Spotlight On: 2026-27 Year-In-Israel Students

On June 28, 2026, Hebrew Union College will welcome its incoming seminary students to the Jerusalem campus. The Year-In-Israel program has been a cornerstone of our campus based rabbinical and cantorial programs for more than half a century. This year's cohort is redefining what Jewish leadership can look like, weaving together tradition and transformation.

These students come from across North America, bringing life experiences shaped in places as varied as Sanford, Florida; Roswell, Georgia; Grinnell, Iowa; and West Hartford, Connecticut. Each of these students bring a wealth of experience, whether they are recently graduated from college or have spent years in a successful career. They bring diverse lived experiences that inform and enrich how they envision sacred leadership.

While their stories differ in their particulars, these students share a fierce commitment to Jewish life and to building a bold and inclusive Jewish future. Each of their paths illustrates how Reform Jewish leadership is being shaped by those who bring their whole selves to their studies and their work.

They are arriving in Jerusalem in the shadow of ongoing war, at a moment when showing up for Israel feels like both an act of love and an act of courage. Israel's future feels especially precarious, and the Jewish world is grappling with hard questions about identity, purpose, and connection to the broader world. All of these future clergy understand well that wrestling with Israel - its complexity, its pain, and its enduring centrality to Jewish life - is required for the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. To study here, to live here, to reckon with what Israel means to diaspora Jews in a time of crisis: this is the work that cannot be done from a distance.

As they begin their immersion in text study, Hebrew language, and the rhythms of Israeli life, they carry with them the passion, humility, and curiosity that will shape them into the leaders our communities and our world so urgently need.

To learn more about Hebrew Union College's Year-In-Israel program, visit Year-In-Israel - HUC.

Meet the 2026-2027 Year-In-Israel Students

Jenna Barricklo

Cantorial Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: New York, NY
Hometown Congregation: Riverdale Temple

Originally from Riverdale in the Bronx, Jenna Barricklo grew up deeply connected to Jewish communal life through synagogue involvement, youth programming, and summer camp experiences. She earned a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and recently earned a Master's Certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University.

Throughout her career, Jenna has worked in a variety of Jewish educational settings, teaching students of diverse ages and backgrounds in both formal and informal environments. During the summers, Jenna travels to Israel to staff Birthright trips and work with TALMA, teaching English and supporting Israeli students through immersive educational programming. In recognition of her work in English education with Israeli students through virtual Zoom programming, she received the Noy Aviv Award from TALMA.

Jenna has also taken on leadership roles within Jewish communal organizations and mentorship spaces, helping cultivate strong, inclusive communities for young people and families.

Reed Barkowitz

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Boston, MA

Reed grew up in the Boston area before moving to Central Florida during high school. They have been engaged in Jewish life at every stage, from partnering with Keshet for their Bat Mitzvah project, to participating in three NFTY regions, to being active in Hillel during college. Since graduating, Reed has pursued a career as a Jewish professional, first as Communications Manager for Boston-based Mikveh Mayyim Hayyim, and then as Program Director of Stetson University Hillel. After becoming a Rabbi, they hope to continue providing support and guidance to queer and trans Jews around the world. Reed is also pursuing an M.A. in Jewish Nonprofit Management with the Zelikow School of Nonprofit Management.

Joseph (Joe) Beutel

Cantorial Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
Hometown Congregation: Achduth Vesholom

Joseph Beutel has made a career as a classical singer. Opera has afforded him a unique opportunity to amplify voices too often unheard. These works include Mila, an opera about a Filipino, live-in maid from the helper community of Hong Kong, and Stonewall, commissioned by New York City Opera for the 50th Anniversary of the uprising of 1969. He also was a soloist on the Grammy nominated recording of Kastalsky's Requiem for Fallen Brothers, performed at the National Cathedral for the Centennial of Armistice Day.

Throughout his career, he has contributed to a wide range of projects in Jewish communal, educational, and cultural settings. He performed the role of "Death" in Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis on an old Nazi base in Vienna, to reclaim the space through music. He sang the cantorial role in Eugene Lester's Psalm for Limón Dance Company, and Bernstein's Dybbuk for New York City Ballet's Robbins 100 Festival.

Simon Blechman

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Hometown Congregation: Temple Shalom (Chevy Chase, MD)

Simon Blechman is originally from Baltimore, MD. Previously working as a political fundraiser for Democratic politicians and organizations across the U.S., Simon found love in both Jewish study and teaching at Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Simon taught third, eighth, and ninth grade at Temple Shalom, with focuses on the 10 Commandments, Jewish experiences around the world, "Telling your Jewish Story", and "Creating Your Jewish Adulthood." Simon has worked as a Jewish Ideas Fellow, and in the leadership program with Temple Shalom.

