By Aliza Abrams Konig Senior Program Director Leadership Scholars It is with great excitement that I introduce the first cohort of Leadership Scholars. These 10 students from all over the world were selected after a rigorous application process and multiple interviews. Each student demonstrates a commitment to strengthening the Jewish and wider community through chessed-based work, activism, volunteerism and social justice initiatives. They have each held significant leadership roles and intend to enhance their leadership in college and beyond. For the duration of their Yeshiva University experience, Leadership Scholars will learn to work collaboratively, think strategically and critically, and deepen their managerial skills, ultimately empowering them to achieve positions of influence professionally and in their future communal service. Please join me in congratulating each of our Leadership Scholars; the future is bright with their taking the lead.

---

Emmanuella Borukh

Emmanuella Borukh, from Queens, NY, attended Townsend Harris High School (a magnet public school) As an oldest child, Emmanuella was born into a position of leadership. Within high school, she was the head of various clubs and responsible for organizing many events, including running a school-wide assembly for an audience of 300+ students with the American Heart Association. Outside of high school, Emmanuella initiated a drug prevention program for teens in her traditional immigrant community. During her first year at Stern, her natural leadership qualities continued to flourish as she kickstarted a new club that advocates for menstrual equality: PERIOD.

---

Pela Cohen

Pelah Cohen grew up in Skokie, Illinois, attended Arie Crown for elementary and middle school before graduating high school from Ida Crown, where she was awarded the Yehudi HaTov Award. Varsity Cross Country was one of the many activities Pelah participated in during her time high school, along with serving as a Senior Leader for the incoming freshman class. Throughout her years in the Chicago area, Pelah  became increasingly more involved with Yachad, initially as a peer and  then as a two-term president while also dedicating her summers to Yachad programming. During her free time, Pelah enjoys learning, running, babysitting and is always open to watch a good movie. This year, Pelah has been learning at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalyim in Baka and continues to pursue her work with Yachad as an advisor and Yachad Summer Programs Recruiter. She hopes to  work with Yachad this summer as a second-time counselor at Camp Lavi before starting Stern College in the fall.

---

Bianca Curitz

Bianca Curitz grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. She attended Herzlia High School where she headed the Zionism Committee and played an intrinsic role in the Jewish Life and Learning portfolio, as well as leading both the First Netball and Soccer sports teams to victory. During her time in high school, she was selected to participate in the Diller Teen Fellows year-long international leadership program. She was also the elected representative of her school on the Zionist Youth Council where she helped plan events to educate and engage the Cape Town Jewish community. She regularly tutored high school students at a nearby underprivileged school and, due to the connection she felt with the students there, during her final year of school (which was online due to COVID-19), she created and implemented an inter-school project in which she raised money to fund all 108 twelfth-grade low-income students in that school with WiFi modems along with 20GB of data per month for the next three months leading up to the South African standardized final exams. For her achievement, she received a gold medal (first place) for the World ORT Gina and Joseph Award for social responsibility.

---

Bentzion Klarfeld

Bentzion Klarfeld grew up in Beachwood, Ohio, and attended the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland for elementary and middle school, where he was student council Vice President. Bentzy then went to Yeshiva of Cleveland (Chofetz Chaim) for high school, during which he volunteered in the Bikur Cholim of Cleveland’s Zeh L’Zeh program for children with special needs and ran youth groups at the Young Israel of Greater Cleveland. Currently, Bentzy is completing Shana Bet at Yeshivat Shaalvim. While a student at Shaalvim, he organizes programming that brings children of different religious backgrounds together. Bentzy spends his summers at Camp Kaylie, a camp that integrates children with special needs into an everyday environment. He started there as a camper eight summers ago and now is a Division Head, working with the youngest groups of campers and overseeing their counselors. An avid runner, Bentzy competed in the Maccabi Games, where he won 9 medals in track and field; he recently finished his first marathon, in Jerusalem. Bentzy will be starting in Yeshiva College in the fall.

---

Rivka Krause

Rivka Krause grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and graduated from Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School in 2021. While there, she was the captain of the Mock Trial, Moot Beit Din and College Bowl teams. She also co-founded her school’s Environmental Committee. Outside of school, she was a member of New Jersy State Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle’s Young Women’s Leadership Program and interned for New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer’s re-election campaign. As a senior, Rivka was awarded the Yeshivat Maharat Emerging Scholars Award and The Shaindy Rudoff Memorial Award for Excellence in English Literature. She hopes to blend her love of literature and Jewish thought by double majoring in English Literature and Jewish Philosophy. Rivka most recently spent a year studying at Midreshet Amudim in Jerusalem and interned for NGO Monitor.

---

Zanvy Lesnoy

Zanvy Lesnoy grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated from Berman Hebrew Academy in 2020 and spent two years learning in Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem. While in high school, Zanvy participated in several leadership and chessed opportunities in his community and school, among them serving as Gabbai for four years in his shul’s thriving Youth Minyan as well as on its youth board and volunteering with Chai Lifeline as a mentor for kids with illnesses. He has received several awards for his youth leadership roles and the Torah U’madda Award for commitment to his school, community and ideals of Yeshiva University. Zanvy enjoys playing numerous sports including basketball and volleyball and ran in the Jerusalem Marathon to raise money for Shalva. During his summers, Zanvy has worked as a counselor at Camp Moshava Indian Orchard.

---

Joshua Miller

Josh Miller grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and graduated from TABC in 2020. During high school, Josh took on many leadership roles, including Student Council Treasurer, Pink Day coordinator and Model United Nations captain and was the sole student speaker at the 2019 Open house. After graduating, Josh learned in Yeshivat Hakotel for 2 years. While in Yeshiva, he joined the leadership program and organized the weekly Public Speaking Network helping others in Yeshiva work on their public speaking skills while facilitating visitation days for perspective students.

---

Yosef Morrison

Yosef Morrison was born and raised in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Throughout his studies at Torah Academy of Bergen County, Yosef was involved in many leadership opportunities and worked as a manager in local restaurants. In addition to working, Yosef is very passionate about volunteering. He has on the chapter board of Teaneck NCSY for three consecutive years and volunteered for his local ambulance squad.

---

Yael Sabo

Yael Sabo is from Bergenfield, New Jersey. She went to Bruriah High School for Girls in Elizabeth and has spent the last 2 years at MMY. Throughout high school and seminary, she was involved in various clubs, creating and running such programs as a JFS food drive as well as a Chinese Auction for students to raise money for Gush Katif Kallot. She has spent time volunteering in Shaarei Tzedek Hospital and has been involved with Tomchei Shabbos for many years. Yael will be starting Stern College in the fall and will be majoring in biology.

---

Elijah Soclof

Elijah Soclof was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Fuchs Mizrachi school in 2020, where he earned the Matmid Award and the Keter Shem Tov Award. He was  president of the Stark High School Student Council, captain of the basketball and soccer teams and a student ambassador. He participated in Model UN at Yeshiva University, the Jewish Community Federation’s Saltzman Youth Panel and was on the leadership boards of Bnei Akiva, Yachad and Friendship Circle. During the summers, Elijah spent his time working at Camp Stone, Yachad Fellowship and Camp HASC. He is completing his second year at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, where he has served as gabbai and 1st Year Representative at the year-end Siyum. Most recently, he participated in the Yeshiva’s Ukraine relief efforts.