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Hillel International Honors Outstanding Professionals and Campuses

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December 15, 2020

WASHINGTON – Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, today honored outstanding Hillel professionals and campus Hillels creating innovative Jewish experiences and meaningful connections throughout the past year and amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These outstanding Hillels and Hillel professionals exemplify the way in which Hillels throughout the world continue to inspire and support students, notwithstanding the profound challenges and disruptions of this past year,” said Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman. “We’re always proud of the work of our talented professionals, but especially now given how they’ve reimagined Hillel experiences to meet the unique needs of students during this period.”

The awards, which recognize those who embody Hillel’s culture of excellence, were presented at Hillel International’s annual Global Assembly, which nearly 1,000 professionals from around the world joined virtually this year for professional development, networking, and continuing education.

The awards and honorees included:

The Richard M. Joel Exemplars of Excellence, for professionals in various stages of their careers whose remarkable passion and outstanding devotion to the Jewish campus community, for enriching the lives of Hillel students and ensuring that the organization reflects a culture of excellence, sets a standard for all Hillel professionals to emulate. Honorees are:

The Joseph Meyerhoff Award for Jewish Educational Vision, for campus Hillels that successfully developed and implemented creative and innovative strategies in Jewish education. This year’s honoree is Towson University Hillel. 

The Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz Innovation Award, for campus Hillels that created an innovative process that refreshed, reinvented or revolutionized the relationships, communities and experiences helping students engage in Jewish self-authorship, or helping staff improve the impact of their work by encouraging reasonable and calculated risk taking, exploration, and curiosity. This award includes a $5,000 prize. This year’s winner is Hillel Ontario.

The 2020 Award, for campus Hillels that created outstanding programs since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to support students. Honorees are:

The Philip H. and Susan Rudd Cohen Outstanding Campus Award, for campus Hillels that achieved excellence in engaging and reaching a breadth and depth of students. The honorees are:

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About Hillel International
Founded in 1923, Hillel has been enriching the lives of Jewish students for more than 90 years. Today, Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. Hillel is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities, and inspires them to direct their own path. During their formative college years, students are challenged to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.