Andrew Cabrera

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Hometown Congregation: Temple Mount Sinai

Andrew Cabrera is from El Paso, Texas. At Temple Mount Sinai, he served as president of his youth group and was active in NFTY-SW. He also helped preserve the history of Temple Mount Sinai's borderland Jewish community through the transfer of congregational records to the American Jewish Archives.

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Moody College of Communication Honors Program, Andrew served as a delegate to the Shalom Hartman Student Leadership Summit and helped found the Texas Hillel Jewish Life Committee.

Most recently, Andrew spent two years as a Springboard Innovation Fellow with Hillel San Antonio, where he mentored students, led Jewish learning and ritual experiences, and developed programming that encouraged young adults to build meaningful relationships with Judaism on their own terms.

Rebecca "Becca" Carin

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Boyds, MD
Hometown Congregation: Temple Beth Ami

Becca Carin is originally from Boyds, MD, where she was active in BBYO and her synagogue's youth group, serving as president of both organizations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a B.A. in Jewishish Studies. Becca currently lives in Boston, MA. For the past four years, she has been a Hillel professional, beginning as a Springboard Ezra Fellow and most recently at Northeastern University as the IACT and Student Life Coordinator.

Arden Donohue

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Sand Lake, NY

Arden Donohue is originally from Sand Lake, NY. Arden is pursuing rabbinic ordination because she wants to guide others through their Jewish journeys and important life cycle events just as clergy have led her through her Jewish life. Her rabbis Lisa Rubin and April Davis, who guided her through her conversion to Judaism, were her first inspiration. Arden has worked as an educator for Kesher at Larchmont Temple in Larchmont, NY and at NYU Langone Health as a central sterile technician, cleaning hospital instruments and equipment for the hospital. In the Nishma program at the Jewish Theological Seminary, she studied and translated tannaitic texts with her cohort. She has also led text studies and a Purim themed mocktail making workshop as a lay leader at Central Synagogue. Arden won the Bell Chevigny award in 2013 at SUNY Purchase for best feminist senior project in the humanities department. While she pursued her bachelor's degree at SUNY Purchase, she was a co-president for the feminist club FORTH.

Grace Elizabeth Dy

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Bellevue, WA
Hometown Congregation: B'nai Torah

Grace Elizabeth Dy (they/them) comes to Hebrew Union College from Bellevue, Washington. They are a Weitzman-JDC Fellow, and most recently served as the inaugural Jewish chaplain at Seattle University and as a Leading Light Fellow with the LUNAR Collective, where they organized community programming by and for Asian Jews in Seattle and nationwide.

Grace Elizabeth earned a B.A. in Comparative Religion and B.S. in Biology from the University of Washington, where they later worked as the Events and Outreach Manager for the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. They also co-directed the sociolinguistics study, "Yallah Y'all: The Development and Acceptance of Queer Jewish Languages," which examines the creation and adoption of queer-inclusive language and practices in Jewish communities. They have an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and served as a mental health clinician at Sound Behavioral Health.

Leah Faupel

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Roswell, GA
Hometown Congregation: Temple Beth Tikvah

Leah Faupel grew up in Roswell, Georgia, where she was heavily involved in her synagogue. She spent a total of ten summers at three different URJ camps, co-founded the Jewish Student Union at her high school, and served on her NFTY Regional Board. She attended the University of Tennessee, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with degrees in Judaic Studies and Psychology. She served on the executive board of Hillel at UT-Knoxville for three years. Leah served as a Vice President on the inaugural Campus Global Board through the American Jewish Committee and interned in the AJC Atlanta Regional Office as a Goldman Fellow. Since graduating from Tennessee in 2024, Leah has been the Springboard Fellow at Hillel at Georgia Tech, where she focuses on student engagement, programming, and fostering relationships with Jewish students and student leaders on campus. She also teaches religious school at her home synagogue, Temple Beth Tikvah.

David Feinberg

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Hometown Congregation: Temple Sinai

Originally from Philadelphia, David Feinberg grew up deeply immersed in the greater Philadelphia Jewish community, from years at Ramah Day and Overnight Camp, to USY events, and later an enthusiastic learner at Saligman Middle School and the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy.

David was a mainstay at Beth El in Yardley, PA for seven years as an Educator, Song Leader, and innovator to their Hebrew School Curriculum. His time teaching at Makom Community in Philadelphia was a time of insight and growth into his educational philosophies as he adapted to the ever-shifting landscape of Jewish Education under Covid.

After moving to Chicago in 2021 David took on the moniker of "Teva Dave", overhauling the Teva Education program at Ramah Day Camp Chicagoland. He was awarded the "Sheva Teaching Award" for Innovation in 2024.

Lily Ginsberg

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Hometown Congregation: Beth-El Hebrew Congregation

Originally from the suburbs of Washington, DC, Lily Ginsberg graduated summa cum laude and with highest distinction from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2023, receiving a BA in English Literature with a minor in History. Lily was awarded the 2023 Anne Hopewell Selby Undergraduate Research Award and the 2023 Robert and Corinne Silver Award for the Study of Literature, and she was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, where she presented a paper in 2023. She was a college fellow with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, a 2025 Hebrew Union College Jewish Ideas Fellow, and an Avodah Justice Fellow.

Eliana (Ellie) Grossman

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Santa Clarita, CA

Ellie Grossman is originally from Santa Clarita, California. Ellie studied human development and psychology at UCSD, where they graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Throughout college, they worked at Congregation Beth Israel in La Jolla as a Religious School Teacher and, during their final year, as the Youth Engagement Coordinator. They grew up attending URJ Camp Newman and have continued to return most summers, working as a general counselor, a CIT advisor, and a Rosh Eidah. Helping Jewish children find their connection to Judaism at camp is what started Ellie on their journey to the rabbinate, and they continue to be inspired by the way their students find guidance through different aspects of Judaism. Ellie has had a non-traditional path to the Rabbinate, and they look forward to helping Jews of various backgrounds find their own connection to our traditions and community just as they did.

Ezra Hammel

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031

Sarah Kaplan

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Hometown Congregation: Isaac M. Wise Temple

Sarah Kaplan grew up in Cincinnati, where her Jewish journey was shaped by family, friends, and the mentorship of many rabbis. Most recently, Sarah served as Engagement Manager at MIT Hillel, working closely with undergraduate and graduate students to cultivate meaningful Jewish life on campus. While at MIT, she participated in Auburn Theological Seminary's Emerging Leaders Program and completed Resetting the Table's Facilitation Across Differences training.

In Boston, Sarah taught third grade at Temple Isaiah's Religious School, creating engaging lessons in Jewish stories, Hebrew, and play-based learning. Before MIT, she served as an Avodah Service Corps Member in Chicago, living in a Jewish communal home and supporting lawyers and organizers at Beyond Legal Aid.

At Tufts, Sarah was a Senior Fellow in the Hillel Community Building Fellows program. She also had formative learning experiences through the Tufts University Prison Initiative and as a policy intern at Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts.

Shayna Kling

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Hometown Congregation: Adath Israel

Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Shayna Kling's Jewish journey began at Adath Israel Congregation, where she was deeply involved in USY, her congregation's High Holiday choir, and served as a Sunday school madricha. She spent 13 summers at Camp Wise, an experience that helped her develop a strong Jewish identity and inspired her lifelong passion for Jewish community-building and mentorship. Shayna graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology Her academic achievement, leadership, and campus involvement were recognized through the prestigious Coca-Cola Scholarship and Ohio State's Royal Buckeye Award. For the past three years, Shayna has served as a Springboard Fellow and member of the staff at University of Miami Hillel. In this role, she has led social action initiatives, developed student engagement programs, managed marketing and social media efforts, created meaningful Shabbat and High Holiday experiences, and more.

Reed Leventis

Rabbinic Ordination expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Hometown Congregation: Washington Hebrew

Reed Leventis graduated in 2023 from Princeton University, where he was the Kesher Reform Upperclassman Representative. While there, he won the Tim Vassen Award for Talent and Citizenship from the Lewis Center for the Arts and was named a Health Scholar in the Global Health Program. After graduation, Reed went on to work in public health research contributing to multiple research publications.

Reed also taught Hebrew and religious school at Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland, working with students from 3rd to 10th grade. He taught on a wide variety of topics ranging from the multiple meanings of Israel to how middot inform social justice.

Working as an EMT during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reed observed firsthand the limits of clinical treatment and power of pastoral care. He explored similar themes in his original theatrical work Disorder, an immersive community-driven installation on dehumanization in healthcare and necessity of human connection.

