Em Besthoff
Assistant Director, Department of Lifelong Learning
We wrapped our first year as a Teen Executive Board with four outgoing board members, which meant four open positions. The election process itself is an important part of what makes our teen programs so special. Teens nominate themselves or are encouraged by their peers, and after completing leadership reflections, they share their ideas for the upcoming year—how to improve programs, make new members feel welcome, envision effective outreach, and create meaningful Jewish experiences. All of our teens showed up to make a difference in our department’s vision of love and gratitude. Voting is done by their fellow teens, reinforcing the value of peer-led community and shared responsibility, and all participants in our programs are eligible to vote.
But these elections are about so much more than just roles and titles. They’re about empowerment, growth, and learning how to lead with kindness, empathy, and vision. These teens are modeling what it means to show up—for themselves, for their community, and for the Jewish values they care about.
Thanks to their leadership, our teen programs are not only thriving—they’re evolving. We’ve seen increased participation in initiatives like Midnight Run, Calling Generations, and A-TEEM, along with new ideas taking shape around programming, social action, and peer connection. Whether mentoring younger students or helping shape volunteer events, the Executive Board helps create a teen space where everyone feels seen, valued, and heard.
- President: Caroline Bleichmar
- Programming Vice President: Sophie Garrick
- Ritual Representative: Emma Grody
- High Holy Days Coordinator: Clara Held
- Social Justice Supervisor: Aiden Tamchin
- Teen Philanthropic Liaison: Daniel Silverman
- Calling Generations Liaison: Cooper Prizer
- A-TEEM Advisor: Bette Greenfield, Sydney Tamchin
- Teen Executive Board Junior Co-Chairs:
- Olivia Elefant
- Julia Gertler
- Elliot Smith
