Get to know the recipients of this year’s 18 Under 18 award!
As a senior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School, Abby is editor of The Stripe, RZ’s school newspaper; co-president of Hugo’s Heroes, a student first responder group; a three-sport athlete and co-captain of the girls’ volleyball and girls’ basketball teams; and a student ambassador, co-chair of the Challah baking club, and a co-leader of school shabbatons. Outside school, she’s a junior counselor for Diller Teen Fellows, where, as a participant in 2022-23, she co-led a winter clothing drive with SOLU that collected 150+ coats and 50+ bags of clothing for area homeless shelters. She’s also worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Weinger JCC and Skokie Park District. Inspired by her Diller experience, she continues to collect clothing and supplies to support homeless families and children.
Ash Eliaser (they/them/theirs) is a senior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High school. They are queer and nonbinary, and love science (physics), makeup, the arts, and Judaism. Ash is highly involved in Keshet Online’s programs and planning ever since attending their Virtual Shabbaton as a freshman in 2021. Ash is the president of the Rochelle Zell Pride club, president of their Va’ad Tefillah, and on the board of the QuarkNet cosmic ray research squad. They enjoy cooking, modern dance, and staffing the baby room on Shabbat mornings for Skokie Valley/Kol Sasson.
Avi Kaplan is a junior at Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago. On the chess front, he is a U.S. Chess Federation-titled National Master, the current National Champion for 11th graders, a Top 50 blitz chess player under age 21 in America, and the highest rated player in Chicago Public Schools. Avi first became affiliated with Chabad of East Lakeview when Rabbi Dovid and Devorah Leah Kotlarsky took the helm and enjoys the warm and welcoming community they have created. Avi volunteers with the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign for chess tutoring and companionship. He also uses chess as a force for good by providing support for a chess program for adults who are incarcerated to encourage strategic thinking and positive decision making.
Avital (“Tali”) (She/Her) is a junior at Ida Crown Jewish Academy with a passion for helping others and contributing to a more inclusive world. Tali is a board member of her school's mental health awareness club and is a teen mentor on the NoShameOnU Teen Leadership board. She is also the vice president of education on NCSY’s Midwest Regional Board, a board member for her school's Israel advocacy club, and a presenter for Student to Student. She is also passionate about working with people with special needs, including leadership with Keshet peer buddies, volunteering weekly at Lev respite, and participating last summer on Yachad’s Yad B’yad program in Israel. Other activities include being a prose editor of the Charlottes Web Literary Magazine, competing in Cross Country, and is currently in training to become an EMT.
Claire Eisenstadt is a senior at Glenbrook North High School. There, she studied Hebrew and passed the Illinois Seal of Biliteracy. Claire has been active in advocating against antisemitism and raising awareness in the Jewish community. For those efforts, she was recognized by the State of Illinois with a House Resolution. Claire’s advocacy also earned her the Hadassah’s Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship which enabled her to attend Young Judaea’s Gesher Israel trip last summer. After participating in the AJC LFT program, she was selected to attend AJC Global Forum 2023- Tel Aviv. Also, she founded and is president of the Chicago Young Judaea chapter after attending CYJ Midwest and Camp Tel Yehudah. In the spring, she will lead and present at her school’s 2024 Holocaust Remembrance Day Assembly as she did in 2023. She served on CBS USY’s leadership board and enjoys attending lounge nights and conventions. Claire was a member of the swim team, dances in the school musicals, and plays trumpet in the school band.
Daniel Weisskopf (he/him/his) is a junior at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. He plays tennis and golf, holds leadership roles on the Math Team, Book Club, Va'ad Tefillah, and Hugo's Heroes Club at school. He is a productive member of the RZJHS Model UN team. Daniel is a passionate leader in CHUSY and CTEEN and is an engaged 2nd year fellow with the Shalom Hartman Institute. Daniel enjoys his participation as a fellow in Congressman Brad Schneider's STEAM Scholars. He has attended Camp Ramah Darom for the past 8 summers.
Emma Lookatch is a senior at Keshet Day School at Ida Crown Jewish Academy and belongs to Temple Sholom of Chicago. Emma is a proud advocate for inclusion and people with disabilities in her community. She engages others, with and without disabilities, to take on challenges, try new things and experience how we are all more alike than different. Emma has three big passions in life: country music, dancing and being Jewish.
Isabel Rosenberg (she/her), a senior at Evanston Township High School, loves to create – everything from dance choreography to stories. Through her work as an editor and department head for jGirls+ Magazine, a national Jewish literary magazine, she is able to help others share their stories. She is also an editor for the MULE (Magazine of Untaught Languages at ETHS), a magazine focused on celebrating the diverse languages at her school, where she writes in Hebrew. This summer she will be working as a counselor at Ramah in the Rockies, hoping to share her love of Judaism and outdoor adventure.
Jordana Zwelling is a senior at Ida Crown Jewish Academy. She is the captain of both the varsity basketball and soccer teams. Jordana is a leader in many clubs in her school including: Ida Crown Girls Club, Israel Advocacy, Student to Student, and Student Council President. Each week, she volunteers at Libenu's Lev Respite Program. She works with children with special needs and helps run after school programming for them.
