Amanda Jonat

 her dog, Shoko, and enjoying spending time with family and friends.

Looking back on the highlight of her high school years, Amanda reflects it was “hands down, the music and theater program” that “helped cultivate a deep connection to music and helped me on my journey to where I am today.” Whether it was singing at the top of her lungs, playing in the pit, or diving deeper into music, she found opportunities to be creative that left a lasting impact.

Amanda’s time at Schechter Westchester also helped lay the foundation for her post-college experience in Israel. “My education at SW helped set me up with a solid Hebrew language base and connection to Israel, which I deepened further while living in Jerusalem.”

In her college years, Jewish life remained a strong presence. “I was very active in Jewish life on my college campus, and I attended Hillel, Chabad, and AEPi nearly every Friday night.” She also founded Bearcats for Israel. “I noticed the University of Cincinnati was lacking a Zionist/pro-Israel presence on campus, so I founded Bearcats for Israel… and fought against disinformation about Israel in an educational and approachable way.”