2025 Puentes Fellows - Becarios PUENTES - Bolsistas PUENTES

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Adina Thea (she/her/ella) was born in Los Angeles, California, and has lived in both southern and northern California, as well as spending a year in Mexico City. Adina's father is of Ukrainian-Hungarian Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, and her mother has both Chicana/Mexican and American Indigenous roots.

Throughout her life, Adina has been fascinated with the people and cultures of the world and later decided to dedicate herself to the education profession—first as a teacher, then a school principal, and now as the Director of Multilingual Programs and Fine Arts in the Highline School District, where she currently resides in Seattle with her partner.

Adina holds a BS degree in Anthropology, a Master's in Education, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Educational Leadership at the University of Washington. In 2017, Adina was nationally recognized as the Washington State Principal of the Year! In her free time, she loves spending time with her partner, friends, and two young adult daughters, as well as hiking, practicing yoga, and exploring amazing cuisine. Recently, Adina has become fascinated with studying the practice of Jewish meditation as well as embracing her unique Jewtina identity.

Becca Steinman (she/her/ella) is passionate about community building, organizing, Jewish education, and mentorship. She strives to create intersectional, inclusive, diverse, and embracing communities. Becca is currently the City Director of Repair the World in Detroit, Michigan, where she focuses on mobilizing Jews and their communities to address local pressing needs through service learning. In this role, she especially enjoys building partnerships and bridges with local grassroots and BIPOC-led organizations.

Prior to Repair the World, Becca was the Associate Director of Education at IKAR in Los Angeles and, more recently, the co-founder and Director of Dor Hadash, the only supplementary Jewish education program in the City of Detroit. Outside of work, Becca serves on the boards of Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit, Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, and Dimensions Educational Consulting. She is proud to be a Rebbetzin and a mother to two children, whom she enjoys traveling the world with, along with her husband Nate.

Elliot Malta (he/ him/ el) is a New York City-based professional with a background in archaeology, museum work, and Jewish education. Originally from a mixed Jewish and Latin town in the Lower Hudson Valley, he was raised in a bi-cultural Ashkenazi and Ecuadorian family. The dichotomy of inter-cultural cooperation and strife in that childhood community deeply impacted his perspectives on Jewish life, latinidad, and the intersections of personal identity.

When not working, he spends time in various creative pursuits, including learning how to sing and play songs in Judeo-Spanish. He is thrilled to participate in the PUENTES Fellowship program and to help continue the development of resources that reinforce the Latin-Jewish experience.

Randall Fried (he/him/el) is a seasoned leader and educator with over 18 years of experience working to strengthen Jewish identity and pride. As the Director of Philanthropic Engagement & Communications for Tzedek America, he spearheads innovative programs that combat antisemitism, promote social justice, and provide immersive educational experiences for students across the United States. Randall's deep commitment to fostering Jewish communal life extends to his work with the World Jewish Congress Jewish Diplomatic Corps, where he represents global Jewish communities and advocates for Holocaust education, interfaith dialogue, and the fight against hate.

Drawing on his rich personal and professional background, Randall approaches his work with passion, insight, and relatability. An adoptee of Salvadoran and Spanish heritage raised in a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish home, he weaves his unique story into his advocacy, emphasizing the importance of legacy and inclusivity. Whether speaking at the Saban Theatre to 1,200 LAUSD students about the dangers of indifference or creating programs to support teens facing antisemitism, Randall is dedicated to empowering individuals and building stronger, more empathetic communities. He lives in Studio City, California, with his wife and two children.

Rebeca Orantes (she/her/ella) is a fourth-year rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College–JIR in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Guatemala, Central America, Rebeca's parents founded the Reform Jewish community of Guatemala, known as Adat Israel. This community is proudly affiliated with La Unión Judía Reformista (UJR-LATAM) and the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ).

Rebeca is deeply passionate about global Jewry and devotes much of her time outside of school to collaborating with Jewish lay leaders in Latin America to strengthen and promote progressive Judaism in the region. She currently works as a spiritual counselor at Beit T'shuvah, the residential addiction treatment center and spiritual community located in LA.

Tali Perelman (she/her/ella)  is a San Francisco Bay Area native with Jewish family from Mexico City. She loves merging these two very delicious cultures through food and land, which has led her to spend a lot of time on farms and in gardens, and to pursue a career at sustainable food non-profits, climate think tanks, and clean energy firms. She studied the History of Science at Yale and is very interested in valuing all kinds of knowledge and in thoughtful, contextualized storytelling. When a long illness temporarily stopped her life in its tracks, Tali turned to somatics and breathwork to build resilience. These tools were life-changing for her, and she now enjoys teaching classes to her community in an informal capacity.

Ziggy Valdez (they/them/elle) is a passionate educator and aspiring rabbi currently studying at Hebrew Seminary in preparation for rabbinical school. A lifelong member of the Jewish community, Ziggy previously served as a congregational educator at Beth Israel of San Diego and is currently a trip educator for Tzedek America, where they inspire others through experiential learning and social justice initiatives. Growing up in a military family, Ziggy developed a deep appreciation for the power of travel as a teaching tool and the importance of fostering community wherever life leads. Their identity as a Mexican Jew informs their inclusive approach to education, as they seek to create spaces that celebrate diversity and belonging. They are passionate about blending their academic background, heritage, and lived experiences to strengthen and uplift the Jewish community through meaningful learning and connection.

Jessica England (she/her/ella) is a Jewish educator who has worked with students of all ages, from toddlers to young adults in college in her current role. She works at Hillel of San Diego as an Assistant Director and strives to be a "puente," a bridge, between different communities at San Diego State University. When Jessica isn't supporting students to create the community they wish to see at school, she is often drinking an iced coffee on the beach, working on one of her many ongoing art projects, or enjoying newlywed life.