Meet the jGirls+ Team

Teen Editorial Staff 2025–26

We are delighted to introduce jGirls+ Magazine’s 2025–2026 teen staff members. These Jewish teenagers come to us with diverse backgrounds, identities, interests and personal experiences. Their individual and collective views and passions bring jGirls+’ content and priorities to life.

Adah Thomson

Adah Thomson (she/her) is a member of the class of 2029 at Fryeburg Academy and lives in Freedom, NH. She plays field hockey and is a member of the track and field team at her school. Adah loves to re…

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Allie Gerber

Allie Gerber is a member of the class of 2026 at the Hockaday School in Dallas, TX. She loves to read, write, run, bake, and hang out with friends and family.

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Annika Lee

Annika Lee (she/her) is a member of the class of 2029 at Freehold Township High School in Freehold, NJ. She has been a cheerleader since she was five and is on her school's JV cheer team. Annika loves…

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Arden Brown

Arden Brown is a member of the class of 2027 at the Latin School of Chicago in Chicago, IL. She is the co-founder of Living Outside, a nonprofit dedicated to destigmatizing homelessness…

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Arianna Kanter

Arianna Kanter is a member of the class of 2026 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. She actively participates in a variety of clubs and activities, such as Model UN, community theater, and […]

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Avi Gross

Bio coming soon!

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Dany Dorsey

Dany Dorsey is a member of the graduating class of 2026 at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA. They are the treasurer of their debate team, a cofounder and co-president of their school's media lit…

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Edie Berins

Edie Berins is a member of the class of 2028 at High School for the Performing Arts in Houston, TX, where she majors in creative writing. In her free time, Edie loves to thrift and shop, spend time wi…

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Ella Schreiber

Ella Schreiber is a member of the Class of 2026 and lives in Paoli, Pennsylvania. She enjoys reading, dancing, and listening to Taylor Swift. At school, Ella is very ambitious and enjoys English and h…

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Gabi Bigio

Gabi Bigio is a member of the class of 2027 at Ransom Everglades School in Miami, FL. Gabi loves Pilates and walking, and she is passionate about writing, literature, art, and political science. […]

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Hannah Gumpert

Hannah Gumpert (she/her) is a member of the class of 2027 at New West Charter School in Los Angeles, CA. She founded her school's literary magazine and participates annually in Shakespeare Youth Festi…

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Helen Lieberman

Bio coming soon!

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Jessica Marill

Jessica Marill is a member of the class of 2029 at Weston High School in Weston, MA. She is on her school's cross-country track and field team and plays percussion in her school's wind ensemble. Jess…

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Josie Wettan

Josie Wettan is a member of the class of 2027 at Burlingame High School in Burlingame, CA. She serves on the staff of her school’s newspaper, The Burlingame B, and competes with the mock trial team…

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Julianna Stein

Julianna Stein (she/her) is a member of the class of 2027 in Baltimore, MD. She is passionate about writing, activism, current events, science, and music. Julianna volunteers weekly at her school's pr…

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Melissa Reznik

Melissa Reznik (she/her) is a member of the class of 2029 at Dunwoody High School in Dunwoody, GA. She is an avid reader and works at her local bookstore. Melissa loves learning about government and p…

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Nina Weiner

Nina Weiner (she/her) is a member of the Class of 2028 at Gann Academy in Massachusetts. She enjoys writing, reading, and exploring literature through classes and electives at school. Nina recently be…

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Orlie Weitzman

Orlie Weitzman is a senior at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School. She is the co-founder of the Poets Society, a student organization that hosts community slams, and serves as a peer lead…

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Rachel Morrison

Rachel Morrison (she/her) is a member of the class of 2027 at Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA. She volunteers at her temple's Sunday school, competes with her school’s debate team, and holds leader…

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Ruby Harris

Ruby Harris is a member of the class of 2027 at Heritage Hall Upper School in Oklahoma City, OK. She is an active member of her local Jewish community, and she enjoys spending time with her friends. I…

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Sadie Sherman

Sadie Sherman is a member of the class of 2027 at Charlottesville High School in Charlottesville, VA. She plays viola in her school's quartet and orchestra, sings in an all-girls show choir, and compe…

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Sima Cohen

Sima Cohen is a member of the class of 2026 at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, NJ, though she lives in Hillside. She enjoys practicing art and has had her art displayed at the New Jerse…

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Stevie Ryke

Stevie Ryke is a member of the class of 2027 at the International Academy. She lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In her free time, she writes for her school’s newspaper and participates in speech…

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Tilly Raij

Tilly Raij is a member of the class of 2028 at Winter Park High School in Winter Park, FL. She is a senior editor of the yearbook and also participates in HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir…

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Tova Weiss

Tova Weiss is a member of the class of 2026. She is passionate about music, writing, and making the world a better place. Her other hobbies include being outside, vegan cooking, and reading. […]

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Venice Czarnecki-Lichstein

Venice Czarnecki-Lichstein is a member of the class of 2027 at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School in Chicago, IL. She plays for the varsity basketball team, rows for Lincoln Park Boat Cl…

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Editorial Staff Alums

Teen Photography Staff 2025–26

Abby Handsman

Abby Handsman is a member of the class of 2026 at Union County Tech in Scotch Plains, NJ. She is a competitive dancer and also an assistant teacher at both her dance studio and her local Hebrew school…

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Abby Kaye

Abby Kaye is a member of the class of 2027 at Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Lower Merion, PA. She plays on her school's soccer, basketball, and softball teams, participates in […]

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Adrienne Tiernan

Adrienne Tiernan is a member of class of 2028 at Milken Community School in Los Angeles, CA. She has been playing club soccer for four years and also plays on her school’s varsity team. Her other ho…

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Eliya Read

Eliya Read is a member of the class of 2027 at Canterbury High School in Canada. She is in her school’s visual arts program and loves all kinds of artwork, especially photography. She is also a pass…

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Elyana Plotkin

Elyana Plotkin is a member of the class of 2026 at The Mastery School of Hawken, OH. She is the captain of her frisbee team and a leader in her community. Additionally, Elyana is passionate about sci…

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Gabby Wolff

Gabby Wolff (she/her) is a member of the class of 2029 at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, MD. She is very involved in her school's theater department, overseeing costume design and production for…

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Miriam Goldshaw

Miriam Goldshaw is a member of the class of 2028 at Abington Senior High School. She lives in the Philadelphia suburbs and loves nature and animals, her favorite one being a sea turtle! She is an act…

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Simone Richman

Simone Richman (she/her) is a member of the Class of 2028 from Cherry Hill, NJ. She is a three-sport varsity athlete in tennis, softball, and basketball, and serves as captain of her varsity tennis te…

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Zahava Kessler

Zahava Kessler (she/her) is a member of the 288th class of Central High School in Philadelphia and will graduate in 2029. She is part of many clubs, including the creative writing and art clubs and st…

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Photography Staff Alums

Adult Staff

Elizabeth Mandel

Founder & Executive Director

jGirls+ Magazine’s Executive Director Elizabeth Mandel is an accomplished documentary filmmaker, published writer, editor, and community activist. She has built a successful record of using media to…

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Bex Ehrmann

Senior Program Manager

Bex Ehrmann is a Chicago-based writer, theatremaker, and educator. They have received fellowships from Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Lambda Literary…

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Sophie Greenspan

Program Manager

Sophie Greenspan provides support to Kumi, Kol Koleinu, and jGirls+ Magazine…

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Rabbi Tamara Cohen

Chief of Program & Strategy

Rabbi Tamara Cohen guides and supports Moving Traditions’ strategy, program development and partnership work in collaboration with her fabulous colleagues…

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Moving Traditions

Parent Organization

Moving Traditions emboldens Jewish youth to thrive through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (hesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek)…

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The jGirls+ Team

Meet the jGirls+ Team

Teen Editorial Staff 2025–26

Adah Thomson

Allie Gerber

Annika Lee

Arden Brown

Arianna Kanter

Avi Gross

Dany Dorsey

Edie Berins

Ella Schreiber

Gabi Bigio

Hannah Gumpert

Helen Lieberman

Jessica Marill

Josie Wettan

Julianna Stein

Melissa Reznik

Nina Weiner

Orlie Weitzman

Rachel Morrison

Ruby Harris

Sadie Sherman

Sima Cohen

Stevie Ryke

Tilly Raij

Tova Weiss

Venice Czarnecki-Lichstein

Teen Photography Staff 2025–26

Abby Handsman

Abby Kaye

Adrienne Tiernan

Eliya Read

Elyana Plotkin

Gabby Wolff

Miriam Goldshaw

Simone Richman

Zahava Kessler

Adult Staff

Elizabeth Mandel

Bex Ehrmann

Sophie Greenspan

Rabbi Tamara Cohen

Moving Traditions

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