Nira Dayanim is a junior journalism and history double major from suburban Philadelphia. Outside of Mitzpeh, she is a Hey Alma College Writing Fellow, an avid consumer of David Sedaris essays, an amateur photographer and the musical director of Rak Shalom, a Jewish a cappella group at this university. When she isn’t playing guitar, writing music, scouring Petfinder for funny looking dogs or pretending she knows how to garden, Nira enjoys contemplating new hobbies to pick up to one day put in a bio. Nira joined Mitzpeh as a staff writer in 2020 and this will be her third year at the paper. She is passionate about Judaism and loves to write and find stories where she least expects them.
Stephanie Deichman (she/her) Managing Editor
Stephanie Deichman is a junior from Northern Virginia double majoring in history & government and politics. She is involved with numerous clubs on campus, including the University Student Judiciary (USJ) and the History Undergraduate Association. Stephanie also currently interns at Campaign Finance Consultants. In her free time, Stephanie loves to read, hang out with her friends, and try out new recipes.
Courtney Cohn (she/her) Features Editor
Courtney Cohn is a senior journalism and government and politics double major from Rockville, MD. Along with editing for Mitzpeh, she is a reporter for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, a reporter for the CNS Washington Bureau, and a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She also loves to play tennis in her free time. She was previously a features editor at the Mitzpeh and is so excited to return this semester!
Charlie Summers (he/him) News Editor
Charlie Summers is a sophomore from Silver Spring majoring in history. This past summer, he covered the Maccabiah Games for The Times of Israel. Last year, Charlie joined the Mitzpeh as a staff writer, but now he’s taking on the position of news editor. When he’s not writing for the Mitzpeh or struggling to complete his bachelor’s, he can be found loitering on McKeldin’s sixth floor.
Molly Zatman (she/her) Copy Chief
Molly Zatman (she/her) is a junior studying multiplatform journalism and Middle Eastern studies. When she’s not editing for Mitzpeh, scouring the news, or working at the equipment checkout desk in Knight Hall, you can catch her bingeing teen drama shows or drawing (sometimes both simultaneously). Her other favorite activities include seeing if anyone’s actually read her bio and watching TikTok compilations.
Samantha Ebner (she/her) Engagement Editor
Samantha Ebner is a sophomore majoring in journalism and minoring in general business. She enjoys writing and editing, which is why she got involved in Mitzpeh and is beginning her involvement with Monumental Magazine this semester. After graduating high school, Samantha studied at Midreshet Harova, a religious seminary in Jerusalem, Israel. Samantha continues her Jewish/Israel involvement on campus through the TAMID, National Hillel Basketball Tournament (NHBT) and Terps for Israel boards. Her other hobbies include running and playing basketball.
Lexie Alpert (she/her) Engagement Editor
Lexie Alpert is a sophomore from Denver, Colorado majoring in Journalism and minoring in human development. After graduating high school, she took a gap year and studied in Israel at Bar Ilan University XP. Lexie enjoys writing, content creation, and videography. This past summer, she had an internship in Israel where she worked at ITV doing website design and content creation. Lexie is also a member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority. Being from Colorado, Lexie loves to spend time outdoors. Skiing, playing basketball, and running are some of her favorite hobbies.
Eden Binder (she/her) Staff Writer
Eden Binder is a freshman from New City, NY hoping to double major in journalism and history. Along with Mitzpeh, she is also involved in other campus clubs, including Club Dodgeball and Terrapin Sports Central. When Eden is not reading a good book or hanging out with friends, you can find her cheering on her favorite sports teams. She is a passionate fan of the New York Giants, Yankees, Knicks, and New Jersey Devils, and of course a diehard Terp.
Mitzpeh is the independent student-run newspaper serving the Jewish community at the University of Maryland. We aim to inform the community and maintain a high editorial bar. Any generous contribution will be greatly appreciated to help us expand our coverage. Your donation will also help us maintain our website in order to appeal to a more modern audience and grow our readership.
