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A Bit About Us

Dovid Goldshmidt

Rabbi Dovid

Born and raised in Chicago, from an early age Dovid developed a special passion for Judaism. Attending the local Chabad House on Shabbat and Gan Israel’s Teen Camp in the summers, Dovid began to discover and explore the meaning of his Judaism as a teen. In high school, Dovid joined the local CTeen chapter and was named the first CTeen International Male Leader Of The Year in 2014. Upon graduating high school, Dovid decided to enroll in Yeshiva in Israel, after which he continued his studies in Chabad Yeshivas in Los Angeles and Crown Heights. After culminating his Yeshiva studies, Dovid was assigned a post to serve the teens of Johannesburg’s Jewish community, after which Dovid returned to Israel to volunteer at the Mayanot Post-High School program and receive rabbinic ordination. Dovid spent his summers volunteering as a youth camp counselor in Boston, South Africa, and Ukraine, and went on to direct Gan Israel’s Teen Camp which he had attended as a teen. Dovid is excited to bring all of his experiences and lessons he’s learned to Atlanta’s teens.

Talya Portnoy

Talya

Talya was born and raised in Miami. After being deeply impacted and inspired at a Chabad-run sleep away camp for high school girls, she decided to enroll in Bnos Menachem High School in Crown Heights, where she could pursue her aspirations of leading a proud Jewish life filled with passion and meaning. Upon graduating high school, Talya spent a year studying in a girls seminary in the holy city of Tzfat, Israel, where she continued her journey of self growth. Returning from Israel, she served as the head counselor of a day camp in Connecticut, where she guided and led teen counselors. Talya then served as a teacher and program coordinator in the Jewish Day School of Orange, Connecticut for teenage girls in middle school. She then went on to help establish the CTeen chapter in Charlotte, while pursuing her BA in Accounting. Talya is excited to direct CTeen of Atlanta together with her husband and to create a community where teens feel comfortable and proud to be Jewish.

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