The Wexner Foundation > Wexner Fellows/ Davidson Scholars

There are almost eighty active Wexner Graduate Fellows and Davidson Scholars. Below are profiles of some of our Fellows/Scholars.

Rachel Ackoff
Class 24
Jewish Professional Leadership – New York University
After a decade in the environmental movement, Rachel Ackoff is pursuing a dual degree in Nonprofit Management and Jewish Studies at NYU as a Truman Scholar, Wexner Fellow and Davidson Scholar and Lisa Goldberg Fellow. Previously, Rachel served as the Associate Washington Representative for the Sierra Club’s Labor and Trade Program where she implemented the lobbying and grassroots strategies for the organization’s global economy work. Prior to joining the staff of the Sierra Club, she worked for the United States Student Association, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse student organization, as their Electoral Project Director. Rachel enjoys cooking veggie Shabbat dinners, camping and hiking, playing board games, and practicing Jewish meditation.

Seth Anziska
Class 21

Jewish Studies – Columbia University

Seth Anziska is pursuing his doctorate in International and Global History at Columbia University, with a focus on the Middle East, US foreign relations, and modern Jewish history. His dissertation, Cold War Revival in the Middle East and the Remaking of US Foreign Policy: 1978-1988, explores American involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon during the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Seth received his BA in History from Columbia University and earned his M. Phil. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from St. Antony's College, Oxford. He has been a graduate teaching coordinator at Columbia and a recipient of the Boren and FLAS fellowships. Seth speaks both Arabic and Hebrew.

Nir C. Buchler

Class 22

Jewish Professional Leadership – Brandeis University

Nir C. Buchler is an Associate at the CRC and the Planning and Allocations Department of UJC MetroWest in NJ. He holds a dual Master in Jewish Professional Leadership and Public Policy from Brandeis University where he graduated in 2011. In addition to being a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar, he is also a FEREP Lowenstein fellow. He has worked for Masa Israel, CJP’s Boston-Haifa connection and in the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem. As an undergraduate he was the President of Hillel at Baruch College and spent 6 months in Albany, NY working for the NY State Assembly as a legislative aide. Within the CRC of MetroWest, Nir is working on a community-wide Israel Advocacy Initiatives. The CRC works in areas related to Israel & world affairs, government relations and community-based initiatives and is an active member of JCPA. Additionally, Nir performs research, analysis and closely works with allocation committees in the Jewish Federation.

Noah Cheses
Class 21
Rabbinate – Yeshiva University

Noah Cheses is the Associate Rabbi at the Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale University, where he manages Yale Hillel’s Israel portfolio and teaches widely on Jewish topics. He is a graduate of Yeshiva University where he also received his rabbinical ordination. Noah and his wife Sarah have served as the educational directors at Camp Stone and have lived in Israel for several years, where Noah co-founded the Tikvah Israel Seminars, a program that provides interdisciplinary forums relating to enduring Jewish questions facing the modern day state of Israel. Noah has worked on the grounds crew at Fenway Park where he mowed the field for the Boston Red Sox. Noah is also an avid runner who ran on the cross country team in college and competed in the Boston, Miami, and Jerusalem marathons. Noah and Sarah are parents of a sweet little lady named Adina.

Michael Cinnamon

Class 23

Rabbinate – Yeshiva University

Michael J. Cinnamon is a second-year Rabbinical student at Yeshiva University. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Following high school, he studied at Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem for two years, after which he majored in history and Jewish studies in the Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College. In his senior year, he served as Editor-in-Chief of The Commentator, the student newspaper. He is currently completing an MA in Talmudic Studies at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and plans to pursue a doctorate in Jewish history. He has taught classes in literary analysis of Talmudic stories at the Columbia/Barnard and NYU Hillels, and, next year, will serve as Rabbinic Intern in Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York City. In addition to academic pursuits, Michael particularly enjoys playing Frisbee, and is an avid reader – his favorite author is David Foster Wallace.

