A current Revel student herself, Anne had to make a bit of a trip to get to Washington Heights this fall. Born in Paris and raised in London, Anne never spent much of time in North America—until now. She attended Hasmonean High School in London, after which she spent a year at Michlalah Seminary in Jerusalem (2008/9). Anne then went on to the University of Cambridge, earning a BA (2012) in Land Economy (an amalgamation of law, economics, and finance). Wishing to further her academic Jewish studies, she decided to come to Revel, where she is now pursuing a degree in medieval Jewish history. Anne has already connected on a most personal level with her Revel classes this semester. She has a specific interest in the Spanish Inquisition, since her father’s ancestors were among the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. Her family does not have much documentation from the period, and Anne hopes to expand her knowledge of this national tragedy. Among her three Revel classes this semester is a course on the Inquisition and its ramifications, entitled “The Sephardic Atlantic,” taught by Professor Ronnie Perelis, who holds the Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Abraham and Jelena (Rachel) Alcalay Chair in Sephardic Studies. Anne loves the Washington Heights Jewish community, which she describes as “so lovely and welcoming.” Beyond her academic life, Anne is taking full advantage of her time in New York. She serves as an NCSY Advisor for the New Jersey region, and is running a weekly Jewish study group (chabura) at a public school in New Jersey. Anne’s parents made Aliya this fall to the Katamon neighborhood in Jerusalem and Anne would ultimately love to join them. When asked what she hopes to do in the future, she answers: “I would love to change the world and make a difference.” In the meantime, she is enjoying studying at Revel and living in New York—and is already making a difference at our graduate school. As part of he new student internship program at Revel, Anne is assisting Rona Steinerman (Revel’s Director of Admissions and Student Affairs) by helping to keep up to date on student and alumni information, and organize special Revel events. Visit Anne on Wednesday afternoons at the new Revel Welcome Desk. This article was written by Elianna Mitnick, a current Revel MA student