Moving Traditions Announces New Director for the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship

As we step into the Jewish New Year, Moving Traditions is proud to announce Paige GoldMarche will step into the director role of its teen feminist fellowship as current director, Jennifer Anolik, step...

Celebrating success in this time of transition

September 22, 2023 – As we step into the Jewish New Year, Moving Traditions is proud to announce Paige GoldMarche will step into the director role of its teen feminist fellowship as current director, Jennifer Anolik, steps into a new role within the organization, Director of Pedagogical Design, which has been created to meet our growing curricular needs. We are so excited to welcome Paige, who has been engaged with Kol Koleinu for over three years, to this extraordinary leadership opportunity. We are grateful to Jen for everything she has done to make the fellowship a transformative experience and are looking forward to her curricular expertise elevating all of our growing programs.

The Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship is a distinctive opportunity for young Jewish feminists (10th through 12th grade) to learn how to effectively speak their minds and create the change they want to see in the world.  Offered in collaboration with NFTY and with support from USY, this year-long fellowship invites teens of all genders to learn how to apply a Jewish feminist lens to the world, ask powerful questions, deepen their knowledge about social change, and amplify their voices to share their beliefs and express a call to action by creating a tangible social change project.

With the support of the Hadassah Foundation, Moving Traditions first partnered with NFTY in 2018 to offer Kol Koleinu under the leadership of Imogene Winkleman and Rabbi Tamara Cohen. While the first cohort included 22 fellows, Kol Koleinu has more than doubled in size under Jen Anolik’s leadership. It has grown significantly in its impact and structure as well. Now in its sixth year, the fellowship has emboldened 137 fellows from across the US. Under the direction of Jennifer Anolik, the young activists created 54 of social change projects that have impacted thousands of teens, on topics such as reproductive rights, gender equity, environmental justice, and so much more.

With empathy and understanding of the needs of teen activists and their capacity, Jen worked with the fellows over the years to evolve their projects to be more impactful to the individuals who created them and their communities. Jen also broadened the circle of support as the program grew to four regional cohorts, bringing in a team of experienced cohort leaders and 66 adult mentors with a variety of expertise to support the fellows and their projects.

“I am so proud of all of the Kol Koleinu fellows who have made such a difference over the years, together with Jen’s inspired leadership. Their shared passion for feminism and social justice, and commitment to learning what it takes to make concrete changes in their schools and communities continue to be an inspiration to me,” says Shuli Karkowsky, Moving Traditions CEO. “I know that under Paige’s leadership, Kol Koleinu will continue to be a space where young changemakers can explore their individual identities (shleimut), connect to caring communities (hesed), and pursue justice (tzedek).”

Paige GoldMarche will transition to the director role of Kol Koleinu over the coming months. Paige has been a valuable member of the Moving Traditions team since 2020, initially serving as Chicago Director, then Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. In addition to being responsible for recruiting and supporting partner educators running Moving Traditions’ suite of programs, Paige has been a Kol Koleinu cohort leader for the Northeast Region, helped to organize in-person retreats for the program; helped to run the mentorship component of the program, and stewarded fellows’ parents.

“I’ve been honored to work with so many thoughtful and creative young feminists through Kol Koleinu,” says Jen. “I am proud of what the fellows have accomplished over the years and I know each new cohort of fellows will be inspired to discover what they are capable of as they take on the big issues in their communities.”

“I am so excited to step into this new role with Kol Koleinu. I have so much respect for the program and for the fellows who are already making such a difference in their communities,” says Paige. “As someone who cares deeply about mentorship as a model to help lift up our teens, I am so impressed by these young activists and can’t wait to help make their visions for a better tomorrow become a reality.”

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About Moving Traditions

Moving Traditions is a national nonprofit that 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). Our suite of programs includes Moving Traditions B-Mitzvah Family Education Program for preteens and parents; Teen Groups including Rosh Hodesh, Shevet, and Tzelem; a new Kulam curriculum for Hebrew High Schools; and teen leadership opportunities including the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship and an upcoming Jewish Identity and Racial Justice Initiative. Through CultureShift, Moving Traditions trains professionals who work with Jewish teens at camp and elsewhere about how to navigate gender, healthy boundaries, and more. Since it was established in 2005, Moving Traditions has emboldened more than 28,000 preteens and teens by partnering with more than 500 Jewish institutions across North America. Learn more at www.movingtraditions.org.