Ilana Drake

Photo of Ilana Drake, standing in front of a tree wearing a striped shirt.

Ilana Drake is a junior at the High School for Math, Science & Engineering. When she's not in school, she can be found participating in a number of programs: she is a chorister in the Young People's Chorus of NYC, a mentee in Girls Write Now, and a Built by Girls advisee. Ilana was also appointed as a Young Leader of Manhattan and a fellow in YouthBridge-NY. During the summer of 2019, Ilana spent time in Germany through a homestay program, and was a Seed in Seeds of Peace. Additionally, Ilana was the teen secretary for The Greenhouse, and she is a long-standing member of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

Blog Posts

Blank Journal with pen.

Finding My Words Through Writing During Coronavirus

Ilana Drake

Because my life has virtually become virtual, writing is now one of my primary means of connecting.

Topics: Writing
Teen Sitting on Steps of a Monument

A New Yorker Teen on Coronavirus, Homelessness in the City

Ilana Drake

I hear other teenagers throw around comments about getting rid of “these people.” Thousands of teenagers in New York City are homeless or facing food insecurity.

Topics: Activism
Rebecca Lubetkin Holding Grandchild Ilana Drake

My Grandma's Fight for Equitable Education

Ilana Drake

My grandmother, Rebecca Lubetkin, has genuinely transformed society, giving young people opportunities that have revolutionized education and, as a result, the workplace.

Alice from Alice in Wonderland preparing to open the door with the key

Down the Rabbit Hole of My Disability

Ilana Drake

I have a learning disability. It feels like I’m entering the nonsensical world of Wonderland when I try to get my school to understand that.

Ilana Drake standing in a passageway on the Bell Tower of St. Paul's Church, Munich cityscape below.

Raising My Hand High

Ilana Drake

The teacher told us to raise our hands if we were Jewish. I didn’t know what to do.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Ilana Drake." (Viewed on April 24, 2024) <http://jwa.org/blog/author/drake-ilana>.