The YAD Ramat HaNegev Exchange program, a unique collaboration between JEWISHcolorado’s Young Adult Division (YAD) and our partner region, Ramat HaNegev, offers young adults an unforgettable opportunity to experience Israel beyond the surface. This immersive journey delves into the heart of Israel’s dynamic society, diverse communities, and rich culture. Participants will engage firsthand with grassroots changemakers and visionary leaders, gaining deep insight through hands-on experiences, meaningful conversations, and personal narratives.

Beyond exploration, this program fosters lasting connections between participants and their Israeli peers from the Ramat HaNegev young adult cohort—both in Israel and locally, when the Israeli group visits Colorado. Through these exchanges, participants will develop a nuanced understanding of Israel’s challenges and triumphs while strengthening their bonds with the global Jewish community. More than just a trip, this is a transformative experience—one that inspires, connects, and empowers young adults to be part of something greater.

Sarah Fishman

Sarah Fishman, a New Yorker living in Denver for the last 4-ish years, is a couples therapist by day, and a couch potato by night. She has two dogs, Reese and Archie, who are the lights of Fishman’s life and also the banes of her existence. She enjoys live music, binge-watching the same five TV shows over and over, and going for long drives in beautiful places. Fishman loves to travel— she been to 45 US states and 49 countries— and lived abroad in three of them (Australia, Thailand, and Ireland). She hasn’t been to Israel since 2015 for her cousin’s wedding and she is so excited to be going back in May!

Lauren Hughes

Lauren Hughes lives in the snow-capped mountains of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She works as the Director of Development for a local nonprofit and is passionate about helping those in need. Lauren wasn’t always connected to her Judaism; it wasn’t until her Birthright in 2022 that she re-connected with her Jewish identity. Since then, she has assisted her local Jewish Congregation (Har Mishpacha) in developing The Har, a program for young Jewish adults in her mountain town. Lauren loves the outdoors and can be found skiing, kayaking, backpacking, and enjoying nature year-round. She’s also a passionate dancer and loves to perform on stage with a dance troupe she co-founded, the Yampa Valley Vixens, and performs yearly at Steamboat Dance Theatre. Lauren also loves music, traveling, poetry, and learning new languages. She can’t wait to meet you soon!

Alex Markovich

Alex Markovich lives in Denver’s South Hilltop neighborhood with his husband, Jack, and our two dogs. Originally from Illinois, Markovich moved here about ten years ago to be closer to Jack, the Rocky Mountains, and everything else Colorado has to offer. He holds a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Southern Illinois University. As an architect, Markovich primarily works on community-oriented projects, from housing to sports, entertainment, and recreation facilities. When he’s not working, he enjoys painting and printmaking, traveling, reading, walking my dogs, hiking, biking, and scouring Denver for the best food and strange finds. Markovich also finds it rewarding to get involved in local politics, where he’s been an advocate for affordable housing initiatives—including recent ‘smart stair’ building code reform efforts. Markovich is really excited to be a part of this Ramat HaNegev Exchange Cohort!

Brett Simon

Brett Simon was born and raised in Denver and spent a lot of time in Colorado Springs. He is married to his beautiful wife Lynnsay, and they have 2 little boys, Asher and Bryson. Simon has a brother who lives in Denver, a brother who is studying at Yale, and a sister who lives in Glenwood Springs. He currently lives in beautiful Colorado Springs and has been working in downtown Colorado Springs for 12 years. Simon loves spending time with his family and friends, sports—especially Colorado teams—and traveling.

Danny Simon

Danny Simon is a 5th-generation Colorado native who loves all the classic Colorado activities—skiing, camping, and live music—but has never really been into hiking. His angel of a dog, Mochi, has been his companion for almost 11 years. Music is one of Danny’s biggest passions, with bluegrass being his favorite genre. He is also a huge nerd who loves anime, video games, conventions, and the Renaissance Festival. Family and friends are incredibly important to Simon, and he loves spending time with his large, close-knit crew. Traveling is another passion of Simon’s—he’s been to 10% of the world according to an app and is always looking forward to his next adventure.

Elliot Stein

Elliot Stein was born and raised in a Jewish-conservative family in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went to college at Indiana University and was in AE Pi while there. Stein moved to Boulder in 2010 and then Denver in 2011 and never left. He was in the oil & gas industry for 10-years but made a career change in 2020 to become a software developer and loves his current job. Stein is currently working on a project developing an application that values commercial real estate debt portfolios around the world. When he’s not working, Stein enjoys hiking with his 12-year-old Australian Shepherd Bailey, skiing, cooking, traveling and seeing live music.

Kenny Wagner

Originally from Chicago and Texas, Kenny Wagner recently traded the monuments of D.C. for the mountain views of Denver. He spent 6 years in the U.S. Navy sailing the oceans and is now anchored at a desk working as a Data Scientist/Statistician.

When he’s not immersed in the world of data, you’ll find Wagner pursuing his passions: reading, training for half marathons, dabbling in recreational sports, signing up for classes, and finding his center through yoga (a new hobby he is trying). Wagner is excited about this program as an opportunity to visit Israel and learn about Israeli culture.

Louise Winberg

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Louise Winberg moved to the US in 2016, first living in Washington, DC before moving to Denver in 2019. She has a background in public policy and administration and, in Toronto, worked in the provincial government and higher education sectors. Since 2017, Winberg has worked at the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank, and currently manages the operations of the Land & Carbon Lab program. In her spare time, Winberg enjoys traveling, trying out new restaurants, doing yoga and pilates and, when the weather is warm, hiking and cycling. She currently lives in the Berkeley/Tennyson area of Denver with her husband Ben and their cat, Princess Isabella.