Brianna Halpern, Maya Homa, Nathan Orbach, Danielle Shapiro
Leaders for Israel Distinguished Alumni Award
Brianna Halpern is a passionate leader dedicated to strengthening Jewish life and community at the University of Miami. As the President of UM Chabad, she has played a transformative role in fostering a warm, inclusive, and thriving Jewish environment on campus. Under her leadership, UM Chabad has grown into a dynamic hub where Jewish students feel a deep sense of belonging, with weekly Shabbat dinners now welcoming over 400 students—one of the largest student-led gatherings of its kind in the country.
Beyond her work with Chabad, Brianna is actively involved with the Birthright Israel Foundation, helping to connect students with the opportunity to embark on life-changing journeys to Israel. Birthright provides participants with a deeper connection to their Jewish heritage, identity, and community, and Brianna has played a key role in encouraging students to take advantage of this incredible experience.
The University of Miami is home to 1,800 Jewish students, making it a vibrant center for Jewish life. It has proven to be one of the safest and most welcoming campuses for Jewish students, where Jewish traditions, advocacy, and cultural engagement flourish. Brianna has worked to enhance this environment even further, ensuring that every Jewish student feels supported, connected, and proud of their identity.
Brianna credits much of her leadership, values, and passion for Jewish life to her 14 years as a student at JKHA/RKYHS. The education, community, and experiences she gained there provided her with the foundation to step onto a college campus and make a meaningful impact. The tools and lessons instilled in her throughout those formative years empowered her to lead with confidence, build strong Jewish connections, and advocate for her community.
Through her tireless efforts in community building, Israel advocacy, and student engagement, Brianna has left an indelible mark on Jewish life at UM, shaping its future for generations to come.
Maya was born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, where she attended the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and graduated from Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in 2019. Following a transformative year at Midreshet Amit in Israel, she earned a degree in psychology from Binghamton University, where she became deeply involved in Jewish life and mental health advocacy.
At Binghamton, Maya served on the Chabad G-board and worked for the university's Health and Wellness Department. She delivered over 120 hours of peer mental health education, developed workshops, and led a campus-wide Mental Health First Aid training that certified more than 100 students. These experiences ignited her passion for education, advocacy, and community impact.
After graduating, Maya joined the Hillel at Baruch College and eight other Manhattan campuses as an Engagement Associate. In this role, she builds Jewish community, mentors students, teaches fellowships, oversees all women’s programming, curates Shabbat experiences, and leads trips to Israel.
Just weeks into her new role, the events of October 7th transformed Maya’s work entirely. Amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Zionism, Maya stepped into a leadership role on the frontlines of what has become known as the “campus wars” —supporting students in distress, mediating protests, working with administrators to ensure Jewish student safety, engaging politicians to push for stronger campus protections, and equipping students with the tools and education needed to become advocates themselves. Above all, she focused on instilling an unwavering sense of Jewish pride and strength. Maya shared her firsthand experience in a Times of Israel article, “Waking Up to See My Name in the Media as a ‘Genocide Enabler’,” which shed light on the alarming reality faced by Jewish students on college campuses over the past year.
In addition to her work at Hillel, Maya serves on the Executive Board of NAMI-NYC’s Young Professionals group, working to destigmatize mental illness and expand awareness of resources for young adults across New York City.
Deeply committed to advocacy, education, and empowerment, Maya continues to use her voice to stand firmly with the Jewish nation and homeland—because am yisrael is resilient and isn't going anywhere.
Nathan Orbach is a proud graduate of Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy ('16) and Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School ('20). He recently completed his studies at NYU’s Stern School of Business, graduating in January 2025. This coming August, he will begin his professional journey at Fortress Investment Group, joining their Real Estate Credit Team.
Nathan is being recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Recognition for his unwavering commitment to Israel advocacy throughout high school and college. His passion for standing up against antisemitism was first ignited during his years at Kushner, where he served as President of the AIPAC chapter his senior year, and was deeply involved in Jewish leadership.
For Nathan, the values instilled in him at Kushner—and the legacy of his Grandfather, Joseph Orbach, a Holocaust survivor, as well as his great-grandparents, Rae and Joseph Kushner, Holocaust survivors whose names grace the schools he attended—built upon the powerful foundation he already received at home. When the atrocities of October 7th shook the Jewish communities, Nathan felt a sense of clarity and purpose. He knew that silence was not an option.
Since then, Nathan has taken an active role in educating others and elevating voices of truth. He became involved with the Nova community, working closely with survivor and close friend, Tomer Meir, to bring the Nova Exhibit to the eyes of many. Through this initiative, he helped bring hundreds of students—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—through the exhibit to understand the horrors of October 7th and the resilience of the Jewish people.
Whether standing at pro-Israel rallies or courageously attending anti-Israel protests with an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders, or attending classes while wearing an IDF sweatshirt and Israel flag patch on his coat, Nathan continues to embody the values of strength, pride, and moral clarity.
Danielle Shapiro is a senior at Princeton University studying political theory and Jewish history. At Princeton, she served as prospective student chair for her campus’s Chabad and Orthodox student group, where she met with hundreds of prospective students interested in Jewish life at Princeton and advocated for Jewish admissions directly to members of the Admissions Team. She also serves as a campus tour guide and previously served as president of the Princeton Open Campus Coalition, Princeton’s sole club committed to the Truth-seeking mission of the University.
Danielle has also worked tirelessly to defend Israel on Princeton’s campus. As co-founder and co-president of B’Artzeinu Princeton, a Zionist club she and friends created in the wake of October 7, Danielle has worked to shift the Zionist position on campus from one of passivity to one of pride and strength. Whether it be challenging Princeton's administration in the pages of the WSJ, spearheading Princeton's October 7 vigil planning in 2024, combating anti-Israel sentiment within her own Hillel, or bringing numerous cultural and intellectual events about Israel to Princeton's campus, Danielle has found creative ways to promote Zionism and deconstruct campus antisemitism.
Danielle credits her strong Jewish foundation and love for Israel to the education she received at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy (JKHA ’15) and Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School (RKYHS ’19). During her time at Kushner, she was a leader in Model UN, Muslim-Jewish Exchange, and AIPAC groups, where she gained the knowledge and confidence to speak publicly about issues of immense import. Serving as captain of both the varsity soccer and basketball teams also gave her the tools necessary to balance leadership roles in multiple groups on campus and inspired her to always aim for the “championship” in whatever task she pursued.