Narrator Hollis Belger: The 2025 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam awardees include 15 extraordinary teens from across the United States who are leading movements, inspiring change, and creating lasting impact.
No matter how great the challenge or how difficult the times, they are taking action and bringing their peers and communities along with them.
These young leaders give us hope, leading with empathy and heart in their commitment to living the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world.
Dana Corvin, California Selection Committee: As a member of the selection committee, I am so inspired by the 2025 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam awardees. They have made an incredible impact on some of the issues that most affect our world. And they are leading initiatives that truly embody the values of tikkun olam.
Helen Diller knew that young people can change the world, and she would have been so proud of these 15 awardees. At a time when we need to celebrate Jewish pride and connection more than ever, it is a great privilege to honor these young Jewish leaders.
Hudson Blechman: For me, doing mitzvot has always been a really big part of my life. It really connects me with my community and helps me show the Jewish values and family values that I’ve learned.
But for a lot of young people who want to do community service, who want to give back, they just don’t know where to start.
Impact Lynk is a technology platform connecting high school teens to local nonprofit events. Wherever a high school teen is located, they can go on the app and see a wide variety of community service opportunities.
Getting involved is as easy as a click of a button. In just under a year, Impact Lynk has expanded across the US and abroad. We’ve logged over 13,000 hours of teen community service. We’ve also worked with 27 nonprofit partners and have 17 chapter heads that recruit volunteers and reach out to nonprofits to post events.
Just to see so many people involved is really gratifying. Impact Lynk is something that I started here in the Bay Area, but now there are so many teens stepping up as leaders and making an impact on their local communities.
Sophia Rothman: For refugee girls in the Rwanda refugee settlement in Uganda, access to education is extremely limited. Not only do these girls not have access to technology, but the living conditions are extremely challenging. And they often go to bed hungry.
The Refugee Can Be: Tutoring Program provides academic and inspirational support, along with monthly food provisions to refugee girls and their families.
Along with dozens of student volunteers in Los Angeles, I’ve built key partnerships on the ground in Uganda,including with my co-founder, who is herself a refugee, to establish internet connection, purchase laptop computers and facilitate virtual tutoring sessions.
I’ve seen the impact of this program in the change of mindset in the community. Not only does the food provide nourishment, but by connecting food and education, the girls are now seen as breadwinners and celebrated for going to school.
The cause of girls education worldwide is one that I’m most passionate about. I’m so inspired hearing these girls talk about their hopes and dreams for the future.
Max Alperstein: Welcome to The Chai Road, conversations exploring Jewish life, identity, and resilience.
I was born in Guatemala. I was adopted by my mother at nine months old raised here in New York City. Being Latino, I’d often be asked by my peers, by teachers even, wait, you’re Jewish? It would make me wonder if I was in the right place or if I was good enough.
I want other young people to know Judaism is made up of so many different types of people. It is not one size fits all, and no matter what, you can find your spot.
The Chai Road is a podcast bringing new perspectives and ideas to the conversation around what it means to be Jewish. I speak to a wide variety of guests, including thought leaders, Holocaust survivors, chefs, artists, athletes, and the goal is to learn from so many different sides of Judaism and help young Jewish teens find who they are.
To be Jewish is to be yourself. And by leading with that, it really sets a stage of Judaism being a wide spectrum, filled with so many different types of people.
Erica Frishberg: When I was younger, I was diagnosed with dyslexia, which is a learning disability that affects 1 in 5 children. It diminished my self-esteem, my confidence, it made me think Was I different? Was something wrong with me? I became filled with anxiety, even embarrassment, entering the classroom.
One of the things that made me love reading as much as I do now is audiobooks. Hearing for a Change is an organization that empowers struggling readers by using auditory book systems to help build their vocabulary, comprehension, and overall love for books.
The success of my organization has really been built on that one-on-one connection that we grow between our struggling reader and our high school hero. Our volunteers ask questions, they make sure the books are engaging, and they always love meeting with the kids. They’re passionate, they’re excited, and we tell them, hey, you’re not alone. There are other kids like you. I’m like you.
By the end of the year, I’ve seen them grow that confidence and that love for reading. Audiobooks have opened a new chapter to have their imaginations run wild.
Aaron Smolyar: Ever since I can remember, I’ve just been really into technology. I always loved knowing how things run and I taught myself how to code and taught myself how to build a computer. What do the different parts do?
But of course, what makes technology so exciting also makes it pretty challenging for seniors is, which is that it’s constantly evolving.