Sydney Levy

Cantorial Ordination Expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Hometown Congregation: Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta

Sydney Levy was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where she developed a deep connection to Jewish music and song-leading through her home congregation, Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta, and Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Sydney earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Florida State University, where she was actively involved in Hillel, Dance Marathon, Phi Mu Fraternity, and the College of Music. She also served as a song leader for both FSU Hillel and Temple Israel in Tallahassee. She received Florida State University's prestigious Torchbearer 100 award. As part of her music therapy training, Sydney completed a range of clinical practicums, working with clients across the lifespan in hospitals, schools, community programs, mental health settings, and elder care environments.

After graduating, Sydney returned to Atlanta to serve as a summer rabbinic intern at her home congregation, Temple Emanu-El. She then completed her music therapy internship with the Fulton County Schools Music Therapy program, supporting special education students across five schools and working with diverse student populations from preschool through high school. During this time, she remained actively engaged in Atlanta's Jewish musical community, singing with The Temple and Temple Beth Tikvah.

Jake Niefeld

Rabbinic Ordination expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Hometown Congregation: Bet Shalom Synagogue

Jacob (Jake) Niefeld graduated from the University of Kansas in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a concentration in Spanish. His involvement in Jewish life began as a camper at Herzl Camp, eventually leading to leadership roles as a Camp Counselor, Head Songleader, and Program Supervisor.

After graduating from KU, Jake joined the Springboard Fellowship at the University of Connecticut Hillel as a Jewish Education Fellow. There, he worked closely with students to create educational opportunities, build relationships, and support Jewish life on campus.

Jake has spent more than a decade working in customer service, hospitality, and event-based environments. These roles taught him how to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, navigate challenging situations, and create positive experiences for others.

Ellen Oshinsky

Rabbinic Ordination expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: Washington, DC
Hometown Congregation: Washington Hebrew

Ellen Oshinsky is originally from Washington, D.C. and currently lives in Park City, UT. She served as Avodah's Director of Strategic Partnerships for Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, and worked as the organization's New York Program Director. During her six-and-a-half-year tenure at Avodah, she fundraised for the organization, doubling the major gifts portfolio in Washington by centering and cultivating relationships. Ellen also builds community and empowers women to slow down and feel a sense of adventure and play in the great outdoors through her bike retreat business, Circle and Spoke. She formerly taught second grade in a bilingual school for the New York City Department of Education, as well as English in Midgal HaEmek through the TALMA Fellowship. Ellen is fluent in Spanish. She has served on the Board of Directors of Many Hands, a collective giving circle, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington's Community Leadership Council. Ellen was honored with the Harvey Milk Chesed Award by Bet Mishpachah in 2023, was a Wild Gift Fellow in 2024, and her writing can be found in Hey Alma.

Dylan Rice

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Columbus, GA
Hometown Congregation: Temple Israel

Originally from Columbus, GA, Dylan Rice spent 13 summers at URJ Camp Coleman, four as a counselor and Senior Fellow in the Foundation for Jewish Camp's Cornerstone program. Dylan graduated magna cum laude from Columbus State University with a B.A. in History. Following university, he served as a Program Associate at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, MS, where he developed curriculum for Jewish communities across the South. In 2022, he joined the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S. as Director of Jewish Community Relations, overseeing Israel's diplomatic engagement with Jewish communities across seven states. Following October 7, Dylan produced a daily newsletter reaching over 10,000 subscribers, covering IDF operations, the hostage crisis, and the Consulate's diplomatic efforts during the war. He also served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta's Young Leadership Division and the American Jewish Committee's ACCESS Young Professionals Division. Most recently, Dylan spent a year in Jerusalem studying in the Beit Midrash program at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.

Gabriel (Gabe) Robitaille

Rabbinic and Cantorial Ordination expected Spring 2033

Hillel Rubin

Rabbinic Ordination expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: La Mesa, CA

Hillel Rubin comes to Hebrew Union College after more than a decade of leadership in Jewish communal life, music, and community engagement. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, he served as Membership Manager at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (LFJCC) in San Diego, where he worked to connect individuals and families to meaningful Jewish communal experiences. Through his work, he developed membership initiatives, volunteer programs, social clubs, and community partnerships designed to strengthen Jewish life across generations and foster a greater sense of belonging.

Music has been a central part of Hillel's Jewish journey. For more than ten years, he has served as a congregational song leader and cantorial soloist, helping create engaging worship experiences in synagogues and community settings.

