FEBRUARY 15 • 2024 | 23

teacher at Hillel Day 
School, where she has 
worked since 2021, 
teaching Tanach and Jewish 
living to fifth and sixth 
graders. She loves teaching 
middle schoolers far more 
than she enjoyed being a 
middle schooler herself and 
is driven by the desire to 
bring a love of Jewish text 
and a strong sense of 
Jewish identity to the next 
generation. 
Jenna has lived in the 
area since 2019 with her 
Southfield-native husband, 
Sam, three children, Maya 
(6), Esther (4) and Akiva 
(18 mos.), and their soft 
and cuddly cat Emma. She 
and her family love hosting 
Shabbat lunches, attending 
their local synagogues on 
Shabbat and learning Torah 
together. Jenna recently 
began a three-year term on 
her synagogue board. 
She previously served 
as Halachic adviser on 
Niddah and Women’s 
Health for the Etz 
Chayim congregation in 
Huntington Woods, and 
as an educator for the 
Florence Melton School at 
the JCC. 
Jenna received rabbinic 
ordination in 2019 from 
Yeshivat Maharat in New 
York, and her B.A. from 
the Gallatin School at 
NYU. Before coming to 
Michigan, Jenna served as 
the director of outreach 
and educational initiatives 
at Beth David Synagogue 
in West Hartford, Conn., 
and as assistant director 
of recruitment for the 
Pardes Institute of Jewish 
Studies. A Bay Area native, 

MAZEL TOV! 

To our Federation Professionals and 
NEXTGen Detroit Board Members 
on your 36 Under 36 recognition. 

Olivia Berlin
Federation 
Israel & Overseas 
Senior Associate

Molly Moss
NEXTGen Detroit 
Board Member 

Abigail Epstein
NEXTGen Detroit 
Executive Committee 
Member

Lior Zisser-Yogev 
Federation Senior 
Community Shlicha

Rachel Klar
Federation NEXTGen 
Detroit Associate

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