (HUC), studying to receive a Master’s in Jewish Nonprofit Management. When not studying or working, Ross enjoys going to the movies, catching up on television, listening to music, painting, and adventuring new cities and countries. In December 2023, he traveled with JDC Entwine and HUC to India.

Dr. Sari Kosdon is a psychologist in the Los Angles area specializing in the treatment of adolescents and young adults. In her free time she enjoys staying active by playing tennis, hiking, and is a regular at orangetheory. She loves to travel, learn about history and connect with her Jewish community. Sari feels grateful for having participated in three past Entwine trips (Greece, Finland/Estonia, and Bosnia/Croatia), which have allowed her to to not only learn about the incredible work of JDC but also embrace her Jewish roots.

Shani Aharon is a resident doctor passionate about changing the way we deliver care to marginalized communities. When she’s not at work or spending countless hours studying, you can find her rock climbing, doing anything outdoors, hosting shabbat dinners, or eating her way through NYC. It was her love of Anthony Bourdain and learning about Jewish culture that led her to spend a week with JDC in Georgia, and she’s excited to join the Community Representatives to continue this learning adventure.

Shelby is a former public school teacher with honors from National Geographic and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Currently, she works as a Business Development Specialist for a large healthcare nonprofit that builds the technical and legal infrastructure to make health data interoperable. Outside of this, Shelby is also a trailblazer her Jewish community in West Michigan. She has worked alongside the director of the local Jewish school to revamp the curriculum and school structure, ultimately leading in a growth in enrollment and attendance. She also serves at the Engagement Coordinator for her local Reform Temple, actively building community for young adults in their 20s – 40s through monthly programming. She is interested in Jewish identity- and community building in non-Jewishly dense areas of the U.S. and focused her graduate studies around this. Outside of work, she enjoys reading narrative nonfiction, birdwatching, biking and hiking, and traveling internationally.

Steph is a kind, outgoing, and creative occupational therapist working at a cancer hospital in NYC. Steph is an avid traveler (31 countries and counting) including two Entwine trips. Steph is deeply passionate about her Jewish identity and sense of community from Shabbat dinners, adult Jewish summer camp, to playing JCC coed soccer. Steph was raised modern orthodox but has more recently started exploring her Jewish identity in new ways; often saying her favorite thing to do is a secular experience with a group of Jews. Steph loves to read and spend time with her family, particularly her niblings. She’s a long term plant mom and loves sharing her personal jungle with friends when hosting gatherings at her apartment