Rena Nasar First serves as the Executive Director of the Emerson Fellowship and Campus Affairs at StandWithUs, where she directs the organization's campus outreach, activity, and leadership programs on an international scale. Rena was featured on the NY Jewish Week’s “36 to Watch” list for 2022, which highlights innovators who are contributing to society in ways that draw upon their diverse Jewish identities and sensibilities.

​

As a Syrian Jew, Rena proudly represents her community wherever she goes. She is honored to be part of the Sephardic Leadership Institute, powered by JIMENA. Rena currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, Jason.

Brandon works as the Managing Director of the StandWithUs Campus team. Born in South Florida, Brandon graduated from Florida International University, where he studied political science with a minor in international relations and pre-law. Brandon’s connection with Israel stems from his grandparents’ aliyah nearly 30 years ago, and he has continued his focus on Israel through his work with NSCY, FIU Hillel, and many other organizations. After graduating high school, Brandon took a gap year and studied at Bar Ilan University. The year he spent learning in and traveling around Israel further fueled his devotion to advocate for Israel in his community. Brandon currently lives in Aventura, Florida, and is excited to be a part of the StandWithUs family and empower those around him!

Rebecca is a first-generation American born to immigrants from the former Soviet Union. While she did not grow up with a strong connection to Judaism and Israel, her passion runs deep and continues to strengthen during her work at StandWithUs. In 2016, Rebecca graduated from Northern Illinois University with a family and child studies degree. Following her studies, she spent ten months teaching in Ashdod, Israel, through Masa Israel Teaching Fellows and Aliyah. After working for Taglit and staffing many Birthright trips, Rebecca knew she wanted to build a career engaging with and educating young adults about Israel. Rebecca lived in Israel for four years before moving to Milwaukee and joining the StandWithUs team. After two years as the Midwest Campus Coordinator, Rebecca has brought many of the strategies from the Midwest to the National Campus Team as the Associate Director of Campus Education.  

Mary is from sunny Ormond Beach, FL, and is a graduate of Flagler College, where she studied Philosophy and Religion. Mary has worked in the Florida House of Representatives for 2 years and is delighted to join the StandWithUs family as the Christian Outreach Coordinator. Mary is a member of Kiwanis International and a club mentor at a local middle school. She is an active member of her church, involved in youth ministry, and loves to serve her community. Mary has a passion for Israel and helping her fellow Christians discover why and how they can be a friend of Israel. Throughout high school and college, Mary was involved with pro-Israel organizations like Christians United for Israel, Christian Women for Israel, and of course, StandWithUs as a Hispanic Emerson Fellow. She is thrilled to start bringing StandWithUs' message to more Christian students and leaders.

Dimas Guaico was born and raised in Manhattan as a Christian to Latin American parents.  He received his degree in international studies with an emphasis in the Near East and Latin America from Bob Jones University in South Carolina.  As an undergraduate, Dimas got involved with Passages Israel, a nonprofit organization that connects Christian college students to their biblical roots.  After his ten-day trip to Israel as a participant and then as a fellow with Passages, Dimas became more passionate about his love for Israel.  He reached out to StandWithUs and became a Hispanic Emerson Fellow in 2019.  As an Emerson Fellow, Dimas brought many educational initiatives to his campus and was one of the founders of Bruins for Israel—the first pro-Israel organization in campus history.  Dimas was also a Bonhoeffer Fellow with Christians United for Israel.  In his spare time, Dimas enjoys exploring the beauty of cityscapes with his vintage film camera and sipping coffee at the local café.  

Jess Green is a Baltimore native and has always been an active member of her Jewish community, starting with her education at Krieger Schechter Day School and Beth Tfiloh Community High School. Jess attended the University of Miami, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. After participating in Onward Israel, she served as the President of Canes for Israel. Following the rise of antisemitism online, Jess created @challabackgirls, a social media platform dedicated to educating others about Israel. Jess is looking forward to empowering college students to develop their passion for Israel, combat antisemitism on campus, and create meaningful connections within the community. 

Chloe Levian graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied Sociology and Israel Studies. As the daughter of Iranian Jewish immigrants, Chloe made sure to take advantage of opportunities to get involved in Jewish life at UCLA. At UCLA, she served as the President of Bruins for Israel, Senior Chair of BIPAC (Bruins for Israel Public Affairs Committee), and the Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Undergraduate Fellow at the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Chloe was also a Hasbara Fellow, a Ronald S. Lauder Fellow for the World Jewish Congress, and the co-chair of the Hillel International Mizrahi and Sephardic student cohort. Chloe’s passion for Israel activism was rooted in her experiences with antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in college where StandWithUs provided her with the tools she needed to combat it. Chloe is a proud former Emerson Fellow, (2019-2020) Campus Liaison (2020-2021), and Alumni Network Liaison. 

Liv was raised in New York in an interfaith and intercultural home. She moved to California when she was 16 to pursue acting, and later attended the University of Arizona. In her first year of school, she was introduced to Birthright Israel. Once she visited Israel that summer, she found a passion for Jewish learning and discovering her Jewish heritage. She interned through Onward Israel at a theatre company and studied abroad throughout the country. In 2019, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Judaic Studies and a certificate in Middle Eastern Studies. Upon graduation, she became an English Teacher through MASA in Ramle and Tel Aviv. After witnessing Operation Guardian of the Walls and seeing a spike in social media Antisemitism, she returned to the States to be an Israel Specialist for Hillel helping to educate and empower students to be proud of their Jewish identities and use their voices and their stories to combat hatred. Now, she is ready and excited to be starting her journey with StandWithUs to support college students in the Northwest to become strong leaders on campus and beyond.