Josh Jury just completed his senior year at Homewood-Flossmoor High School a semester early and is a member of Congregation Etz Chaim. Josh is passionate about his work in the Reform Jewish Youth Movement where he is an active leader in NFTY on the national and local level. He has served as NFTY CAR Israel Chair (2022-23) and on numerous NFTY committees and campaigns. Josh is involved in social activism for the causes he cares about and has participated in the RAC Teen Justice Fellowship. During Fall of ‘23 Josh studied abroad at Heller High School in Israel through AMHSI. He participated in the Teen Israel Organizing Fellowship, where he has been developing a project to educate students on how to combat anti-Israel rhetoric online. Josh is an avid writer and a blog contributor for The Times of Israel. He’s also been published on topics of Judaism and Israel in NFTY, Springboard, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Following the October 7th attacks in Israel, Josh became an advocate for Israel in U.S. media where he was featured in the Chicago Tribune, CBS Chicago, NBC Chicago, USA Today, and CNN. Josh’s favorite place is Camp OSRUI, where he has spent 7 summers and plans to become a counselor this year.
Kira Friedel (she/her/hers) is a Junior at New Trier Township High School. She is a manager of the Girls Varsity and Junior Varisty Basketball teams at New Trier. She is also a board member for her school’s Sports Medicine Club. Kira participates in her synagogue’s chapter of USY (AMUSY). This spring she is training to become a lifeguard.
Lila Selch (she/her/hers) is a junior at Evanston Township High School and a member of Beth Emet the Free Synagogue. Coming back from spring semester abroad in Israel, she spent the summer as a research assistant for a Northwestern University biology lab. At Evanston Township, Lila conducts the marching band and annual sketch comedy show, and also plays trombone for the Jazz Ensemble and Wind Symphony. She is also a member of the speech team and leads the Band Equity organization. At Beth Emet, Lila teaches Hebrew Through Movement and is an executive board member of the Beth Emet Senior Synagogue Youth Board. In her free time, she enjoys knitting and spending time with her corgi, Wingate.
Max Feinberg is a Junior at Deerfield High School. He is the Founder of Fostering Fun which works to provide foster kids with holiday gifts throughout the year. At Deerfield High School, Max is involved with DECA and Robotics. He is also a member of JUF Voices.
Maya Henschel (she/her/hers) is a senior at Jones College Prep and attends Temple Sholom. At school, she holds leadership positions on the Scholastic Bowl team, Philosophy Club, and National English Honor Society. She serves as the Vice President (and previously as Social Justice Chair) on the Temple Sholom High School Board. Maya has worked at the Beit Sefer Shalom Religious School for 5 years. She is on the Communications Working Group of the National Board of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement, using her skills of writing and editing to spread the movement’s agenda. Maya writes poetry about herself, climate change, and Judaism in her spare time.
Michah Kier (he/him/his) is a member of the graduating class of 2024 at Schaumburg High School. In school, he is extremely involved with his school’s theatre department, having participated in over 30 shows, and is also an active member of his school’s choir, honor choir, newspaper club, Principal’s advisory board, National Honors Society, and International Thespian Society. Outside of school, Michah serves as president of the Beth Tikvah Temple Youth Group, madrich at his religious school, served on the Voices Philanthropic board, spent nine summers at OSRUI, is a two-time ILMEA Honor Choir Singer, and is currently a Life Scout working towards his Eagle Scout rank.
Noah is a current Junior at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and proud alum of Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. He is a swimmer, diver, and member of the water polo team at Whitney Young. Noah attends Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and is a talented guitarist. He has been nominated as a Jewish Star by Jewish Rock Radio and holds a regional executive board seat for CHUSY. Noah is a JUF Voices Alum and a member of the National Honor Society.
Sarah Weiser (she/her/hers) is a junior at Wheeling High School. She is involved in many activities through her school and within her broader community. These activities include Orchestra, Speech Team, Cheerleading, Tennis, Mock Trial, and NHS. In addition, Sarah is Vice President of her school's Student Council. Out of school she stays connected to her Jewish identity by staying involved with her Temple as a Madricha as well as participating with the programs the Jewish community has offered her such as: Voices 101, Research Training Internship Cohort 9, Diller Cohort 11, and NFTY Regional Board. Sarah is passionate about working with others to take effective action and hopes to further her learning about that skill through this opportunity.
Shayna is a freshman at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. She currently serves as a Regional General Board member in the Chicagoland region of USY where she spends a lot of time outside of school. During the school year, Shayna plays Volleyball for her school and will be on the spring track and field team. After school, she spends twice a week tutoring students in reading Hebrew as part of being a madricha at her synagogue, Am Yisrael. When she’s not at school or USY she spends her time with friends, family, reading, and doing art. This summer Shayna will be returning to Apachi Day Camp for her 11th summer which also marks her third year as a CIT. Shayna is thrilled to be an 18 Under 18 Honoree and continue to be a role model for the Jewish community.
Check Out Last Year's Recognition Book!