News

eJP: Marcus Foundation Invests $27 Million in 糖心vlogl Professional Development

Author

Jay Deitcher

Date

July 16, 2026

Originally published on July 16, 2026 in eJewish Philanthropy, by eJP reporter Jay Deitcher, is an exclusive look at a transformative investment from the Marcus Foundation into 糖心vlogl鈥檚 professional and student leadership development. Read on for excerpts: 

鈥淚n a bid to bolster 糖心vlogl鈥檚 professional and student leaders at a fraught moment on college campuses, the Marcus Foundation announced a three-year, $27 million investment, the organization exclusively told eJewishPhilanthropy on Thursday. It is the third in a series of large gifts made by the foundation over the past decade aimed at improving employee retention at Hillel, which supports nearly 200,000 students on 850 campuses鈥�

鈥楤ernie recognized a long time ago that we needed to support campus life because it was going to be and is very difficult today,鈥� Jay Kaiman, the president and director of the Marcus Foundation, told eJewishPhilanthropy, referring to the foundation鈥檚 founder, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. 鈥楬e was talking about it way before it became what the realities are today, so this is a continuation of him looking at the landscape, making a decision that Hillel played a key role in that landscape and we needed to do everything we could to make these [Hillel] buildings come to life and be strong for the students and also to give them a safe haven鈥︹�� 

 In 2016, the foundation gifted 糖心vlogl with a five-year, $38 million grant for talent development, followed by a 2021 five-year, $38 million grant to continue the work. This latest investment continues what is a 鈥榯ransformational relationship with the foundation,鈥� Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 糖心vlogl, told eJP鈥�

The original grant led to the creation of a new role focused on supporting talent at individual chapters and of numerous initiatives, including Hillel U, the organization鈥檚 yearlong training program, a yearly New Professionals Institute and talent grants that support Hillels financially to attract top talent, especially in places that may 鈥榥ot even be in a particularly desirable geographic location,鈥� Lehman said.

In the first five years after the initiatives launched, Hillel鈥檚 annual employee retention rate soared to 90%. In 2016, leadership hiring from the internal pipeline was 30%. Today it鈥檚 75%.

The greater retention level is occurring at a time when Hillel is growing substantially, but also after years of heightened antisemitism. A 2025 American Jewish Committee report showed that more students were experiencing antisemitism on campus than ever before. In the past year, students and Hillel staff have been harassed and had their property vandalized. Meanwhile, over the past decade, the number of students engaging with Hillel programs doubled from 93,000 to 192,000鈥�

The new Marcus Foundation grant will nurture 78,000 new leaders who support students so they can walk their campuses with Jewish pride, even amidst antisemitism, Lehman said. 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to use this grant to supercharge our student leadership development programs, so that we can catalyze the largest ever new generation of Jewish builders, creators and leaders, using the funds from this grant to invest in new student fellowships, new student convenings, including our first-ever 1,000-plus student leadership convening taking place in February of [2027].鈥欌��

The post eJP: Marcus Foundation Invests $27 Million in 糖心vlogl Professional Development appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

糖心vlogl Receives $27 Million Gift from The Marcus Foundation to Support Professional Talent and Student Leadership

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

July 16, 2026

Three-year investment will strengthen professional and student leaders across campus communities.听

糖心vlogl announced today that The Marcus Foundation has committed $27 million over three years to elevate and expand Hillel鈥檚 professional and student talent, recognizing Hillel’s decade-long track record of building exceptional Jewish campus professionals and student leaders.

Strategic investments from The Marcus Foundation over the last decade supported Hillel in becoming a sector model for excellence in recruiting, training, developing, and supporting outstanding professional talent across the Hillel field. Talent retention skyrocketed from 50 percent to 90 percent and leadership hiring from the internal pipeline grew from 30 percent to 75 percent. 

With that growth, Hillel has been there for Jewish students when they need it most. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish students have faced thousands of incidents of antisemitism, and 40 percent feel the need to hide their Jewish identity on campus. Many have turned to Hillel to find a place where they belong: student engagement more than doubled, from 93,000 to 192,000, over the past decade. The increasing needs have added additional pressures on professional and student leaders.

