Elana Nemitoff, our rabbinic intern, is the Manager of our Teen Mental Health and Wellness project. Previously, she taught in our Kesher and Mishpacha programs and is so excited to come back home to Or Ami for her final year of Rabbinical school. Elana holds a great passion for sharing Jewish topics that aren’t often taught to a specific age group. The process requires her to utilize creativity, other people, and numerous textual resources. Through that learning, Judaism comes alive as a way of engaging with the world in relationship with self and others. Elana believes that Congregation Or Ami lives out that vision by being an innovative, big thinking, creative Jewish community.

After earning a BA in Psychology from Washington University in St Louis, Elana began rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. In addition to anticipating rabbinical ordination this coming May, Elana earned a Masters Degree in Jewish Education, concentrating on teaching God to children who live on the high-functioning part of the Autism spectrum. In her spare time, Elana loves to cycle, bake challah, cook, and spend time with her incredible fiancé, Noah.