Hillel International Honors Exceptional Campus Hillels and Professionals Fostering Jewish Life
Largest global Jewish student organization convened campus leaders for 2023 Global Assembly, recognized extraordinary leadership efforts
Hillel International, the largest and most inclusive Jewish campus organization in the world, honored Hillel professionals and campus Hillels for their exemplary efforts in supporting vibrant, welcoming Jewish life at colleges and universities. The awards were presented during the 2023 Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA), an annual gathering of Hillel professionals from around the world.
“Jewish students have faced unprecedented challenges on college campuses this fall, and the exceptional professionals we honor have gone above and beyond to protect, educate, inspire, and sustain their Jewish student communities in this fraught period,” said Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman. “I could not be more proud of the way the Hillel movement has shown up for for Jewish students in this moment. Every Hillel has stepped up in their own meaningful way to provide a home away from home for its Jewish community on campus, at a time when students need us more than ever.”
Honored in front of their colleagues and supporters in the global Hillel movement, the awardees were selected for their leadership and impact in advancing Hillel’s mission to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.
The awards and honorees included:
The Richard M. Joel Exemplars of Excellence honors professionals in various stages of their careers who live out the Hillel legacy of former president and CEO by embracing Hillel’s mission and connecting with students, colleagues, and stakeholders with enthusiasm and dedication. The honorees were:
- Rabbi Isabel de Koninck, Executive Director and Campus Rabbi of Hillel at Drexel University
- Merav Fine Braun, Executive Director of Hunter College Hillel
- Amy Epstein, Director of High Point University Hillel
- Taylor Silverman, Assistant Director of Arizona State University Hillel
- Jamie Zinn, Chief Advancement Officer of the University of Florida Hillel
- David Bookstaff, Director of Operations at Hillel at the University of Wisconsin
The Rising Star Award recognizes professionals who have worked at Hillel for at least one full year and have impacted the movement in just a short amount of time. The honorees were:
- Bernadette (Berny) Itzkow, Social Justice Springboard Fellow at Hillel at the George Washington University
- Lidar Eini, Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at San Luis Obispo Hillel
- Jonah Snyder, IACT Israel Coordinator at Hillel at the University of Miami
- Rabbi Rob Gleisser, Peter J. Rubinstein Reform Senior Jewish Educator at Penn State Hillel
- Lina Maizlis, Public Relations Manager at Hillel Germany
The Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz Innovation Award recognizes the best Jewish innovations incubated on campus that are bold, creative, and make a material impact on students. The winner of this award received $5,000 to continue crafting innovative programming and initiatives for Jewish students. The honoree was:
- Tulane University Hillel for their initiative, Portrait Identity Project
The 2023 Innovation Award was given to:
- George Mason Hillel for their initiative, the NOVA Hillel Summer Network.
The Dynamic Jewish Education Award recognizes a campus Hillel that has found a creative way to foster Jewish education outside the classroom. The honoree was:
- Penn State Hillel for their initiative, Men to Mensches
The Excellence Awards celebrate success achieved in a specific area of Hillel work, whether through the strengthening of a local relationship or the creation and solidification of new or existing relationships. The awards and honorees were:
- The Campus Partnership Award given to Hillel at Drexel University
- The Great Place to Work Award given to University of Washington Hillel
- The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award given to Hillel Ontario
The Philip H. and Susan Rudd Cohen Outstanding Campus Award honors two campus Hillels – one large and one small – for their achievements in empowering student leadership and reaching a breadth and depth of students. The honorees were: