shira sternberg

I grew up in Vermont and studied civic engagement and photography at Bennington College, spending a semester at the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies in Israel. After college, I explored art and photography before moving into political organizing, which brought me to Washington, DC, where I worked at the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2012, I returned to New England to be closer to my terminally ill father and continued my work at EPA’s Boston regional office until 2014.

From 2014 to 2016, I launched a jewelry and gift start-up that took me back and forth to Israel in search of local artisans and new opportunities. I later built a family and life in Tel Aviv, where I also helped raise two stepchildren, and welcomed my first child in 2018.

In 2020, I returned to Vermont, where I now live in Shaftsbury with my three children.

In 2022, I co-founded Nefesh (nefeshcommunity.org), a Jewish community group for families in the area, with Rabbi Jarah Greenfield. I remain passionate about civic engagement and local politics, and believe it is more important than ever to be engaged in our political systems at every level.