Our Team
Jordyn
I’m Jordyn, a high school junior from New York. I’ve always been interested in helping others, and for the past couple of years I have been volunteering at UJA Federation project J Teen, which works to support members of the Jewish community coming to the US for the first time. Working with J Teen, I’ve heard so many stories of hardship from so many different people. Many are fleeing danger in Israel, leaving behind homes, schools, friends and family. Others are escaping war-torn Syria, others the uprising in Iran.
Once they arrive in the US, finding a job, a home, and a school for children to attend can be extremely difficult. Prejudice against refugees is rampant, many employers will not accept foreign qualifications no matter the level of expertise or experience, and others simply seem wary of them for no real reason. This often leads to refugee communities insulating themselves, which worsens the sense of separateness and xenophobia.
I founded The Neighbor Network to address this separateness; to help refugees assimilate, connect, and thrive, and to help US citizens see the value that refugees bring, how much they can learn from them, and welcome them as neighbors.
Lena
Hi, I’m Lena, the vice president of The Neighbor Network, and a high school senior based in New York City. I am the child of many cultures; I grew up in London, my mother is American, and my father is Belgian. His parents immigrated to Israel post-WWII, after most of their relatives had sadly lost their lives in concentration camps. I’ve been in NYC for almost four years – we moved just before COVID hit. One of my favorite things about living here is how many cultures there are, right on your doorstep.
In my junior year, I started work as a research assistant for Syrian Youth Empowerment, helping Syrian high school students pursue higher education in the US. Previously, I volunteered at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, where the English language conversation events and dinner services opened my eyes to the number of refugees and asylum seekers in NYC, and the struggles many of them face.
I am currently completing research under the guidance of Dr Slaski, a Georgetown professor. My work examines how gender and education affect employee rates for refugees and asylum seekers. I hope to publish my paper in the Fall of 2023. In my spare time, I play Lacrosse and basketball.