Meet the CTeen Alumni

Sophie Edelstein (Nicolet ‘22) grew up in the very north Chicago suburbs but moved to the Milwaukee suburbs when she was in 3rd grade. She attended both MJDS and Hillel, went to Camp Gan Israel, and was involved in the Shul, so being a part of CTeen came naturally by high school. She loved coming to the house for lunches and holiday meals to see the “mishmosh” of people from different Jewish backgrounds coming together, and described a very strong sense of “home, community, and belonging, with that Rabbi Avremi type of unapologetic Judaism.” She went to the NYC Shabbaton her freshman year and really appreciated opportunities to serve as CTeen president as well as on the CTeen International editorial board, building connections and creating Jewish journalism. 

Sophie is currently a student at UWM and beginning clinicals through the Aurora hospital system to become a sonographer (ultrasound tech). Her experience in CTeen and with the Schapiro's also led her to Chabad on Campus, feeling that sense of community with “people who know you, love you, and care about you,” especially providing support and hope during challenging situations many young Jewish students face on campus. 

Sophie is excited about all of CTeen’s growth and success, and is excited to join the CTeen Alumni Network! If you’re a high school junior or senior interested in the medical profession, she’d love to talk with you! Let us know and we’ll put you in touch.  

Brian Blinder ('20) first connected with the Schapiros when Shaindy was getting her teeth cleaned in the dental office where his mother worked. She mentioned that she needed some Matzah, and of course Shaindy made it happen! Soon enough, 6 year-old Brian was a camper at Gan Israel.

Brian grew up in the North Shore and went to Maple Dale, but when his family moved to a different suburb, he was one of very few Jewish kids at his high school. In addition, as a Russian-speaker, “I knew it would be harder to assimilate…people didn’t understand where I was coming from…”, and he felt some isolation amid the casual antisemitic jokes and comments from his classmates.

In CTeen, he “did a lot of picking at Avremi’s brain, asking questions, learning, challenging, and Avremi would push it but do it right.” Highlights of his CTeen experience included going on the New York Shabbaton his senior year, even though it meant missing a Travis Scott concert, because he wanted to support a friend running for Teen Leader of the Year. He called it “silly, inspiring, and jaw-dropping” to be in Times Square “with thousands of other teens, staring at the billboards, feeling proud.”

Brian graduated from UW Madison in 2024 with a degree in computer science and is currently back in Milwaukee working for Northwestern Mutual as a software engineer. He still loves going to Shabbat dinners at the Schapiro house, and is excited to be a founding member of the Alumni Chai Club and the CTeen Mentor Network.