Our Board
Chair, Israel Affairs // Etai Hilzenrat
Originally from Montreal, Etai is in his fourth and final year at the University of
Ottawa. He will be completing a double degree in Civil Law and Common Law
this year. Etai has held positions in various organizations such as JNF, Dawson
College Student Union, Israel Awareness Committee of Ottawa, and the Jewish
Law Student Association of Ottawa. He is looking forward to working with Israel
Advocacy groups nation wide. The one food Etai can never turn down is a plate of
humous with olive oil and pita.
Contact Etai at etai@cfjs.ca
Chair, Communications // Yaelle Gang
Yaelle Gang is a fourth year Journalism student at Carleton University with a minor
in history. She sits on Carleton University’s student council as the Journalism
Councillor and is also the communications chair for Chabad of Ottawa, Hillel of
Ottawa and the Israeli Awareness Committee. In her spare time she volunteers at
the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre and does creative writing. Yaelle’s Jewish role model
is Jonathan Safron Foer and her favourite Hebrew musician is Aviv Geffen.
Contact Yaelle at yaelle@cfjs.ca
Co-Chairs, Social Justice and Jewish Identity // Leora Branfield-Day & Jackie Brown
Leora is in her fourth year at Queen’s University, studying Psychology and
Biology. Leora is actively involved in the Jewish community, having been a Canadian
Jewish Political Affairs Committee fellow, Vice President of Operations for Queen’s
Hillel and an executive for Israel on Campus. She is passionate about engaging
students in social justice initiatives and strengthening ties between Jewish student
groups across the country. She also spearheads initiatives relating to mental health
awareness. Her favourite food is homemade chicken soup with kreplach.
Contact Leora at leora@cfjs.ca
Jackie is in her third year of the interdisciplinary Arts and Science Program at
McMaster University. She has had a number of meaningful volunteer experiences,
most recently at an art therapy studio for adults with mental illnesses. Jackie is
looking forward to developing exciting social justice initiatives with CFJS, and
engaging students in the Jewish community through Tikkun Olam projects. Jackie
loves to read historical fiction and biographies, watch TED Talks, and eat everything
with hummus.
Contact Jackie at jackie@cfjs.ca
Chair, Interreligious Affairs // Zack Silverberg
Zack is a first year law student studying at the University of Western Ontario. He
completed his undergraduate degree at Western studying history. Zack is also
a board member of the Center for Jewish-Catholic-Muslim Learning at King’s
University College. He has spent his last 15 summers at Camp Ramah in Canada and
really has a passion for Jewish camping. Zack’s favourite part of Shabbat dinner is
eating challah dunked in chicken soup.
Contact Zack at zack@cfjs.ca
Co-Chairs, Political Affairs // Evan Silver & Michael Morgenthau
Evan has been actively involved in all three levels of government. He is always
aware of the most current events whether they be Canadian, Israeli or campus
politics and constantly finds opportunities to get people involved. He sat as the
Clubs Governance Commissioner at the University of Western Ontario’s Student
Council and will be completing both an honours business administration degree as
well as a history degree in 2012. In his spare time, Evan enjoys watching basketball,
going to the gym and spending time at the cottage.
Contact Evan at evan@cfjs.ca
Michael is a student of political science at McGill University. Born
and raised in Toronto he has long been active in the Canadian Jewish community.
Through his involvement with CJPAC (fellow, intern), and Hillel (summer
programming) Michael has worked with his community to make Canada a better
place- upholding tikun olam as an impetus for political engagement. In his spare
time Michael enjoys a good game of Monopoly, and of course, tweeting.
Contact Michael at michael@cfjs.ca
Co-Chairs, Graduate Student Affairs // Jaclyn Mackenzie & Josh Strub
Jaclyn is currently in her second year of law school at Queen’s University. Before
attending Queen’s she graduated from The University of Western Ontario with a
Bachelor of Arts (Gold Medal) in Media, Information and Technoculture. Jaclyn
has been actively involved in CJPAC both as a Fellow and as an Intern and has
volunteered on election campaigns for all levels of government. At law school
she volunteered for Pro Bono Students Canada as part of the Public Interest Law
Research Group and served as the Yearbook Editor for the Law Students Society.
This year she is on the Executive for Israel on Campus, and is excited to serve for her
first time on the CFJS Board. In her spare time she enjoys practicing hot yoga and
drinking green tea!
Contact Jaclyn at jaclyn@cfjs.ca
Josh is currently in his fourth year of a combined J.D./B.E.Sc. at UWO. Having
traveled to Israel every year of his entire life, as well at spending multiple prolonged
periods there, Israel and Jewish identity have really become focal points in his
life. Advocating for Jewish identity and for Israel is something that he truly believes
is of profound importance to our community, to Jews in the Diaspora, and for Israel.
Our role as Jewish students is much greater than most students realize and it is
Josh’s pleasure be a part of empowering our students across the country.
Contact Josh at joshstrub@cfjs.ca
Chair, Francophone Affairs // Josh Vomberg
Josh Vomberg is in his 4th year at Dalhousie University. He enjoys good debates
and meeting new people. Fluent in French, Josh is more than happy to help anyone
practice French as a second language if they need to brush up on their skills.
Josh has studied Mandarin at Dalhousie at the advanced level and enjoys a good
proverb. He works tirelessly until the job is done, and is great at multi-tasking
having experience with numerous student groups on campus, including Habitat
for Humanity, Peer Help Centre (UOttawa), and Psychology Student Association
(UOttawa). His favorite city in Israel is Tel-Aviv and favorite food is any road-side
falafel vendor because the dirtier the hands, the better it tastes.
Contact Josh at joshvomberg@cfjs.ca
Project Leader, Holocaust Education Week // Josh Litwin
Josh is in his fourth year at Queen’s University pursuing an undergraduate degree
in psychology. Josh was the co-chair of Queen’s Hillel’s Holocaust Education Week
in 2010, and will be the Holocaust Education Chair again in 2011. He is excited to
bring his passion for Holocaust Education and Jewish History to a national level, and
hopes that this year’s presentation will engage both Jewish and non-Jewish students
across Canada.
Contact Josh at joshlitwin@cfjs.ca
Liaison, World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) // Adam Moscoe
Adam Moscoe is honoured to continue on the board of CFJS for a second year.
Adam studies psychology at the University of Ottawa and serves as an intern on
Parliament Hill. His areas of interest include Israel, interfaith and intercultural
initiatives, Holocaust education, genocide awareness, global human rights, and
youth civic engagement. Adam is also an accomplished actor and singer, and uses
musical theatre to empower young people living with developmental disabilities.
In May 2011, Adam was named one of Canada’s “Top 20 Under 20.” One of his
favourite Jewish experiences was spending time during the past two summers in
Berlin, observing the youth-led revitalization of that Jewish community. He also
loves singing Shabbat zemirot – anytime, anywhere.
Contact Adam at adam@cfjs.ca
Past President // Aaron Vomberg
Aaron studied at the Faculty of Architecture & Planning, at Dalhousie University
in Halifax, Nova Scotia majoring in Urban Design Studies. Currently, Aaron lives in
Toronto, where he is an Urban Planner. Originally from Waterloo, Ontario, Aaron
has been extensively involved as a community and political organizer, working with
numerous organizations in private, public and non-profit sectors, including Habitat
for Humanity in Canada and the Southern United States. Aaron served as President
and Communications Chair for Hillel at Dalhousie University over two years, and
was Vice President Programming for CFJS in 2009-2010. Aaron is passionate about
working alongside fellow students to meet advocacy and programming objectives.
Contact Aaron at aaronvomberg@cfjs.ca
Staff // Samuel Konig
Samuel Ze’ev Konig resides in Toronto and is the CFJS’s designated staff and
national director of Hillel Canada. Samuel was born in Vienna, grew up in
Copenhagen. Samuel attended McGill University. During his undergraduate studies
Samuel held presidential positions with the following student organizations: McGill
International Student Network and German Studies Student Association. After
graduation, he became the Hillel advocacy coordinator at Concordia University. In
September 2007, Samuel moved to Ottawa, where he completed a master’s degree
in European and Russian Studies at Carleton University, while also working as the
Hillel Ottawa advocacy coordinator.
Samuel is a past faculty member of PANIM’s Institute for Jewish Leadership and
Values in Washington D.C., and was awarded by the Memorial Foundation for Jewish
Culture the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship 2010.