Alongside his Jewish communal work, Hillel has served in the Army National Guard since being commissioned as a Military Police officer in 2020, and he serves as a Chaplain Candidate in the Army National Guard. Hillel is also pursuing an M.A. in Nonprofit Management with the Zelikow School.

Molly Singer

Cantorial Ordination Expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
Hometown Congregation: Beth Israel

Hailing from West Hartford, CT, Molly Singer grew up singing in the children's and "adult" choirs and performing in various Purim Spiels at Congregation Beth Israel.

She recently received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University-Bloomington. Molly studied under the tutelage of Mezzo-Soprano Michelle DeYoung. Molly starred as "La Chatte" in IU Opera's production of L'Enfant et les sortilèges.

Molly was a clergy intern at Congregation Beth Shalom in Bloomington, director of Hooshir, IU's premier Jewish a cappella group, and has led High Holy Day services at IU Hillel for the past three years. When home, Molly also leads services with her hometown shul.

Molly is a proud alumna of Hazamir: International Jewish Teen Choir and was featured as a soloist at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She previously performed as a member of the choir at David Geffen Hall and was a member of their Chamber Choir. Molly was also a member of the Grammy Nominated IU Singing Hoosiers.

Ethan Solomon

Rabbinic Ordination expected Spring 2031

Benjamin (Ben) Weiner

Rabbinic Ordination Expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Hometown Congregation: Temple De Hirsch Sinai

Benjamin Weiner holds a B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon College, where he interned for The Kenyon Review and served as an editor for the student-run publishing house Sunset Press. He earned an M.A. in English Language and Literature from Simon Fraser University in 2025, serving as President of the English Graduate Student Caucus and working as a student teacher. His graduate thesis examined how the 20th-century American novelist, essayist, and social critic James Baldwin represents religious experience and belief in his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain. Currently, Benjamin serves as an assistant librarian at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in New York City and as a religious school teacher at Congregation Rodeph Sholom. He is also involved in various charity initiatives and mutual aid efforts throughout Brooklyn.

Gabrielle Williams

Rabbinic Ordination Expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI

Gabrielle Williams was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she lived until moving with her family to the Seattle area and then to Dallas, Texas. At Tulane University, Gabrielle studied Neuroscience with a minor in Philosophy. She was deeply involved with Jewish life on campus through the Jewish Studies Department, Tulane Hillel, Chabad, and Students Supporting Israel.

After graduating from Tulane in 2024, Gabrielle returned to Dallas to join Dr. Sebastian Choi's psychiatry lab at UT Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center. At UTSW, she worked as a technician studying the development of the anterolateral pathway.

Zev Zentner

Rabbinic Ordination Expected Spring 2031
Hometown: Ithaca, NY

Zev Zentner graduated with honors from Grinnell College, where they were awarded the Burkle Family Prize in Religious Studies. In addition, they were the inaugural recipient of the Harrold Kasimow Interfaith Internship Fund for their work at Interfaith Philadelphia. While at Grinnell, Zev was the vice president of the college's Jewish community, Chaverim, where they worked to make the organization more inclusive. Zev worked on the Religious Studies department's Student Education Policy Committee. They most recently worked at an elementary afterschool program where they led a book club and a shoe tying club. In their free time, Zev enjoys reading, journaling, baking, going for walks, and volunteering at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Daniel Zlatkin

Cantorial Ordination Expected: Spring 2031
Hometown: Westport, CT
Hometown Congregation: Temple Israel

Daniel Zlatkin is a professional classical composer and educator. His music focuses on creating intense, meditative spaces and is increasingly informed by Judaism.

Daniel has received numerous commissions and awards for his work. Institutions which have featured his music include the Tanglewood Music Center, Moody Center for the Arts (Houston), National Sawdust (Brooklyn), Fisher Center for the Performing Arts (Hudson Valley), June in Buffalo, Prismatic Congruency (Boston), Citadelle Art Museum (Canadian, Texas), the National Flute Association, and Unerhörte Music (Berlin). Other collaborators include the Da Capo Chamber Players, The Orchestra Now, The Brass Project, Vanguard Reed Quintet, Choral Chameleon, Khorikos, Ensemble Modern, Talea Ensemble, Switch~ Ensemble, Nunc, and Ensemble du Bout du Monde.

Daniel was drawn to the cantorate by an increasing interest in liturgical music and a renewed passion towards his Jewish identity and Zionism. He is enthusiastic about outreach and has led civic engagement projects related to music education internationally. Current projects include the creation of new Psalm and piyyut settings, a string quartet based on traditional Jewish melodies, and a symphony informed by the book of Genesis.