Joshua Mitchell-Arbital graduated with a master’s in international studies with a focus on culture, power, and social movements from the University of San Francisco. His master's thesis was an applied project on how arts activism through solidarity poetry can be a tool of healing and a way of connecting communities dealing with conflict—focusing specifically on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Josh created a template with his research that can be used within any existing geopolitical conflict zone to lower tensions. Prior to receiving his master's degree, Josh received his BS in forensic science and BA in sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma, where he focused on behavioral sciences, becoming CPR-certified, and FEMA fire emergency certified. As an undergrad, he researched minority experience in healthcare which Josh then presented internationally in India and over twenty presentations domestically. In his last two years of attaining his undergraduate degrees, he was the coordinator of a city-wide clothing donation called the Community Closet, which provides clothing for disenfranchised communities through a non-profit on his campus called the Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+ Student Center. Josh's intersectional identities and diverse and inclusive work put him on his path to not only fight for himself but the people around him and the Jewish State of Israel. Josh’s upbringing in a strong Jewish household and his personal and professional experience led him here, where he is empowered by educating the next generation on Israel. Josh dedicates his career to making Jewish people safer in this world and protecting the Jewish State. In a world where antisemitism has risen at alarming rates, Josh believes “Existence is Resistance!”

Originally from La Habana, Cuba, Daniel Cortina immigrated to the United States when he was young. He grew up in South Florida and attended the University of Florida, where he double majored in political science and international studies with a concentration on Europe. As an undergrad, he was heavily involved in Gators for Israel, serving as vice president during his junior year. His senior year, he was elected as student body vice president, the first openly gay member of the executive ticket. He also served as an Israel on Campus Coalition Fellow and in the Geller Fellows program. Through his pro-Israel education and advocacy on campus, the university went on to have one of the most diverse pro-Israel communities in the country, encompassing Hispanic, Black, Asian, LGBTQ+, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim student leaders who later went to Israel on a trip organized, in part, by Daniel himself. StandWithUs’ mission inspired Daniel to continue his work professionally and empower other college students to be unapologetic in their love of Israel and of being Jewish. 

 Eitan is the Campus Regional Manager for New England. He graduated in 2023 with a degree in history from Virginia Tech, devoting his time there as a leader in the Jewish and pro-Israel community. His experiences working in such spaces have driven his passion to better the campus environment for the students in these communities. He believes the key to successful advocacy is being flexible and helping to inform the uninformed. 

Bella Schneider is a Chicago suburbs native with a BA in journalism and mass communication from Arizona State University. During her time at ASU, Bella was an active member of Alpha Epsilon Phi, the historically Jewish sorority, where she served as Vice President of Recruitment, New Member Educator, and Chapter President. Bella was the 2023 recipient of the AEPhi Susan Rudd Cohen Award for Jewish Communal Service for her work combating antisemitism on campus and is a proud StandWithUs Emerson Fellow alum (2022-2023). Bella's passion for Israel comes from her late grandfather, an officer in the Sinai Campaign and a proud Zionist. She further developed her love for Israel when she participated in Onward Israel and interned in Tel Aviv's communications department, working on their social media accounts. When Bella is not connecting with students in the Tri-State region, she can be found running around Central Park with the run club, Nice Jewish Runners. 

Rebecca graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a Bachelor of Social Work and a double minor in psychology and sociology. While attending university, she was the president of Ryerson’s Students Supporting Israel and was also a StandWithUs Canada Emerson Fellow. During her presidency, Rebecca coordinated the passing of a motion for a Holocaust Education Week. She also worked to get the Ryerson Students’ Union to be the first in Canada to adopt the Ottawa Protocol on antisemitism. She received the John Gallivan Award for student leadership by fostering a relationship between Jewish students on campus and the Ryerson Students’ Union.  From 2017 to 2018, Rebecca worked for the Honourable Candice Bergen, the Opposition House leader in the Canadian House of Commons. She is excited to empower students from all over Canada and help them educate their peers about Israel.

Yael Berkovich was born in Israel and at a young age moved to Calgary, Canada. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, majoring in mind sciences. Her passion and love for Israel stemmed from her parents, who always immersed themselves in the current events back home. Yael became a StandWithUs Canada Emerson Fellow in her second year of university. This opportunity further ignited her passion, leading her to join the Rimon Movement first as a student, then as a mentor, and finally as their current Webinar Director. Throughout her university career, Yael ran events as the Israel chair at her Hillel and started the first University of Calgary’s Students Supporting Israel chapter with Michelle Alayev. 

Yael is incredibly excited to grow the StandWithUs presence in Western Canada. She looks forward to empowering students to learn about Israel, combat antisemitism and misinformation, and grow into impactful leaders. Yael’s role as the West Coast Campus Educator allows her to help students in the position she once found herself in.

Jayden Kupferman serves as the Alumni Network Coordinator for StandWithUs. She has always had a vibrant passion for Judaism and Israel and has shown that through her involvement in the Jewish community in her hometown in New York and at school. Jayden is currently a student at the University of Maryland, working towards her degree in public policy as well as her two minors in Judaic studies and leadership studies. She is also pursuing her master’s degree in public policy, specializing in nonprofit management and leadership from the University of Maryland. Throughout her time at the University of Maryland, she has been an active member of numerous Jewish and pro-Israel clubs on campus. Furthermore, while attending Birthright Israel and Onward Israel this summer, Jayden interned at ACT-IL, an organization that works to fight antisemitism on online platforms. Her love and devotion to Israel and the Jewish people, has led her to join the StandWithUs team, and she is excited to empower the next generation of Jewish youth!