Leadership
From Your Regional Executive/Israel Affairs VP
Posted on April 15, 2011 | Filed in:
Hey CHUSY!
My name is Elan Nesher Sykes and I’m your 2011-2012 Executive and I/A Vice-President!!!! I moved to Chicago in 2009 at the beginning of my freshmen year at Chicagoland Jewish High School, and fell in love with CHUSY from the moment Adam Blue dragged me to CBS USY, where I am currently a member. A condensed life story: I was born right here in Chicago, and lived in a building half a block from where I live now, in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side. After a year and a half, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia where my dad, Rabbi Loren A. Sykes (a former CHUSY Rel/Ed and SA/TO), became the founding director of Camp Ramah Darom, affectionately referred to as “Spa Ramah.” Right before 7th grade, my parents decided that we were going to Israel for a year, and we moved to Jerusalem, where I basically got to goof around and be a crazy Israeli for a year before returning to Atlanta for 8th grade. Look for me on Ramah Israel Seminar ’12 and Nativ 33! I also have 2 younger sisters, Mira and Amalya, who attend Chicago Jewish Day School, and my mom Rebecca is a multi-talented educator, theater performer, and yoga instructor.
I love playing sports, mainly basketball and Frisbee, but have been known to dabble in cricket, Jai Alai, polo, curling, Aussie Rules Football, Ga-ga, and Quidditch from time to time. I listen to all kinds of music, but especially love Jewish Acapella (not wannabeats-style parodies, but actual Jewish songs) and Israeli music like Shotei Hanevuah, Hadag Nachash, Beit Habubot, and Subliminal. My favorite TV shows are How I Met Your Mother, The Daily Show, and the Colbert Report, and I’m also currently rewatching The West Wing.
I have attended Ramah Darom every summer since its founding, and this summer I am so excited to be in GESHER ELEVEN!!!!!! I can’t believe that its my last summer as a camper at Darom, but after Wheels Bus X and Gesher I can’t wait to go to USY XL, a 4-region extravaganza with CRUSY, Emtza, and SWUSY at my Dad’s current playground, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. After that, your 2011-2012 prez Aaron Freeman and I will get straight to work planning all of CHUSY’s regional conventions, which will be AMAZING!
The great Benjy Forester once said, “Did you know Elan Sykes loves USY?” During the next year as your Exec/IA VP you will all learn that I definitely do! I’ll always be available to talk to, open to suggestions for program ideas, and more. CHUSY, get excited for a great year!
Elan Sykes
2011 – 2012 Executive/Israel Affairs Vice President
