Tehila Bendaat serves as an intern at Jewish Vegan Life. She is a rising junior at Lafayette College, majoring in Environmental Studies and Geology with a minor in Jewish Studies, and was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York.

On campus, Tehila serves as VP of Social Action at Hillel, where she has helped bring plant based food options, reusable dishware, and composting to Shabbat dinners. She is also a New Roots Institute Fellow, currently leading a campaign to expand plant based dining at Lafayette College.

Tehila’s path to veganism started at age 12, when a documentary about factory farming led her to promise herself that she would stop eating animal products once she was living on her own. When she got to college, she stopped eating meat simply because there were no kosher options on campus. A few months in, she remembered the promise she had made to her younger self, began learning more about factory farming, and gradually moved toward a fully vegan diet.

Tehila is excited to bring her passion for sustainability and Judaism to Jewish Vegan Life, helping grow the organization, connect more Jewish students with compassionate and sustainable food choices, and bring JVL’s mission to the Lafayette community.