Meet Our Team

Welcome to Chabad at WashU!
We provide a variety of programs, classes, and social events all designed to build community and support young people. Our team members take great pride in being a part of the Chabad family, advancing Jewish campus life at Washington University and throughout St. Louis. 

Chabad Staff Team

Chana R. Novack - Director

Chana manages the day-to-day program at Chabad. She has staffed over a dozen Birthright Israel trips and is the instructor for the Sinai Scholars course. She also won an award for Chesed. Chana is on Instagram at @chanamamawashu. Her email is [email protected].

Rabbi Hershey Novack - Director

Rabbi Hershey co-directs the Chabad Center, where he serves as senior campus rabbi and as a key driver and architect of growth for the WashU Jewish community. Through his leadership, he helps shape the community’s vision, expand its reach, and build a vibrant Jewish presence at WashU. He was named by The Forward as “one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” and received the JProSTL Visionary Award. He has served as a trustee of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. His email is [email protected].

Chana Oster - Director of JGrads, Local Campuses Initiatives

Chana grew up in Monsey, NY, hailing from a family of business professionals and doctors. After studying in Israel, Chana earned her Honors BA from Touro University. More recently, Chana has been an assistant principal in a Jewish girls school and the administrator of a Chabad House in the Bronx.

Rabbi Yankel Oster - Director of JGrads

Originally from Boston, Yankel grew up in in Pittsburgh, Pa. Yankel earned his rabbinical certification in 2021 while studying in New York. Since then, Yankel has worked as an editor and writer for Sichos in English. Yankel has an extensive background with Jewish outreach across the globe. 

Mushka Cohen - Outreach and Engagement

Mushka grew up in St. Louis and is proud to now serve the very community that shaped her. She completed her undergraduate studies in Business Administration at SPU. She has worked as the director of experiential education at BCMLA and at Chabad of USC. Find her on Instagram @mushkafromchabad!

Rabbi Tzemach Cohen - Jewish Education

Tzemach serves as Director of Jewish Education at Chabad at WashU. Originally from London, he brings warmth, energy, and a passion for teaching. Tzemach focuses on building meaningful relationships with students and helping them grow in their Jewish knowledge and identity.

Hodaya Butz - Jewish Agency for Israel Fellow

Hodaya is from Ashdod, Israel, and earned her B.Sc. in Nutritional Sciences from Peres Academic Center and completed her clinical internship at Barzilai Medical Center. She served on the Student Union board and founded a department focused on strengthening Jewish identity and community on campus.

Lindsay Eichhorn - House Manager

Lindsay is the house manager at Chabad. She knows when things are happening and makes sure we are ready. Married almost 20 years, and mother of an 18-year-old son, the family shares their home with a sweet, skittish dog named Kira.

Polina Vorobeychik - Office Manager

Polina was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine and moved to the U.S. when she was 11. Through college she has lived in Chicago and then jobs and school has taken her across the U.S. She has lived in seven different states. Polina has a Bachelor's in Science and Master's in Public Health. 

Ellie Kreft - Office Intern

Ellie is the office intern at Chabad. She is currently a senior at WashU. At Chabad, she mostly works with Chana and Polina in the office organizing program information and administrative tasks. She is majoring in Anthropology and Environmental Analysis. Her email is [email protected].

Chabad Student Board

Drew Rosenberg - CSA Co-President

Drew is the Co-President of the Chabad Board. He is a Junior from Chicago, IL, majoring in Economics & Computer Science. Drew loves spending Shabbat and Holidays with the Chabad community, and he also enjoys biking and skiing in his free time. His email is [email protected].

Matthew Isaacs - CSA Co-President

Matthew is an active member of the Jewish community at WashU and a vocal pro-Israel advocate on campus. As Co-President of the Chabad Board, he really enjoys working on innovative programming to enhance community involvement as well as serving as a liaison between university leadership and the WashU Jewish community. Matthew is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying political science. He is from Tenafly, NJ. His email is [email protected].

Ilan Roisenfeld - CSA Co-Vice President

Hannah Bess - CSA Co-Vice President

Hannah is a sophomore from Manhattan majoring in Organization and Strategic Management, with minors in Business of the Arts and Business of Entertainment. She loves spending time with her family and friends and brings warmth and creativity to everything she does. As Vice President of Chabad, she’s passionate about building community and making everyone feel at home.

Jonathan Lewin - CSA Treasurer

Nava Feldman - CSA VP Programming Chair

Nava is a sophomore from Chevy Chase, Maryland majoring in Psychology and Finance with a minor in Hebrew. Nava loves the strong sense of community at Chabad and is so excited to plan events this year! 

Hallie Kopel - CSA Freshman Outreach Chair

Hallie is a sophomore from New York City double majoring in Marketing and Finance and minoring in business of sports. One of the highlights of her week is spending her Friday nights with the amazing Jewish community at Chabad. When she isn’t at Chabad she enjoys being involved with Tamid, Women in sports business club, and Alpha phi. She spends her free time hanging with her Cavapoo, playing tennis, and traveling.

Ariella Kaplan - CSA Freshman Outreach Chair

Jordana Weinsten - CSA Sophomore Outreach Chair

Jordana is a sophomore from New Rochelle, New York. She is a student in the Sam Fox school majoring in studio art and studying on the pre dental track. Jordana is an active member of the jewish community at WashU, every week looking forward to Chabad on Friday night. Her favorite part of Chabad, other than Friday night dinner, is the warmth and sense of commuting she finds there, and of course can’t forget the delicious challah!

Charlie Druker - Senior 21+ Outreach Chair