Meet the Team!
Joy Getnick, PhD, (she/her) is our Executive Director, a proud University of Rochester alum (BA '06), and a life-long Rochesterian. Her prior role was as the Senior Director for Programming and Jewish Life at the Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester, including as the founding director of Camp Seneca Lake (CSL) in Israel, a summer Israel program for teens. A historian by training she is the author of the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning curriculum on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and spent many years teaching part-time in the SUNY Geneseo Department of History. Joy is deeply committed to Jewish pluralism and community building, and enjoys fostering opportunities for young adults to explore Jewish traditions, ideas, and heritage in new and meaningful ways. Joy, her husband, and two sons live in Pittsford, NY, where she enjoys cooking/baking through the four seasons, and celebrating all things Jewish with her family and the community.
Michael Pollak (he/him) is our Assistant Director. Originally from Akron, Ohio, he spent five years at Kent State Hillel, helping students build meaningful Jewish lives on campus. He earned his BA from Kent State University (’16) and
completed his MBA at Western Governors University in 2024. Michael
brings a diverse background to his work, including time as a traveling
consultant for Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) and as a recruiter on Wall Street
and Midtown Manhattan. He has led multiple Birthright Israel trips and
is passionate about helping students connect with Jewish identity,
tradition, and community in ways that feel personal and empowering. He
recently moved to Rochester with his wife, also a Kent State alum. They
live with their goldendoodle, Milo, and two cats, George and Izzy.
Outside of work, Michael enjoys working out, watching movies and TV
shows, reading, traveling, volunteering, and playing board games with
family and friends.
Miriam Cory (she/her) is from Seattle, WA and just completed a degree in Mathematics with a minor in Linguistics from Oberlin College in Ohio. She has been working in the Jewish community since she was 14, first as a songleader at her synagogue, then as a camp counselor, songleader, and unit head at URJ Camp Kalsman in Arlington, WA. Having been active in Oberlin Hillel as a service leader and student treasurer, she is excited to support students at the University of Rochester in creating their own adult Jewish identity. In her free time, she likes to go swing dancing and work on her Duolingo streak.