Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Greater Boston Inaugural Reception
Temple Emanuel
385 Ward St, Newton, MA
6:30pm VIP Reception
7:30pm Program
8:30pm Dessert
Keynote Speaker:
Noa Cochva
From Miss Universe to the Gaza border
For questions or concerns, or to purchase student tickets, please contact: events@standwithus.com
Keynote Speaker
Noa Cochva
Noa Cochva is a renowned advocate for the state of Israel and a sought-after keynote speaker. The daughter of an Israeli Air Force squadron commander who served his country for 30 years and a military psychologist who did the same for 16, Noa grew up in a loving yet disciplined home in Bnei Atarot, a moshav outside of Tel Aviv. She inherited her parents’ strength and bravery, as well as their devotion to their homeland and its people.
In 2021, Noa rose to national fame when she was crowned Miss Israel and earned the right to represent her country at the Miss Universe competition, one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the world. Noa’s success in the pageant world led to exotic trips around the world and a flourishing modeling career, but that all came to sudden halt on October 7th, 2023.
After Hamas’s brutal attack, Noa was among the approximately 400,000 IDF reservists who put their lives on pause when they were called up to defend Israel once again. For five grueling months, Noa was stationed at the Gaza border, desperately fighting to save the lives of anyone who needed medical attention.
Like all IDF medics, Noa took an oath to save every life she could, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. With the spirit of that oath close to her heart, Noa honored the sanctity of human life by saving countless Israelis, Palestinians, soldiers, citizens, and even terrorists.
Student Honoree
Danielle Kessel
Danielle Kessel, a senior at Newton South High School and competitive dancer, is a dedicated advocate for Jewish representation in public schools and across communities. As a key leader in her Jewish Student Union (JSU), she has expanded Jewish programming beyond JSU spaces, working closely with StandWithUs and her school's administration to represent the Jewish students at Newton South.
She was the first to organize an event featuring StandWithUs’ former Senior International Educator, Charlotte Korchak, that was open to the broader student body, breaking the usual limits of JSU programming. She was a proud representative of StandWithUs before 700+ community members at Reading Memorial High School, speaking on the importance of Holocaust education and being the descendants of two survivors before introducing survivor Helga Melmed. Most recently, she played a key role in bringing Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann to Newton South for Jewish Culture Day, facilitating a strong partnership between the pivotal work StandWithUs does and her school's administration.
A proud Jewish leader, Danielle is committed to ensuring Jewish voices are heard in diverse spaces, bridging communities, and strengthening Holocaust education.
Featured Student
Danielle Kessel
Danielle Kessel, a senior at Newton South High School and competitive dancer, is a dedicated advocate for Jewish representation in public schools and across communities. As a key leader in her Jewish Student Union (JSU), she has expanded Jewish programming beyond JSU spaces, working closely with StandWithUs and her school's administration to represent the Jewish students at Newton South.
She was the first to organize an event featuring StandWithUs’ former Senior International Educator, Charlotte Korchak, that was open to the broader student body, breaking the usual limits of JSU programming. She was a proud representative of StandWithUs before 700+ community members at Reading Memorial High School, speaking on the importance of Holocaust education and being the descendants of two survivors before introducing survivor Helga Melmed. Most recently, she played a key role in bringing Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann to Newton South for Jewish Culture Day, facilitating a strong partnership between the pivotal work StandWithUs does and her school's administration.
A proud Jewish leader, Danielle is committed to ensuring Jewish voices are heard in diverse spaces, bridging communities, and strengthening Holocaust education.
Featured Student
Ilana
Smaletz
Ilana Smaletz is a junior at Tufts University majoring in Biology. Born and raised in Brazil, she brings an international perspective to her advocacy work. As an Emerson Fellow with StandWithUs, Ilana has spent the past year educating and engaging her campus community on Israel-related issues. She’s passionate about science, cross-cultural dialogue, and building spaces for meaningful, informed conversations.