Israel Awareness VP

Shalom Hagalil! My name is Alissa Kurzman and I am totally stoked to be your 2012-2013 Regional Executive Committees/Israel Awareness Vice President! I love Israel so very much, and I cannot wait to share my knowledge and passion for our sister country with all of you!

So let me tell you a little bit about myself. Let’s start with this; staying in one place is a foreign concept to me. However sticking with a set of goals is almost second nature! If you know me or even if you don’t, you may realize from talking to me for  even five minutes that I am not really from around here.  Yeah, I have lived in New Jersey for nearly four years, but in some cases, I have a completely different mindset than many who were born and raised in this state. I’ve moved around a couple of times – I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, moved to London, England at the age of one, moved to New London, Connecticut at the age of three and a half years, and then later moved to Marlboro, New Jersey the summer before my eighth grade year .  In all my travels, I’ve most enjoyed learning about different cultures, and meeting new people. Aside from school, there are three things that I have held close to my heart since I was a little girl–1) the beauty and pleasure of playing piano, 2) the expression and story my body tells through rhythm and dance, and 3) my Judaism, and more recently my love and passion for USY.

When I moved to Marlboro, NJ in the summer of 2008, I didn’t know where I belonged. In Connecticut, I had graduated from Solomon Schechter Academy and had attended public school for only one year, so moving to a new place was intimidating. But the next year, I found that USY, tapped into my inner “Israeli” and found a new home, one that, most importantly, would stick. As a sophomore, I was the Aberdeen USY Chapter Membership and Programming Vice President, and then my junior year was the Chapter President.  Being the next Hagalil Executive Committees/ Israel Awareness Vice President this year is such an honor and privilege, and I know that my interest and love for USY  has fostered my love for the world and its diversity. Israel is made up of so many unique factors that I can’t wait to share. 

Just some quick fun facts about me: I am a Patriots fan, a Canadiens fan, and a RedSox fan. I have traveled to five out of the seven continents and I was eleven months when I took my first plane ride. My sister, Maya is thirteen years old and it was because of her  Bat Mitzvah that I missed the majority of Hagalil’s 2012 Spring Convention! My dad is Canadian, so that means I am too! This means no hating on Canadians, Hagalil! My mom was also involved with USY and she too was an AUSY President. I attend the Contemporary Global Issues Learning Centre at Freehold Township High School, my favorite colour is blue, I’m very outgoing, my favorite food is falafel with french fries, and I absolutely LOVE USY!

            Get ready for a fantastic year ahead and keep it classy Hagalil!