Students & Alumni
Pages
Class of 2026
Sam Tick-Raker
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2026
Sam Tick-Raker was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He graduated in 2019 from the University of California, Davis with a major in Psychology and a minor in History. After his undergraduate studies, he worked for two years at Congregation Beth-El in Berkeley, California, helping run the synagogue's educational program for students Kindergarten through 8th grade. For the past three years, Sam has been employed by Seneca Family of Agencies as a Mental Health Counselor in a middle school and high school in Berkeley, working with students who have emotional and behavioral challenges. He is thrilled to be a part of JCLP and will be pursuing his Master's in Social Work in the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Pathway. Sam enjoys hiking, camping, playing tennis and basketball, and cooking!
Class of 2025
Julia Diskin
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2025
Julia Diskin was born and raised in the Jewish community of metro-Detroit. In 2023, she graduated with honors from Michigan State University and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Judaic Studies. Julia is now attending the University of Michigan to pursue her Master’s in Social Work. She is pursuing the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse pathway in addition to being a part of the JCLP cohort of 2025. Julia’s interests in the field of social work are broad. She will be completing three field placements; in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, at a JCC summer camp, and as a therapist. Though she has not narrowed down precisely what population she will work with, she is confident that she will be well equipped upon graduation. In her spare time, Julia sees friends and family who keep her going and are always cheering her on.
Max Richardson
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2025
Max Richardson was born and raised in Michigan. After having spent his youth in the metro-Detroit area, Max received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minor in Civic Engagement from Cornell College in 2021. Post graduation, Max worked as an educator at a boarding school for neurodivergent youth in Asheville, North Carolina. Then, he took a job as a Registered Behavior Therapist for an Applied Behavior Analysis therapy company in Denver, Colorado. After relocating to his home state, Max worked as a Behavior Specialist for the overnight YMCA camp in Jackson, Michigan that he had grown up attending as a camper. Max is excited to be a part of JCLP and to be pursuing a Master’s of Social work through the Welfare of Children and Families Pathway. He is also interested in pursuing the Social Work in School Settings Specialization. When not in school, Max enjoys spending time with friends and family, camping, playing video games and reading comic books.
Shayna Danto
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2025
Shayna Danto was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She joined JCLP after working as a Registered Dietitian in Detroit since 2016. Prior to her clinical work, she worked for Jewish non-profits in the Metro Detroit area such as Friendship Circle and Adamah (known as Hazon while she was there). Shayna has learned about the value of community through her work and personal life. Working in Detroit in conjunction with her personal hobbies has helped her through a personal healing journey. She hopes to become a therapist, serving individuals in the Jewish community and giving them the opportunity to thrive through their own healing experiences. When she is not busy with work or school, Shayna enjoys spending time in nature, engaging in self-care, practicing yoga and meditation, going to concerts, cuddling with her cats, planning her dream wedding, traveling, dancing with friends and having meaningful conversations with members of the community. She is looking forward to contributing to a more peaceful world for all.
Class of 2024
Ben Shovers
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2024
Ben Shovers was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He comes to the JCLP program after completing a Master of Management at the U-M Ross School of Business in 2022. Before completing his Master of Management, Ben graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minors in psychology and sociology. Ben hopes to eventually become a CEO of a Jewish Community Center or an Executive Director of a Jewish Federation, combining his business knowledge of finance, accounting, marketing, and overall business strategy with his social work education to optimize social services for his community. When Ben is not in school, he loves working at his Jewish summer camp (Camp Interlaken JCC), watching NBA basketball (particularly the Milwaukee Bucks), going to Michigan football games, trying new restaurants, and spending quality time with his friends and family.
Marie Aiudi Pattipati
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2024
Marie Aiudi Pattipati (she/her/hers) is the Director of Cultural Arts and Education at the Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor. She was raised in Connecticut and has been living in Michigan for close to ten years. She received her undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan in 2021. Marie served eight years in the military as a member of the Army National Guard. This has played a strong role in her research as she examines group identity, values, and structures within white nationalist groups. She is proudly autistic, and is passionate about advocating for marginalized communities. She is the creator of the social media page "Ela Asherah author/advocate", which shares creative works that push back against ableism and supremacy. She is the mom of four amazing individuals whom she greatly admires, and enjoys spending time with her family swimming, hiking, and traveling. She is also an avid foodie and the co-creator of the page "Introverted and Hungry", which shares mostly local food recommendations.
Class of 2023
Abby Calef
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2023
Abby Calef currently works as a clinical therapist specializing in maternal mental health at Honey. For Moms in Ferndale, Michigan. Having grown up in Ann Arbor, Abby could not stay away from her beloved community for too long, so she also works alongside JCLP alum, Moss Herberholz, and the DEI department at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work to provide support groups for Jewish students, faculty, and staff. Before joining the JCLP, Abby worked for Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan, bringing Jewish life to 10 college campuses across the state. Abby attended Kalamazoo College for her undergraduate degree, in which she soaked up poetry, psychology and Jewish studies classes, while serving as the Department Student Advisor for Jewish Studies. Abby loves connecting with JCLP alumni!
Caroline Strauss
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2023
Caroline is currently a therapist at Light On Anxiety in Ann Arbor, MI. Caroline Strauss is originally from Farmington Hills, Michigan. She studied the Interpersonal Practice Pathway and completed placements with Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County's Thrive Counseling Services and the Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center of Ann Arbor. Caroline completed her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University, where she majored in Psychology with minors in Human Behavior and Social Services and Health Promotion. During her time in undergrad, she was involved at Michigan State Hillel as the Vice President of Administration, where she planned programs for students and interacted with the greater campus community on behalf of the Jewish community. She also held research positions in the Department of Psychology, which furthered her passion for and interest in helping people. Caroline’s Jewish background includes five summers at Camp Tamarack, as well as involvement at Adat Shalom Synagogue. She became particularly interested in the intersection of Social Work and Judaism after completing a summer internship at Jewish Family Services of Metropolitan Detroit.
Elana Lambert
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2023
Elana Lambert currently works with Jewish Family Services of Metro-Detroit as Community-Based Resource Center. Elana studied the Management and Leadership Pathway and completed her field work at U-M Hillel and Avodah. Prior to joining JCLP, she served with AmeriCorps for two years as a college success coach supporting students to and through college graduation and then moved to a career access role supporting high school seniors in year-long internships and planning for after high school. The close relationships with her students from these roles inspired her to pursue a Masters of Social Work degree.
Ellery Rosenzweig
Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2023
Ellery Rosenzweig is a Clinical Social Worker at MYBody in Birmingham, MI. Ellery was born and raised in Metro Detroit with a strong connection to her close-knit Jewish community. She studied at the University of Michigan where she received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Community Action and Social Change. Between graduating from her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she worked at Repair the World Detroit as their Youth & Family Engagement Associate running PeerCorps Detroit, their teen service-learning program, and supervising Repair fellows in their year of service at Detroit nonprofit organizations. Outside of work, Ellery is the co-creator of an Instagram account, @___Shelle___, where she shares size-inclusive clothing and resources on combating diet culture and fatphobia. She is passionate about empowering young people, swimming in lakes, knitting blankets, and eating bagels!