The CLEO Initiative is all about educating seniors on the latest technology through hands-on workshops and tech support sessions. Some of the critical areas we help seniors with include online banking, managing medication, staying connected with friends and family, transportation, and so much more.
I took my interest in entrepreneurship and technology and used them to scale CLEO into what it is today. An organization with over 50 locations across 20 states, with hundreds of volunteers serving thousands of seniors.
It took a lot of learning how to scale and building sustainable structures within the organization to help CLEO expand and last. And I’m really excited to keep growing CLEO to bridge generations and close the digital divide.
Maya Puterman: New York City is known as that city that never sleeps, but it’s also the city that never stops eating. There’s so many food stores and restaurants on every corner. Unfortunately, at the same time, there are 1.4 million people each year in New York City who are food insecure.
One day, I was in my cafeteria. I saw how much extra food was being thrown away. I looked online trying to see if there’s anything for schools to donate their leftover lunch, and I couldn’t find anything. So I decided, know what? I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna make something happen.
Fresh Opportunities has now partnered with over ten schools across New York City and donated over 11,300 meals to people in need. We have over 120 students packaging, labeling, delivering food and it’s just so inspiring to see this contagious energy and how much more we can get done when we come together, what’s so special about Fresh Opportunities is that our volunteers are actually going to the community fridge, going to the shelter and handing the meals to the people in need.
Tikkun olam is all about being the one to take action. I’m so proud of how big this food recovery movement has grown and how many lives we’ve been able to impact.
Elias Kremer: Through NOTEWORTHE Music, I’ve come to realize that there is an inextricable link between music and the mind.
Music is something that speaks to the soul. It is something that really transcends, and when it brings us together, amazing things can happen.
NOTEWORTHE Music is all about bringing the universal power of music into the lives of seniors facing cognitive impairment. And we do that through immersive, exceptional student-run concerts.
A big step for NOTEWORTHE Music was when we partnered with Emory University’s Cognitive Empowerment Program to expand our research performance.
We’ve raised over $20,000, brought licensed music therapy partners to the table, and impacted over 1,000 seniors.
After all of our concerts, the best part is sitting with our seniors and from them how music helped tap memories and stories. Being able to spark those connections is the heart of our mission.
Alexandria Hant: I fell in love with debate in ninth grade. It became my identity. It really taught me how to think more critically. You have to figure out how to take control in the moment and having to think through every single argument being presented, really refines a person’s ability to articulate themselves.
Unfortunately, these benefits that can be found in high school debate are not accessible for everyone, whether that be walking into spaces that are male-dominated or the entry fee costs for competing at a national circuit tournament.
Women in Debate is the largest organization of its kind and our goal is to uplift gender, minority and low income debaters through our international mentorship program. We’ve supported over 1,000 students all the way from Greece, to right here where I’m from in Texas. And we’ve secured over $70,000 scholarships.
I think the real benefit is not in our statistics, but in our ability to empower gender minorities to stand up for their beliefs, build their confidence, and find their voice.
Landon Hoberman: Just like the ocean, there’s a ripple effect in environmental work. One person’s energy, passion, and solutions can flow to everyone else and create a chain reaction. That’s my inspiration with founding the Student Environmental Ambassador Program.
We help empower students take the charge on environmental change in their business, local, and school communities. Some of our key initiatives include working with restaurants to reduce single-use plastics, educating K-8 students on ocean conservation, and leading town cleanups.
I love seeing all of the youth energy and passion to get involved. There are now over 725 student ambassadors globally implementing these solutions in their communities.
One point in my work that I knew that I was making a difference was when I testified before the New Jersey Senate on bill S3195, which has a goal of eliminating single-use plastics across New Jersey. I also wrote an ordinance reducing single-use plastics in my home town.
With all of this work, the thing that drives me is seeing other students turn their passion into change.
Anya Kleinman: Dance for me is truly essential. It’s been such an integral part of who I am as a person, and it’s a very freeing art form in that your body is your instrument. And there’s a beauty to that, but then there are also some dangers.
When I was 13, I developed a pretty serious eating disorder. As I started the recovery process, I recognized a need for change.
My mission and goal with Dancers Beyond Labels is to uproot the stereotype for what a dancer should look like.
A huge part of our work is our educational programing. We’ve partnered with eating disorder therapistsand the biggest dance events company in the world to bring our professionally developed nutritional program to competitions and conventions.
We’ve also been able to work with hundreds of studio educators across the country to abide by our body image code of conduct.
