Sitting at my desk, anticipating a much-needed Shabbat, I am heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend, Julian Sandler, Chairman of Hillel’s Board of Directors.

Julian was an intimate friend, teacher and mentor for me. Julian had a gift for blending his keen analytical abilities with his genuine warmth and humor. He believed in the critical importance of transmitting yiddishkeit from generation to generation and modeled what it means to be a proud, knowledgeable committed Jew with menschlichkeit.

Julian believed that in order to be successful, we must embrace a culture of collaboration, communication, and cooperation. As our Chairman, and in his many Hillel leadership roles, he worked in close partnership with many board members and staff. He was proud of his personal relationships with Hillel lay leaders and professionals on campuses throughout the globe and derived tremendous joy from his many interactions with students. Julian consistently pushed us to be more strategic and more effective in our work without losing sight of the big picture—inspiring others to experience the beauty of living Jewishly.

Julian loved Hillel and we loved him. Many of you have sent prayers and thoughts to Julian over the past several weeks, which I know he read and appreciated. Two of our colleagues in Jerusalem created a Moment of Communal Learning and Prayer in his honor. In the coming weeks and months we will look for additional, meaningful ways to share Julian’s memory and legacy.

Remarkably but not surprisingly, one of Julian’s final acts was to establish the Julian Sandler Endowment for Executive Leadership Development for Hillel. He and his beloved wife Nina wished to assure that Hillel has the resources to recruit, train, and retain the highest caliber Hillel professionals—a core goal of the Hillel Strategic Plan that was created under Julian’s strong leadership.

Those of us who were privileged to know Julian will treasure his kindness, his strength, his integrity, and his wonderful infectious laugh.

Please join me in extending our deepest condolences to, Nina, their sons Ian and Joel, daughters-in-law Mackenzie and Michelle, and grandchildren Riley and Brody. May the name of Yechiel ben Elchanan v’ Hanna serve for a blessing.

Add Comments:

RE: Remembering Julian Sandler, z"l

Name:


Message (up to 500 characters): * Required Field