An important component of the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Feminist Teen Fellowship is the development of social change projects in which groups of fellows tackle an issue related to sexism that affects them or the people they care about and work to educate their peers, the Jewish community and the larger world. With appreciation to the incredible mentors who guided them, Moving Traditions is pleased to present these 2021-22 social change projects.
Abortion Access
Fellows: Avivah Mitchel
Mentor: Alison Tanner
Avivah is selling handmade reproductive rights-inspired jewelry and all proceeds will benefit Midwest Access Coalition, an organization that helps people in the Midwest access safe and legal abortions. Check out her Etsy shop.
Biodiversity Awareness Website
Fellow: Hannah Fremmer
Mentor: Ilana Sidorsky
Hannah is creating a website that educates teens in New York City about biodiversity loss, meaning a decrease in biodiversity within a species, an ecosystem, or a given geographic area. The website will includes artwork submitted by teens about biodiversity loss.
Body Image Email Template
Fellows: Sonia Gustavson & Jayden Fogel
Mentor: Wendy Reiss
Sonia and Jayden are in the process of creating an email template to send to companies requesting diversity through body image and representation.
Book Drive
Fellow: Riley Mehall
Mentor: Alison Tanner
In December 2021, Riley ran a book drive that collected over 150 books for kids and donated them to a local community center. Her success of that drive and her Kol Koleinu experience had her dive deeper into learning more about low literacy rates and the impact it has on ones educational and professional growth. She ran another book drive in April 2022, collecting over 200 books to donate to a new community center.
Chaverim del Mundo
Fellows: Gabrielle Biederman & Maya Martinez Lurvey
Mentor: Robyn Purvin
Chaverim del Mundo is an Instagram account dedicated to providing education, sharing stories, and presenting resources towards fighting environmental racism, in partnership with Amigos de Los Rios. Aimed at increasing access to trails and nature for communities hit hardest by environmental racism, their work involves speaking to community members, elected officials, businesses, and community organizations. Follow their Instagram account @chaverimdelmundo.
Destigmatizing Bras
Fellows: Dahlia Miller, Sara Frankel, & Sadie Solomon
Mentor: Maia Michaelson
Dahlia, Sara, and Sadie are in the process of creating a short documentary on destigmatizing bras. The goal of the documentary is to encourage more open conversations about bras among teens.
Gender Representation in the Classroom
Fellows: Gabriella Schwager, Jules Maylott, & Tal Pemstein
Mentor: Haley Schulman
Gabriella Jules, and Tal created a website with a collection of digital resources for teachers to make their classrooms more representative of women and other gender minorities. The website also includes a guide for teachers on creating more representative lesson plans and a guide for students on how to advocate for increased representation in the classroom.
Group Chat Podcast
Fellows: Emma Green, Miriam Goldel, Simone Kimelman-Block, & Elle Baker
Mentor: Kate Meltzer
Group Chat Podcast is an upcoming podcast about sexual assault, sexual harassment, and misogyny. The goal of the podcast is to help people be more open to talking to others about these issues. Click here to listen to their first episode.
Her Brain Matters
Fellow: Samantha Renzulli
Mentor: Rachel Schein
Her Brain Matters is a podcast dedicated to demystifying the growing teenage female brain and what they don’t teach you in health class. Click here to listen to the first two episodes.
Jewish Queer Magazine
Fellows: Olivia Katz & Tamar Ladd
Mentor: Brooke Botwinick
Jewish Queer Magazine is a digital magazine that focuses on Jewish and queer identities. The magazine is a safe space for Jewish and Queer individuals to share their experiences, identities, and art. Click here to read their first issue.
Positively You Project
Fellows: Stella Weiss & Yael Mainzer
Mentor: Gabriella Feingold
Stella and Yael are creating an online community about how body image effects teens’ lives. Teens can use the website to share personal experiences with body image issues and build connections and a community with others who have experienced similar struggles. Follow their Instagram at @positivelyyouproject.
Stigma of Periods Workshop
Fellows: Leah Schutz & Nadine Katz
Mentor: Marjorie Green
Leah and Nadine created a workshop on period stigma, which was presented to Hebrew school students. They are also collecting period products to donate to a local shelter.
Yerusha: Teen Response to the Haggadah
Fellow: Julia White
Mentor: Leslie Hauser
Yerushah (“inheritance” in Hebrew), is a reimagined Passover Haggadah created by Julia White, a 2021-2022 Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellow. Click here to download a sneak peek of this upcoming Haggadah.
Your Body, Your Image
Fellows: Dahlia Rosenthal & Sydney Chow
Mentor: Sue Beller
Your Body, Your Image is an Instagram account and blog, created by 2020-2021 Kol Koleinu Fellows. Dahlia and Sydney plan to build on the project by creating new content about body image and body positivity. Click here to visit the website and follow them on Instagram at @yourbodyyourimage.
Watch the Kol Koleinu Closing Event
Want to see more?
Take a look at the social change projects from previous years’ Kol Koleinu fellows: