Meet Our Regional Board
Alyson Martinez, President
Hey NFTY STR! My name is Alyson Martinez and I am beyond excited to serve as your 5780-5781 President. I live in sunny Boca Raton, Florida and I am a senior at Boca High. I am a member of (the best TYG) BOFTY. Aside from NFTY, you can find me listening to music, singing, playing piano, or going to the beach! Some extra random fun facts are that my favorite fruit is apricots, I love almond milk, and I have spent the past 2 summers at the URJ Kutz Camp. Last year I served as your regional RCVP and I cannot wait to take on this new journey as President with my favorite community. I love meeting new people so feel free to text, call, email, Snapchat or DM me anytime! Looking forward to another amazing year with you, NFTY STR!!
Meghan Mandile, Programming Vice President
Email Meghan
Hi NFTY-STR!! It's Meghan Mandile, and I am super excited to be serving as your Programming Vice President this year. I am a senior at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton and am a member (of the best TYG) BOFTY. I am obsessed with The Vampire Diaries, and Criminal Minds. When I'm not at home binging Netflix, you can catch me playing with my dog, watching the sunset at the park, or grabbing an iced coffee. I'm outgoing and spontaneous so never hesitate to reach out to me through phone, Snapchat, Instagram, or email. I look forward to seeing how this region shines and what we can accomplish together.
Ava Dinow, Social Action Vice President
Email Ava
Heyo NFTY-STR, I’m Ava! I am so ecstatic to be your 2020-2021 SAVP, and to spread tikkun olam to such a wonderful and caring community. I’m a senior at Jupiter High School and a member of the (best) TYG, JAMTY. When not doing NFTY things or volunteering, you will most definitely find me at the beach, out paddleboarding, watching Marvel or Pixar movies, or playing with my dogs Teddy and Pepper Potts, who are my EVERYTHING. I am also honored to be serving as one of your Camp Jenny 34 co-directors! Despite the obstacles thrown our way, I know we are going to make this NFTY year amazing. I am so excited to see how together hand-in-hand, we’re going to allow this region to continue to thrive while making a difference in the world around us!
Jordan Schmidt, Religious & Cultural Vice President
Email Jordan
What's up NFTY-STR?! I'm Jordan, though most people call me Schmidty and I am BEYOND excited to be serving as your Religious and Cultural Vice President for the 5780-5781 / 2020-2021 year! When I'm not writing Jewish music or playing guitar and singing Broadway songs, you can often find me programming or working on engineering projects. If you have any music recommendations or want to talk about anything, I'd love to chat! Looking forward to an amazing year and see you all soon!
Alyssa Hurwitz, Communications Vice President
Email Alyssa
Hey NFTY-STR! I’m Alyssa and I am so excited to be your Communications Vice President! I’m a senior in High School and an active member of my TYG, STARY, in Boynton Beach. Outside of NFTY, I am a varsity cheerleader and president of my school's DECA chapter. I love photography, traveling, baking, and Disney. I am so excited for an amazing year.
Yael Litwak, Membership Vice President
Email Yael
Hey NFTY STR! I’m Yael and I’m so excited to serve as your 2020-2021 Membership Vice President! I’m a junior in high school in Aventura, FL and I am a dedicated member of my TYG SNFTY. You can find me dancing, working out, watching my favorite TV shows- Greys Anatomy and Boy/Girl Meets World and spending my summers at one of my favorite places, URJ Camp Coleman! I’m super energetic and always willing to have a conversation, so feel free to reach out and say hey! I cannot wait for all the magic and fun that this year will bring!
NFTY Southern Tropical Region is governed by a board of teen leaders who are elected by their peers that serve a one-year term. Regional board members play a critical role in all aspects of running the region including event planning and marketing, and mentoring teen leaders from our local youth communities. The regional board is mentored by a Regional Advisor who oversees all programs and administration.
Staff
Rabbi Andrew H. Terkel
NFTY South Area Manager254-410-6703
Rabbi Andrew Terkel was born and raised in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and grew up active in his synagogue, NFTY-TOR, and URJ Greene Family Camp….Team Members

Rabbi Andrew H. Terkel
NFTY South Area Manager254-410-6703
Rabbi Andrew Terkel was born and raised in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and grew up active in his synagogue, NFTY-TOR, and URJ Greene Family Camp. His experiences with Jewish youth organizations inspired a lifelong love of Jewish communal work, songleading, and all things camp and NFTY related. Rabbi Terkel attended the University of Kansas for his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and International Studies, then worked as a traveling Jewish educator at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, MS before beginning his rabbinic studies at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem and Los Angeles. After being ordained in 2014 Andrew served as the first assistant rabbi at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE) synagogue in Charleston, SC, it’s first assistant rabbi since its founding in 1749. There he focused on youth engagement, education, and NFTY, serving as NFTY-SAR’s Rabbinic Liason and on faculty at URJ Camp Coleman. In 2016 Rabbi Terkel moved to Dallas to serve as the Director of Year Round Programs at URJ Greene Family Camp, planning and running immersive Jewish experiences for all ages of youth, families, and adults, and enhancing the Jewish educational aspects of summer camp and year round events. In June 2020 NFTY reorganized and Rabbi Terkel became NFTY’s South Area Manager overseeing NFTY-TOR, NFTY-SO, NFTY-SAR, and NFTY-SAR from his home base in Dallas, Texas.Rabbi Terkel is married to Hannah Rubin-Schlansky, a Jewish educator at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas. They met during their HUC-JIR Year in Israel studies and now have two children, Avi and Micah, and a goldendoodle, Mollie.