Megan Goldman

Class 22

Rabbinate - Jewish Theological Seminary

Megan Goldman is a third year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary where she is also working on an MA in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies. She grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended the University of Pennsylvania from which she graduated with a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies in 2006. Upon graduating, Megan worked at the Hillel at Yale University for two years. Megan spent the past three summers working as a Jewish Outdoor Educator for Panim: Southwest and for two different Ramah camps. Megan currently serves as a Rabbinical intern at Columbia/Barnard Hillel. This coming summer Megan will participate in JTS’s Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at the Jewish Home Lifecare. She has a passion for travel and outdoor adventure- which has currently led her to 47 of the fifty states in the US.

Sarit Horwitz
Class 23
Rabbinate – Jewish Theological Seminary

Sarit Horwitz is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, currently studying at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. Sarit grew up in Kansas City and, before moving back to NY, lived in Chicago working in administration at a multi-denominational Jewish day school. Sarit graduated from Columbia University and JTS’s List College’s joint program with degrees in psychology and Midrash. While studying at Columbia, Sarit served as a Resident Advisor and as the Director of Nightline, Columbia’s peer counseling hotline. Sarit has served as a Rosh Edah (unit head) at both Camp Ramah New England and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. Sarit has completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and is interested in pursuing chaplaincy as a component of her rabbinate. In her free time, Sarit enjoys crocheting, reading, and making sushi.

Aaron Lerner
Class 22
Rabbinate – Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School

Aaron Lerner graduated with honors from the University of Southern California in 2002 with a BS in Business Administration and a Spanish minor. He was active at USC Hillel where he designed their service-learning curriculum. Upon graduation Aaron lived in Israel for two years, studying Jewish texts at Pardes and Yeshivat Bat Ayin. Returning to Los Angeles, he worked for four years as an investment banker and was involved in the closing of more than two billion dollars of commercial real estate debt and equity transactions. A passion for Torah and the Jewish people led Aaron to enroll in Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) in 2008 where he is studying to be a rabbi. Aaron is currently teaching at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in New York in conjunction with YCT’s educator track, and was formerly the rabbinic intern at Hunter College Hillel, an AJWS Kol Tzedek fellow, and an Avi Chai Chizuk Fellow. Aaron volunteers as an Uri L’Tzedek compliance office and is a licensed real estate broker.

Lauren Levy

Class 24

Cantorate – Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Lauren Levy, originally from Voorhees, NJ is living in Jerusalem, Israel as part of her first-year cantorial studies that combine her interests in music, psychology, languages, teaching, and Judaism. Lauren graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Music, and Italian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. Prior to cantorial school she has coordinated psychiatry research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, taught mathematics at Rodeph Sholom Day School, completed a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami, and performed in many operas in the New York area and in Europe. Throughout this journey, the consistent thread was always her continued involvement teaching B’nai Mitzvah students both privately and through various synagogues in New York City (Central Synagogue and Rodeph Sholom) and Miami (Beth Or and Temple Israel). She has also led both Shabbat and High Holiday Services for many years in the Philadelphia and Miami areas. Lauren has always been intrigued by the concepts of community and identity and seeks to further explore these issues as a cantor.

Avi Miller
Class 23

Rabbinate – Yeshiva University

Avi Miller is a rabbinical student at Yeshiva University and pursuing an M.A. in philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center and an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy at the Bernard Revel Graduate School. Originally from North Woodmere, NY, Avi graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 2009 with an A.B. in philosophy and a certificate (minor) in Judaic studies. In 2006, Avi studied abroad in Beijing, China studying Mandarin at Beijing Normal University and in Jerusalem, Israel continuing his Talmudic studies at Derech Hatalmud and Yeshivat Hakotel. Avi currently serves as the rabbinic intern at Kehilath Jeshurun located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He is married to Sarah Baer.