Central to all of the work that we’re doing, truly, is engagement with younger dancers on a one-on-one basis. Everything comes down to reaching that one individual that could be struggling.
It’s been incredibly special to see the impact that we’ve been able to make and I’m so excited to improve dancer mental health and nutrition for years to come.
Jack Segil: If someone learns to code, especially early in their life, that just opens up so many avenues for them.
My absolute favorite part of Code to Grow is to spark a passion for coding in kids who have never coded in their life.
And I cannot describe that first feeling of excitement when they figure out something themself. It’s there, the little mental map of how code works. It’s been established in their brains and now they’ve found a passion that can uplift them in life.
One thing that’s really special about Code to Grow is the fact that a lot of our former campers come back as volunteers. They’re a role model, a teacher, a big brother or a big sister.
Something I’m also very proud of is the recognition we’ve gotten from the city of Manhattan Beach and the mayor, and the partnership that we’ve built with the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services.
I love watching these kids learn to code. They have the skills that are going to propel them this increasingly digital future.
Bella Brown: Chicago is a city with a very large unsheltered population. Sometimes, we look the other way, we cross the street, we do something to divert our attention.
Getting involved in Living Outside is as simple as making a slightly different choice. When you are walking, when you see someone, can you wave? Can you say hi? What can I do to make your day a little bit brighter?
Living Outside is a nonprofit organization aimed at destigmatizing homelessness through the direct distribution of care bags. We have 19 youth-led chapters, some of which are international, we have well over 600 volunteers, and have distributed over 6,000 care bags to date.
One of the things that has helped us grow is the Jewish community. We have found such support in people being willing to donate supplies, venues, connections, partnerships. And I am constantly inspired seeing young people making a difference together.
Empathy is at the center of everything we do, and at the end of the day, we want everyone in our community to feel that they have a friend and someone they can turn to when they need support.
Ari Bushler: On September 9th, 2020, the skies in San Francisco literally turned orange. Wildfires had spread across the Bay Area very rapidly, and I realized that any location is vulnerable to climate change.
This really catalyzed PoweringTomorrow.org and our mission to help stop the climate crisis. PoweringTomorrow.org is inspiring the next generation of green energy leaders through our free afterschool hands-on climate and energy education program.
In creating the curriculum, I really wanted to make the workshop fun and exciting and to include a lot of science experiments. Because most of the existing climate and energy education programs around the world give students fear rather than hope and our organization helps to flip that narrative.
I think that it is very important that we teach students from under-resourced communities, because these are the students who are the most impacted by climate change. And through a lot of hard work and determination, we currently teach students from over 25 schools, and we’ve offered the program to over 3,000 students.
I’m so happy and excited that we’ve expanded our program to so many students, and I’m looking forward to inspiring even more green energy advocates.
Henry Scolnick: For me, tikkun olam means inclusion. Growing up my younger brother Oliver, who has autism, we’ve always done everything together, and we both look up to each other. I wanted to make everything possible for him to do, which is what sparked Ballers Basketball to become what it is today.
I would say as soon as somebody walks into Ballers, they notice just love and joy everyone has. Whether you’re in a wheelchair, nonverbal, have Down syndrome, whatever the case might be, everybody can come together with a sense of belonging. And it’s just this loving community.
Ballers gives kids like Oliver the opportunity to feel included, to feel accepted means the world to me. And you really just see the impact that it has. The bonds aren’t just related to basketball, there’s always something else. Every week, that bond just gets even stronger, and the most meaningful part is to share your gift of just being you.
Caroline Cosgrove: My grandfather survived the Holocaust. His freedom was a big part of his life. It was something that really instilled in our family values. But when he got to an older age, he wasn’t able to drive and teaching him how to use technology and understanding that he could still be in control of his own decisions was just such a freeing moment for him and what motivated me to start Senior Connect.
In chapters across the United States, volunteers are really the key component. They caring and empathic and they really have a strong desire to help. It’s very apparent our tech sessions build community across generations. Watching seniors becoming more empowered and understanding that technology provide a of independence, it’s just so rewarding to see.
To me, a big part of Judaism has always been the community aspect and any act of kindness can really make a difference in someone’s life.
So with my work with Senior Connect, I see tikkun olam as a thread through all of the small moments, but the big changes that can come from them.
Narrator Hollis Belger: Helen Diller believed that young people have the power and passion to change the world. These 15 visionary changemakers join a network of over 200 past awardees who are creating ripples of good through their bold acts of kindness, courage and compassion. Their leadership strengthens our hope for today, tomorrow and generations to come.