Supporting and Growing Talent Through Relationships
Jordenne Parker is the associate director at Texas Hillel, Rachael Cohen is the managing director at USC Hillel, and Taylor Silverman is the managing director at ASU Hillel.
Four years ago, a small group of assistant directors were introduced to each other as potential thought partners by our Hillel International campus support director. What began as a simple introduction over Zoom quickly evolved into something more meaningful as we began to plan an in-person gathering.
Our executive directors supported bringing us together in person to create space for valuable support, perspectives, and guidance in navigating the complexities of our roles. While so much evolved around us, this group has been a constant. Now, three in-person gatherings, dozens of zoom calls, and hundreds of texts later, we continue to gather and grow as leaders.
Initially, Hillel International invested in these gatherings and created them with us. We had special guests join these gatherings – everyone from colleagues in the field to senior executives at SIC. Together, we grapple with the big questions: What challenges are emerging on our campuses? What leadership decisions weigh on us most heavily? What sustains us so we can continue doing our work to support Jewish college students with energy and care?
And gathering this particular group as thought partners, was intentional. We are all women working at Hillels with similar characteristics – large campuses in major cities with complex Jewish communities and quickly changing environments. These shared experiences created immediate trust and allowed us to speak openly about the realities of our work and the strategies that help us navigate it.
Assistant directors occupy a unique role within the Hillel ecosystem. We often manage up, down, and sideways. We serve as thought partners to our executive directors, mentors to early-career staff, and guides for student leaders shaping Jewish life on campus. In many ways, we sit at the intersection of institutional strategy and the lived experience of students. We translate vision into action, support new student initiatives, and help ensure that programs, partnerships, and leadership pipelines continue to grow.
The work that we do together as a cohort inspires us to bring an even deeper level of thought and energy to our work with students.
The impact of this cohort extends well beyond our own gatherings. In a sector where early-career turnover can be high, we spend time focusing on how to build a healthy team culture to sustain our people as they serve our communities. We consult each other on planning staff retreats, delivering end of year reviews, and having difficult feedback conversations.
Our conversations contributed to a growing recognition within the Hillel movement that assistant, associate, and managing directors should be supported as leaders. Programs like Hillel International’s professional development training course Accelerate, once designed primarily to prepare assistant directors to become executive directors, now reflect a broader understanding that investing in mid-level professionals strengthens the entire field.
We also reinforced the importance of mentorship pipelines within the movement. When we first stepped into these roles, many of us looked up to experienced Hillel professionals who informally mentored us and helped us navigate the complexity of the job. Today, we are honored to offer that same support to newer assistant directors and continue a cycle of leadership development that sustains and strengthens the field.
Perhaps most practically, this cohort created something invaluable: a reliable brain trust. We now know exactly who to call when we are navigating a delicate staffing question, looking for perspective on a campus challenge, or simply needing advice from someone who understands the nuances of our work. These relationships strengthen collaboration across campuses and provide stability during moments of transition.
We are deeply grateful for the investment that made this cohort possible. At a time when Jewish campus life is both vibrant and increasingly complex, supporting the professionals who steward these communities is essential.
Sometimes the most meaningful investments begin with something small: a handful of professionals coming together as thought partners. But when those leaders are given the space to grow, reflect, and support one another, the impact reaches far beyond the room — shaping campuses, strengthening organizations, and sustaining the movement as a whole.