Xander Orenstein

It is my honor to award the first Anat Kimchi Award for Excellence in Tikkun Olam to Xander Orenstein (class of 2010). Xander, like Anat, strives to make the world a better place. Xander has been sworn in as the first openly non-binary judge in US history. Throughout their time at CESJDS and after, a central part of their identity has been service. 

Xander graduated with a BS in biology from Carnegie Mellon University and a MS from Johns Hopkins in biotechnology and biodefense. During the pandemic Xander went back to something that always gave them purpose - serving the community. They started organizing with the Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters, helping people stay in their homes even if they were facing evictions, by helping them navigate different eviction moratoriums. Being able to ensure that people were safe and secure even when the world was at its most chaotic made Xander feel as if they were fulfilling their purpose by making the world a bit more stable for those who needed it most. This work led to recommendations from a local judge for Xander to run for magistrate judge in their district. Xander was able to raise up the entire community by focusing on ruling with fairness, patience, impartiality, and above all, compassion. Xander recognizes the ability for people to change no matter who or what they are and has the ability to recognize where people are and meet them there. 

Aaron Shapiro

It is my honor to award the second Dr, Anat Kimchi Award for Excellence in Tikkun Olam to Aaron Shapiro, Class of 2007.  Aaron, like Anat, strives to make the world a better place.  When he was in high school, I knew that Aaron was on a path to make a difference in the world.  While at JDS, he assembled a Guide to the High School Activist for faculty and students, documenting ways to participate in community service. At his HS graduation, he was honored with two awards which commented that  “his passion for tackling social issues head on can be seen not only in our local neighborhoods, but the global community as well.” This commitment to improving the lives of others was the first indication that Aaron would be doing very important work in the future.  

 Aaron graduated one year before Anat and has known her family for years. He worked for her mom, Chava, at the FDA during summer breaks and she has remained one of his most valued mentors.  Aaron attended medical school at Brown University and received his Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins, where he focused his work on quality improvement in health care for Baltimore’s homeless. He completed his Primary Care Social Internal Medicine Residency at Montefiore Hospital, where he focused his work on improving clinic management to provide better care at the health center in the Bronx. 

He now works as a primary care provider at Unity Healthcare, DC's largest provider of primary care to the underserved. There, he works to provide medical treatment for the homeless,  including providing health care to the migrants bussed from Texas and at DC’s first adult LGBT homeless shelter. 

Like Anat, Aaron has dedicated his life to the movement for justice for those most marginalized. Please join me in recognizing Aaron Shapiro. 

Ilana Kaplan

It is my honor to present the third Dr. Anat Kimchi Award for Excellence in Tikkun Olam to Ilana Kaplan, Class of 2019, who happens to also be our alumni speaker this year.

Ilana is a graduate student at the University of Michigan, completing her Master's in Social Work with a specialized focus on child welfare and juvenile justice. With a firm belief in the transformative power of connection, she is devoted to serving high-risk youth in vulnerable communities.  While an undergraduate, she served as the President of Students 4 Decarceration, a club committed to ending inequity in the criminal legal system. Over the last five years, Ilana has worked with incarcerated individuals and returning citizens in many capacities. She is currently completing her field hours working with juvenile offenders and high-risk youth in Detroit and with her agency to bring Social Emotional Learning therapy groups to Detroit public schools.   It is truly an honor for me to introduce Ilana Kaplan.