Eliad Shmuel.

Eliad Shmuel - Program Director, MIT Hillel

“I'm excited about the opportunity to develop student leadership at my Hillel. I'm eager to engage my students through the zchut (privilege) to do good in the world. I'm looking forward to meet more colleagues from the ‘Hillel family’ who share the same passion I have for Jewish life and for working with students.”

Lisa Motenko- Student Life Coordinator, Berkeley Hillel

“I think in order to have student leaders that are really invested in what they do - we need to meet them where they are at. I think it is important for a student to be intrinsically interested in the group that they are leading. I also think that they need advising and support from other leaders or staff members.”

Jenna Mitzner.

Jenna Mitzner - Assistant Director, Hillel at the University of Virginia

“I have learned over the past few years, that my job is never done, and that there is always something else that can be completed. Though this is most definitely a challenge, it is also what continues to motivate me. I thrive on the idea that something more can always be done to make improvements and achieve success.”

Gonzalo Valenci.

Gonzalo Valenci – Programs coordinator, Hillel Cordoba (Argentina)

“I think that the development of a strong Jewish identity is a very important component in developing student leaders. Being a leader implies to pass on that identity to others and spread it to everyone around you. Try to make others feel the spirit and the strength of the Jewish identity, showing them how important and how rewarding it is to work for that identity.”

Orly Halpern.

Orly Halpern – Director of Engagement, Cornell University

“I moved to Ithaca to work at Cornell Hillel and each year that passes I become more enamored of this incredible job that allows me to have coffee with amazing students and watch and aid in the Jewish growth of so many talented young people.”

Nicholas Liebman – Program Director, Hillels Around Chicago

Nicholas Liebman.

“Providing this overtly Jewish connection to social justice helps Jewish students feel at once more closely connected with their own tradition, and with the broader university culture. I look forward to creating a new, locally oriented initiative. I believe it will significantly help our standing as a University group, as well as the general feeling of inclusion for Jewish students. I believe there will be dividends in our overall participation and success in engaging the Jewish students, and could even serve as a model for other schools and Hillels in the city.”

Audrey Bloomberg.

Audrey Bloomberg - Director of Student Life, Hillel at Michigan State University

“I personally have a great passion for social justice. I would like to learn about more ideas in this area and be better able to translate my passion into direct action that will benefit my students and campus.”

Valentina Nemirovskaya.

Valentina Nemirovskaya – Program Director, Hillel Khabarovsk (Far East Russia)

“We are glad to take part in this initiative and study new material, new methods and learn from other people’s experiences.”

Julie Blum.

Julie Blum - Senior Associate for Leadership and Engagement, NYU Hillel

“Besides the opportunity to grow professionally, I am particularly excited about the opportunity to meet and learn from other Hillel professionals around the world, and to create and administer an initiative working directly with students.”

Robert Besier.

Robert  Beiser – Director of Social Justice and Israel Programs, University of Washington

“I am passionate about the connections between Jewish life and social justice.  My interest in this initiative is so strong due to envisioning the network of Tzedek-focused Hillel professionals that this initiative will develop.  Each time I am able to meet with other Hillel staff working on alternative breaks, fundraisers, local service programs, I become all the more inspired in my role and look to serve as a resource for others working in the area that I am lucky enough to have as my focus.”

Robert Nagus - Director, Hillel at Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

Robert Nagus.

“I love my work as Director of Jewish Campus Life at Queen's. I take it seriously and truly believe in the work we are doing. I am hoping it (LAPID) will help me build on my knowledge, skills and resources and will allow me to do my job as well as possible and inspire and empower the Jewish leaders of tomorrow.”

Daniel Furrer.

Daniel Furrer – Tzedek Coordinator, Hillel Rio (Brazil)

“I see this initiative as a possibility to show other Jewish leaders around the world how we do our tzedek work in Rio and to learn from them new ways of improving the Projects and engaging new volunteers. I am also interested in understanding how other Hillels are organized and how their staff works. Looking at the differences helps us to identify our own qualities and flaws, and can show new perspectives of change.”

Rachel Hall.

Rachel Hall – Managing Director, Portland Oregon Hillel

“I love working for Hillel because they tell us all the time to empower students and their ideas and interests. It is important that I help create strong leaders so they can engage other students and feel confident in their skill sets.”

Rebecca Meiser – Engagement Associate, Kent State

Rebecca Meiser.

“I help show my students the relevance of Judaism to their lives and act as a mentor/counselor/advisor to them. It’s my responsibility to help my students find a connection to each other, to their religion, and to the greater Jewish community.”

Shalom Kantor.

Shalom Kantor – KOACH-Campus Rabbi, Binghamton University Hillel

“I look forward to the opportunity to work with, be mentored by, and get to know other colleagues in the Hillel world so that my network of resources and people that I can call for ideas and collaboration will be that much more expanded. I have found, in my short time working for Hillel, that it is often through collaboration and discussions with my peers that I have been able to gain inspiration and refinement for much of the work that I have done.”

Alesia Famina.

Alesia Famina – Program Director, Hillel Minsk (Belarus)

“The young student leader must identify himself as a part of the Jewish people, to have sufficient knowledge about the culture and the history of the Jewish people, and to be prepared to share this knowledge with others.”

Benjamin Berlow.

Benjamin Berlow – Program Director, Hillel of Silicon Valley

“At most of the schools with which we work, Hillel is the only outlet for Jewish students to connect to their Judaism. One of the most common things I hear from new students that I meet on campus is that they thought they were the only Jewish student on campus. The greatest achievement with Hillel has been seeing the transition in students from questioning whether they are Jewish to challenging themselves to explore more about themselves to owning their Jewish identity. Personally, I think I contribute to their Jewish journey and the way they find Judaism meaningful.”

Marissa Neuman.

Marissa Neuman – Jewish Student Life Coordinator for Tzedek, College Park Maryland

“My greatest achievements (as a Hillel professional) start within myself. Working at Hillel has allowed me to explore my Judaism, learning about the many outlets one can express their Judaism and be a world citizen while encompassing tikkun olam. This has been a jumping off point for me to then connect with my students on many different levels from helping them find where Judaism may fit in their life to supporting an idea they have in the realm of tzedek.”