Our Staff
Amanda Herring is an experience curator and Jewish educator. She is currently the Hillel Director at Virginia Tech, as a 2011 Hokie and former Hillel President and staff member, this role feels full circle.
In between school and her return, she worked at BirthrightNEXT in New York, and as Regional Director at the Israel on Campus Coalition. In 2018 Amanda received her Master’s in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts at GW, and completed the JOFEE Fellowship in Jewish, Outdoor, Food, Farming and Environmental Education with Hazon placed at OneTable in Washington, D.C.. It was there that she combined her passions for Shabbat and sustainable food which together can nourish and heal communities and ecosystems.
For the last 3 years, she served as the Director of Jewish Life & Learning at the Edlavitch DC JCC. Amanda enjoys long walks with her kids and dog (@MenschTheMastiffMix) and eating amazing food with her Husband, Greg, who is a whole animal butcher and chef.
Her top strengths from StrengthsQuest are Communication, Activator, Individualization, Futuristic, and Woo
Rabbi Beryl Trauth- Jerman
Assistant Director
beryl@hillelvt.org
Beryl Trauth-Jurman is a Jewish educator and engagement professional. A long time Virginia resident, Beryl is a proud alum of George Mason University Hillel. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Conflict Resolution Studies.
During undergrad and graduate school Beryl worked as a synagogue and Jewish summer camp professional. He spent ten years working for URJ Camp Harlam, north of Philadelphia, and three years as the Assistant Education Director and Youth Advisor at a Northern Virginia synagogue. He has also worked as a religious school teacher and consultant for several Northern Virginia congregations.
Beryl spent two years working for the Washington D.C. local government after graduate school, before deciding to return to the Jewish professional world. In 2019 he started rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and he received his ordination (Hasmichah) in May of 2024.
When he’s not talking about Jewish stuff, Beryl loves cooking, and building and painting tabletop wargaming miniatures. Beryl and his wife, Mary Grace, enjoy many TV shows (especially Doctor Who), going rock climbing, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
His top strengths from StrengthsQuest are Communication, Learner, Harmony, Intellection, and Input
Sasha Stadnik
IACT Coordinator
sasha@hillelvt.org
Annalee Thompson
Ezra Springboard Fellow
annalee@hillelvt.org
Sasha graduated from the University of Florida in December 2022 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Secondary Education and Teaching. After graduation, she moved to Israel in January 2023 to participate in a Masa teaching program. While there, she taught English in a middle school in Holon, a city outside of Tel Aviv. In the 7 months she was there, Sasha deepened her relationship to Israel and embraced her passion for education.
Sasha has worked for Hillel at Virginia Tech since August 2023. Since then, she has continued to learn by participating in a variety of learning programs. In Fall 2023, Sasha completed the Conflicts of Interest certificate program by the iCenter. This allowed her to deepen her knowledge of Israel education. In March 2024, she traveled to Israel as part of Hillel International's Sipurim trip for Israel educators. This allowed her to experience Israel after October 7 before leading her first Birthright trip successfully in May 2024.
In her free time, Sasha enjoys reading books about Israeli society and Judaism, and has started Ulpan (Hebrew classes)!
Her top strengths from StrengthsQuest are activator, futuristic, individualization, input, and strategic.
Annalee Thompson was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN. She fell in love with Southwest Virginia while attending Roanoke College, where she obtained a BA in History with an exploration in Religion. Annalee worked as a Campus Ministry Fellow at Roanoke and was very active in her college’s Hillel, but it was not until her Birthright Israel trip that she realized she wanted to make a career in the Jewish professional world.
When not at Hillel, Annalee loves reading, singing (she is a classically trained opera singer), making clothing and costumes, and baking. She is so excited to be back in VA and working with the amazing students at Hillel at Virginia Tech!
Her top strengths from StrengthsQuest are input, adaptability, woo, empathy, and arranger
Jules Narinski
Jewish Agency Israel Fellow
Ashley Nalven
Campus Marketing and Development Manager
Originally from Ukraine, Jules made aliyah in 1997. For the last 6 years she has been living in Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel before moving to Virginia. Jules served in the army as a Technology and Maintenance officer and now participates in an active reserve service. After the army she studied mechanical engineering at Afeka College of Engineering. During the 4 years of college, she volunteered at "Aharay", preparing high school kids for their military service. Jules was also the vise president of the student union at her campus. Before coming to VT she was working as a mechanical planner, planning and designing elevators.
In her free time Jules loves to sketch and paint, go on fun hikes, finding new fun places and spending time at home with her cat Stacy.
Her top strengths from StrengthsQuest are Woo, Belief, Positivity, Input and Arranger.
Ashley Nalven (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of the VT community! She grew up in Indialantic, Florida, and graduated from Florida Atlantic University (go owls!) with a degree in Sociology in 2017. She spent the year following graduation teaching English in Israel. The next three years were spent working as UMass Hillel’s Senior IACT Coordinator, helping students foster meaningful relationships with Israel and Judaism. After a short stop in corporate HR, she is thrilled to be back in the Jewish non-profit world! She is excited to be starting a new chapter with Hillel International, where she supports Hillel at Virginia Tech, Oregon Hillel, and the Brody Jewish Center with their grassroots fundraising efforts. In her free time, you can find Ashley exploring new towns, making lavender syrup for her iced oat milk lattes, hammocking with a good book, or petting a nearby dog.
Her top strengths from StrengthsQuest are learner, developer, input, positivity, individualization
Greg Herring
Hillel Chef
greg@hillelvt.org
Greg Herring studied Culinary Arts and Patisserie at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute in Israel, the world’s only kosher mehadrin culinary school (now defunct). He was the opening Head Chef at the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center before going on to broaden his culinary horizons in NYC, where he worked in a broad diversity of cultural cuisines in varying degrees of fine dining. He then was the first full apprentice at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, a whole-animal retail butcher shop. He continued in whole animal butchery for 8 years before returning to Blacksburg with his wife Amanda (Executive Director), two kids Abraham, and Simkha, and dog Mensch. Greg enjoys the opportunity to translate and trace culture through cuisine, and introduce people to new flavors and cooking techniques.
His top strengths from StrengthsQuest are strategic, command, self-assurance, relator, and ideation
Rabbi Bruce D. Aft, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Adat Reyim in Springfield, Virginia serves as Hillel at Virginia Tech’s Rabbinical Advisor.
Rabbi Aft is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia and received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in June of 2006. He has been the Rabbi at Congregation Adat Reyim since 1991.
.png)