Participants
Jordan Aiken, from Pasadena, CA, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where she majored in Mass Communications and minored in Global Poverty. Jordan spent a semester in Cape Town, South Africa, where she volunteered with Art Aids Art. She continued to work with the organization after returning to California, by establishing its first university chapter and coordinating fundraisers and workshops.
Jordan works as a Shelter Assistant at the New Orleans Women’s Shelter, a facility for women and children in the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans that provides temporary emergency shelter and food. The shelter is a family-style transitional women and children’s home with a focus on helping women stabilize, obtain proper medical treatment and other locally available social services to move onto successful independent living.
Michal Boyarsky, from New City, NY, graduated from Vassar College, where she majored in Gender Studies and Linguistics. While studying abroad in Haifa, Israel, Michal worked at a battered women’s shelter and volunteered as an English tutor. She also participated in an AJWS alternative spring break trip to El Salvador, where she helped build houses and develop sustainable farming.
In her position at Reach NOLA, Michal works directly with local residents and community partners to raise awareness about available healthcare options and will help to implement programs to improve community health. By partnering with a variety of community groups and health organizations, Reach NOLA seeks to improve health equity, community health and access to quality health care in greater New Orleans.
Mallory Falk grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and attended Middlebury College, where she majored in English and American Literatures, with a concentration in Creative Writing. Throughout college, Mallory was actively involved in the Page 1 Literacy Project, serving as Assistant Board Chair, and established and led after-school programs in creative writing and playwriting.
At Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools (Rethink), Mallory works directly with student participants, helping to implement new programs and facilitating current after-school programs. Rethink supports and empowers young people to use their experiences, their voices and their leadership to create positive change in their schools and in their world.
Rachel Glicksman, from New York, NY, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Hispanic Studies from Vassar College. While in college, Rachel served as Co-Chair of Hunger Action, President of Operation Donation, and Vice President of the Vassar Jewish Union, and founded the campus chapter of Challah for Hunger to raise money for humanitarian causes.
As the Assistant Neighborhood Coordinator at Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, Rachel works closely with residents of the Central City neighborhood to identify and implement programs to revitalize the community. Jericho Road supports affordable housing for neighborhood residents by building new construction homes and rehabilitating existing structures.
Amanda Gross, from Waban, MA, attended Elon University, where she majored in Psychology with a triple-minor in Spanish, International Studies, and Religious Studies. Amanda has travelled extensively in the Americas, studying abroad in Costa Rica and Peru and taking alternative spring break trips to the Domincan Republic and Mexico.
Amanda serves as the Intake Coordinator at Rebuilding Together New Orleans, helping homeowners through the application system so they can receive assistance and finally get their homes rebuilt. Amanda functions as the primary point of contact with homeowners and act as an advocate on their behalf, both within the organization and with other agencies citywide.
Rachel Lewis, from Elkins Park, PA, earned a Bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, with a major in Sociology and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Rachel served as the Campus Relations Coordinator for Brandeis Hillel and participated in the university’s Interfaith Leadership Development program. She also spent two semesters abroad, studying at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Rachel serves as a Client Welfare Specialist at the Orleans Public Defenders (OPD). OPD provides legal services to indigent defendants and client-centered representation that respects the humanity and dignity of those accused of crimes. The Defender Services Program – a division within the office of social workers and client welfare specialists – work in teams with staff attorneys and investigators to address an arrestee’s underlying problems as well as his or her criminal charges.
Miriam Liebman grew up in Farmington Hills, MI, and attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a degree in Middle East and North African Studies. Miriam spent a semester abroad at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. As the recipient of a fellowship from Abraham’s Vision, she traveled to the Balkans to study comparative conflict analysis with Palestinian and Israeli students. She has also participated in two alternative break service trips to New Orleans.
In her position at the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC), an agency which seeks to eradicate housing discrimination throughout the greater New Orleans area, Miriam helps identify opportunities to instate fair housing practices in the rebuilding process and will develop outreach activities to educate the greater New Orleans community about GNOFHAC’s services.
Gillian Locascio, from Tacoma, WA, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Emory University. A semester abroad in Panama inspired Gillian to work with an Engineers Without Borders program there, as well as to earn sponsorship for her thesis research on indigenous home gardens. While in college, Gillian helped plan an environmental seminar series and served as President of the Culinary Club.
Gillian serves as the Community Coordinator at the Tulane University Community Health Center at Covenant House, where she will manage outreach efforts to improve the value of the clinic for the community. The Health Center was established in the days following Hurricane Katrina and provides continuous high-quality, holistic, accessible, community-centric care.
Laura Taishoff, from Katonah, NY, studied English at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She studied abroad in both Mexico and Italy, and participated in a Birthright trip to Israel with the campus Hillel. As an Honors Fellow, Laura mentored incoming freshmen on issues of civil rights and social injustice. She also served as co-captain of the women’s lacrosse club and co-editor of The Voice, a student-run Jewish cultural magazine, and also worked as a conversational English tutor.
As a youth advocate at Juvenile Regional Services, Laura works directly with youth in the juvenile justice system who are on probation and parole. She provides support to clients by connecting them to educational, vocational, and/or medical programs, advocating for services on their behalf, and providing guidance and support as necessary. JRS provides comprehensive legal services to indigent children accused of delinquency.
Tina Wexler, from Scarsdale, NY, studied Religion at Barnard College at Columbia University, where she minored in Anthropology and completed coursework for the Pre-Health track. Tina has worked as a research assistant at both St. Barnabas Hospital’s Department of Pediatrics and Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, and volunteered at a neonatal clinic in Bucharest, Romania, and served as a Columbia University EMT.
As the Exoneree Advocate at Resurrection After Exoneration, Tina works closely with project founder John Thompson, himself an exoneree, to help other exonerees with housing needs, health and medical care, education, work training, financial planning, life skills, and legal matters.
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