The 14 JTA Teen Journalism Fellows had already started reporting their first articles when the war in Israel broke out on Oct. 7. Even while devastated by the news, they quickly shifted gears to see the situation through a journalistic lens. To collect the voices of young Jews during a time of war, current and former fellows joined forces to shine a light on the crises’ impact in the US and in Israel.
This is an important time for Jewish teens to be part of a media organization trusted to tell the stories of their peers. These young people, from four countries and five U.S. states, accept the challenge with honor.
Read more about the teens below. We’re excited to share their reporting with you.
Meet Our Fall 2023 JTA Teen Fellows
These teens went into their schools, communities and synagogues to report on being young and Jewish all over the world.
Danella Cassel (she/her) is a senior at King David Victory Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is in the school’s writing club, poetry club, arts and culture committee and art club which she won an award for her artwork in the Math Art competition. In her free time she enjoys gyming, maintaining her aquarium and playing with her dog, Miley.
Abigail Rubinstein (she/her) is a senior at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati Ohio. She is a staff writer for her high school magazine and likes to work on opinion pieces. She is one of the club presidents of her school’s Jewish Student Union and in her free time enjoys to read, crochet and garden.
Morgan Greenspan (she/her) is a junior at Millburn High School in Short Hills, New Jersey. She is a page editor for her school’s newspapers, member of her school’s tennis team, and co-president of an environmental club. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and family and write short stories.
Abigael Singer (she/her) is a junior at Horace Mann in the Bronx, New York. She is the president and founder of her school’s book club and Quiz Bowl team. In her spare time, Abigael studies Yiddish, reads and plays with her dog, Cody.
Oren Mugoya (he/him) attends St. Henry’s High School in Uganda. He is part of the Namutumba Jewish community, where his father is the rabbi. He loves reading novels, making friends and swimming.
Oliver Mason (he/him) is a junior at Atlanta Jewish Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He serves as news section editor and photography director for his school’s student publication, Palette. Oliver enjoys graphic design, volunteering, photography, making friends and family smile, going on walks and organizing anything he can find.
Hannah Boxall (she/her) is a sophomore at Westerford High School in Cape Town, South Africa. She is in her school’s outdoor club and enjoys going to the beach in her spare time. She also plays the saxophone in her school’s concert band and has taken piano lessons from the age of six. Hannah loves fashion, art and cuddling with her dog, Milo.
Beatrice Olivetti (she/her) is a sophomore at liceo Vittorio Alfieri in Turin, Italy. She studies drama at Casa del Teatro Ragazzi e Giovani where she also writes articles and reviews for its website. In her free time she enjoys going on walks, watching movies and reading lots of books.
Ty Faulkner Branum (he/him) is a junior in homeschool who is concurrently working on his associate’s degree at Oklahoma City Community College. He’s the social action vice president for his congregation’s youth group where he focuses on healthcare disparities, Holocaust education and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. In his free time, he likes reading esoteric literature, playing video games, rock climbing, playing his instruments, and practicing his vocal impressions.
King-David Ndubisi (he/him) is originally from Nigeria but lives in Princeton, New Jersey. He always had a passion for telling stories and educating the public through the eyes of those who often have a hard time speaking for themselves. He love basketball, economics and is a huge book nerd. He is the president of BSU at his school and an alumni of Princeton Summer Journalism Program. He is interested in media-related projects.
Eliana Rosen (she/her) is a senior at West Essex High School in North Caldwell, New Jersey. She is the editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper: The Wessex Wire. She is vice president of her school’s women’s empowerment club and co-founder of Beyond Reposting, an organization that provides teens a space to have meaningful dialouge on social issues.
Daniela Gribetz is a ninth grader at SAR High School in Riverdale, NY. She co-hosts ClimaTwins, a podcast about sustainability; plays piano; performs in musical theatre; leins Torah for local minyanim; studies Arabic; is part of her school’s Model UN team; and loves to hike and travel. She has lived in Toronto and Jerusalem and is especially interested in telling global stories about Jewish teens.
Leila Ianovici (she/her) is a junior at Corning-Painted Post High School in Corning New York. She is an editor for her school’s yearbook and an executive board member for her school’s rock climbing club. In her free time she enjoys climbing, hiking, taking pictures and giving gifts.
(Getty Images/Design by Grace Yagel)[/caption]