Josh Nason

Class 24

Jewish Professional Leadership - Johns Hopkins University

Josh is an M.A. Candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, studying International Relations, Middle East Studies, and International Economics. Josh previously worked at the Zionist Organization of America as Managing Director for Campus Programs. Josh graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Labor Relations. As a student at Cornell, Josh was active in Cornell Hillel and Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, and interned at AIPAC: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, MASA Israel Journey, and the Jerusalem Post. In 2004, as a high school senior, Josh served as International President of United Synagogue Youth (USY). Josh is originally from Dallas, Texas, and now lives in Washington, DC.

Liz Piper-Goldberg
Class 23
Rabbinate – Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Liz Piper-Goldberg is a second-year rabbinical student at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Originally from Boston, Liz grew up at URJ Eisner Camp and as an active member of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). She has worked at Eisner as a counselor, song leader, Teva (nature) Director, most recently as Tefilah (prayer) Director this past summer. Liz graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a degree in Environmental Studies. She was a leader of Brown-RISD Hillel, coordinating the Reform Minyan throughout her time as an undergraduate and serving as student president her senior year. Liz studied abroad in Israel during high school on NFTY’s EIE program, and again in college as a student at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, a peace and coexistence program. She served as a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center from 2009-2010, where her portfolio included Israel, Middle East affairs, church/state separation, education, interfaith affairs, and the NFTY liaison position. Liz was a participant in the Former Soviet Union Pesach Project last year, traveling from Israel to lead seders and programming for progressive Jewish communities throughout Russia. Liz is currently the Teen Leadership Coordinator at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York.

Samantha Pohl
Class 21
Jewish Professional Leadership – Hebrew Union College and University of Southern California

Samantha Pohl is a Program Executive in the Volunteer and Leadership Development Division at UJA-Federation of New York. A Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar, Samantha received a Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Service (now Jewish Nonprofit Management) from Hebrew Union College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is also a proud graduate of Brandeis University where she majored in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Previously, Samantha served as Program Director of Brown RISD Hillel and as a legislative assistant at the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. In her spare time, Samantha is on the board of Hillel at Brandeis University.

Ruthie Warshenbrot
Class 23
Jewish Professional Leadership - New York University

Ruthie Warshenbrot grew up in Charlotte, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Jewish Studies. She is currently a Manager in the Jewish Service-Learning Department at Repair the World, and a Program Leader for Jewish Funds for Justice's service-learning trips. She is also an alumna of a Jewish service-learning delegation run by American Jewish World Service to Senegal. Prior to graduate school, Ruthie served as Executive Director for Limmud NY, a position she held after working as a Program Manager for the organization. During college, Ruthie was active with Carolina Students for Israel, UNC's Holocaust Remembrance Week, and NC Hillel. She served on NC Hillel's Board of Directors as well as Hillel's international Board of Directors. Ruthie is on the Advisory Board of the Jewish Dialogue Group, a past Board member of Kol Zimrah, and the recipient of the 2009 JCSA Young Professional Award. Ruthie is a second-year student in the Wagner/Skirball dual degree program as a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar and is also a recipient of the Lisa Goldberg Fellowship in Jewish Professional Leadership. She will complete her studies in May 2012.

Bryan Wexler

Class 24
Rabbinate – Jewish Theological Seminary

Bryan Wexler was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and as a teen was active in NFTY and graduated from Gratz Hebrew High School. Bryan attended Brandeis University where he was a member of Jewish Fella a Cappella, leading as president for two years, the Mitzvah Clowning Club, and KLAL, a Jewish pluralism dialogue group. Bryan also served for three years on the Hillel Student Board as Social Action Coordinator, Religious Life Coordinator, and President. While at Brandeis, Bryan was a Hebrew school teacher at Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA and at the Brandeis Jewish Education Program. Bryan spent his undergraduate summers as a counselor at the URJ Kutz Leadership Camp, learning at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, studying Hebrew as a David Fellow at the Language Immersion Program at Middlebury College, and teaching History and Literature at Higher Achievement in Washington, DC respectively. Bryan graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis in 2009 with a B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Philosophy, and Hebrew, and was the recipient of the Reuben Posner and Leila Bilick Leadership Award. Prior to this year, Bryan worked for two years as the full-time Youth Director and Community Educator at Temple Aliyah in Needham, MA.