Youth Advisors

Peter Volkmar is 24, born and raised in Minnesota, college in Wisconsin.  He moved to Brooklyn in 2008 right after graduation to work with the Arab-American population here.  After working as a paralegal for a year and volunteering at ESL classes, Peter got a job working with Arab immigrant families as a child welfare worker at the Arab American Family Support Center.  He’s been there for over a year now.  In his free time Peter plays ultimate Frisbee and directs a non-profit in his neighborhood called the Marcy Tennis Club.  Last year Peter’s focus as a Youth High School advisor was getting the youth out into the community for service learning.  Peter hopes to again host monthly volunteer events for our youth with as much success as our fundraising for Haiti last year.  We’re hoping to expand with Paul Eisemann’s help and by inviting youth from other congregation to join us.

Cesa Kobe-Smith is an actress, dancer, improvisor, writer and soon to be Pilates instructor. She hails from the great state of Washington and moved to NY after graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 2002. Cesa has been and done lots of things to pay the bills but is most proud of her work as a teacher of the arts in after school programs in both Seattle and Brooklyn. She currently working on writing a web series with her writing partner and is always on the hunt for any acting work she can get her paws on.

Kirsten deFur is a lifelong UU and grew up in Richmond, VA. After studying flute performance at the university of north Carolina at greensboro, she heard her calling as a sexuality educator.  She lived and worked in Arlington, VA for a few years and served as the youth programs coordinator at UUCA for one year. Kirsten moved to NYC in 2004 to attend Columbia university’s Mailman School of Public Health, focusing her studies on sexuality and health. Kirsten has taught almost every level of the Our Whole Lives sexuality education program, and is a trainer of facilitators for the adult/young adult age groups.  In her day job, she is the director of the Healthy Relationship Training Academy, an initiative of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence.  Kirsten also plays volleyball and enjoys biking, cooking, and reading books.