Cohort of students and young professionals will provide their perspectives on how younger generations are experiencing antisemitism, engaging with the Jewish community and navigating a rapidly changing world.
New York, NY, September 9, 2026 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), the leading anti-hate organization in the world, announced the members of its inaugural NextGen Advisory Council today. The council joined the ADL Board of Directors for its quarterly board meeting, marking the first time young leaders have held a structured advisory role alongside the board.
Its members are students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 25, chosen for demonstrated leadership on campus, in the workplace and in their communities. They include undergraduate and graduate students at Brandeis University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, Ohio State University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Tel Aviv University, University of Michigan, and University of Virginia, alongside young professionals working in technology, corporate sustainability, Jewish education and the nonprofit sector.
"This is a generation that has come of age during the worst surge of antisemitism in decades, and they did not back down. They organized, they led, and they built community when it was hardest to do so," said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. "The NextGen Advisory Council brings their perspectives into our decision-making. They will help make our strategy sharper and our voice more resonant to the young people we exist to protect."
“I’m excited to bring my commitment to education and community-building to the NextGen Advisory Council, while learning from others who are thinking just as passionately about supporting a more informed and resilient Jewish community,” said Samantha Przybisiki, a NextGen Advisory Council member.
"We recognize there is a tremendous opportunity to have the voices of the next generation represented in the room as decisions are made," said Nicole Mutchnik, Chair of the ADL Board of Directors. "Now they are. These 11 leaders will sit with our board, and their insights will help shape how ADL protects Jewish and American life for decades to come."
"I believe young voices are essential to ADL’s leadership because we bring new perspectives while helping shape the future of this work,” said Dalton Ercolano, a NextGen Advisory Council member. “Most importantly, I hope to ensure that the next generation is not only part of these conversations but empowered to lead them."
The 2026 ADL NextGen Advisory Council members are:
Sasha Benjamin is a dual-degree student at Columbia University and Tel Aviv University, studying cognitive science after completing a psychology major with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. Originally from London, she has worked in the startup and venture capital ecosystem at Aliyah Ventures and volunteered with United Hatzalah and GIFT, including coordinating humanitarian aid shipments to Israel following October 7.
Meyer Cusnir is a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in biology, health and society, and a pre-medical student from Miami, Florida. He serves as the Executive Director of Facts on the Ground at Michigan, is a Senior Geller Fellow with the Israel on Campus Coalition and co-founded Empower Michigan after October 7, 2023.
Matthew Devaney is a second-year student at The Ohio State University from Commerce, Michigan, studying public management, leadership and policy with a specialization in nonprofit management. He is the incoming President of the Buckeye Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Leadership Development Chair at Ohio State Hillel and a teacher and youth advisor at Temple Israel Columbus.
Dalton Ercolano is a Jewish educator and community leader who most recently worked at the Rabbi Steven Foster Early Learning Center at Temple Emanuel in Denver. A University of Kansas graduate and ADL Glass Leadership Institute participant, he co-founded OrAI, an AI platform supporting Jewish early childhood educators and will be pursuing an M.A. in Holocaust Studies at the University of Haifa beginning in the fall of 2026.
Ella Kotok is a fourth-year student at the University of Virginia (UVA) studying foreign affairs and sociology with a minor in Jewish studies, and is from Gaithersburg, Maryland. She founded Wahoos for Israel, UVA's pro-Israel campus club, after October 7, 2023, and serves as its president, as well as the Vice Chair of UVA Hillel.
Gali Polichuk is a young professional based in Orlando, Florida and originally from Mexico City, working in ESG compliance and sustainability. A University of Florida graduate, she has held leadership roles with Voice of the People, an initiative of the President of Israel; Hillel International; Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority; JFNA Changemakers and Birthright Excel.
Samantha Przybisiki is the Founder and CEO of We Are Enough, a youth education initiative that has reached more than 1,500 elementary students across Connecticut school districts. She co-authored and narrated ADL Awareness to Action educational program and serves as the President of Jewish on Campus at Brandeis University.
Lily Rashes is a J.D./M.B.A. student at Columbia University who holds a B.A. in public policy and an M.P.P. from Stanford University, both concentrating in international and national security policy. At Stanford she was the Co-President of the Public Policy Graduate Student Council and a leader in the Jewish Students Association and Stanford Israel Association.
Logan Reich is a first-year student at Princeton University planning to study public and international affairs. He recently concluded his term as BBYO Grand Aleph Godol, supporting Jewish community growth across 63 countries and territories, and served as a student representative on the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Asheville, NC.
Jack Schell is a recent political science graduate of the University of San Francisco, where he served as a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and held leadership roles with SF Hillel and Students for Israel. He previously interned with ADL in the Washington, D.C. regional office.
Maddie Stoller is a senior at Georgetown University studying psychology and Jewish civilization, and the Co-President of the Jewish Student Association representing more than 500 Jewish students. She has interned with ADL Washington, D.C., the Jewish Community Center Association and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate, and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate. More at adl.org.