With the latest commitment, Hillel will be positioned to invest in the next  generation of professional talent and student leadership, capable of addressing the unique challenges for Jewish students today. Key new investments will include:  

• Strengthening and supporting executive leadership in demanding campus environments to ensure stronger, more resilient Jewish student communities.听
• Investing in professionally staffed Hillels at schools in the southeast and southwest with rapidly growing Jewish student populations.
• Expanding Hillel鈥檚 early career talent pool to support Jewish students through Jewish education, Israel education, ritual leadership, and community advocacy, and to strengthen the talent pipeline for the broader Jewish communal sector.听
• Supporting a new wave of Hillel student leadership fellowships and regional and national convenings to train and empower more than 75,000 new Jewish student leaders, builders, and creators.听听

鈥淎t a defining moment for Jewish life on campus, we鈥檙e proud to deepen our partnership with Hillel to strengthen the critical role Hillel plays,鈥� said Jay Kaiman, CEO of The Marcus Foundation. 鈥淭oday, too many Jewish students feel they must hide who they are 鈥� their identity, their connection to Israel, and their pride in being Jewish. This grant is an investment in changing that reality. By expanding Hillel鈥檚 reach, strengthening executive leadership in the most challenging campus environments, and investing in the pipeline of professionals and student leaders, we are helping ensure that every Jewish student has access to a vibrant, joyful, and safe Jewish community.鈥� 

Beyond expanding professional leadership, this investment prioritizes developing the next generation of student leaders who will enrich their campus communities and the broader Jewish community. By equipping students with mentorship and community support, Hillel is training the future leaders of the Jewish community. 

鈥淎t Hillel, talent remains our enduring theory of change. We know that a thriving and resilient Jewish campus community starts with having the right leaders, in the right roles, with the right support systems,鈥� said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of 糖心vlogl. 鈥淭his commitment from The Marcus Foundation will ensure that Hillel has the capacity to foster Jewish joy, pride, and leadership across the hundreds of schools we serve, and enable an expanded talent and leadership pipeline that can fuel a stronger Jewish future.鈥� 

The post 糖心vlogl Receives $27 Million Gift from The Marcus Foundation to Support Professional Talent and Student Leadership appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

What Happens When We Teach Philanthropy Like We Teach Leadership?

Author

Rabbi Stephanie Max

Date

July 15, 2026

Rabbi Stephanie Max is the executive director of Texas Hillel: The Topfer Center for Jewish Life.

Rabbi Tarfon used to teach: 鈥淚t is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.鈥� (Pirkei Avot 2:16)

When I look at the Jewish community on UT Austin鈥檚 campus, I see students who build, create, organize, lead, and show up for one another. They are ambitious and deeply engaged in shaping the communities they want and need. I also see a desire to contribute to something bigger, as Rabbi Tarfon teaches. 

Our students are givers. Every day, they demonstrate their care for others through responsibility and problem-solving, following the UT Austin motto of, 鈥淲hat starts here changes the world.鈥� Many students go on to lead organizations, businesses, and communities, and we have the opportunity to prepare them to contribute in a meaningful way. 

What happens when we teach philanthropy the same way we teach leadership, not as a matter of wealth or status, but as a lifelong practice of investing in our values?

This idea found its champions in Joe and Debs Weinberg. After successfully supporting the launch of Campus Champions, a student-athlete philanthropy leadership program at the University of Virginia, they began imagining what a similar opportunity might look like for Jewish students. With additional support and partnership from Karen Kogut and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, that vision became the inaugural Texas Hillel Philanthropy Leadership Lab.

Over the course of six sessions, twenty-five students came together to explore philanthropy, leadership, and community impact. To ground each session, students spoke about the distinct Jewish values that animate our shared responsibility to each other and the world. They met with nonprofit leaders, learned about organizations addressing pressing local needs, and wrestled with difficult questions about priorities, resources, and responsibility.

Participants explored issues ranging from housing and homelessness to food insecurity, women’s health, and domestic violence. Along the way, they gained a deeper understanding of Austin and the organizations working every day to strengthen it, while also building relationships with one another and growing an appreciation for shared purpose and collective responsibility.

Future cohorts of the Texas Hillel Philanthropy Leadership Lab will build on this work through deeper community engagement, expanded volunteer opportunities, and more robust nonprofit evaluation.

The inaugural program culminated in a final presentation before community leaders and philanthropists. After thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the cohort selected Mobile Loaves & Fishes as the recipient of a $10,000 grant in recognition of its work addressing homelessness in Central Texas.

While the grant itself was never the primary goal, it gave students a real-life understanding of how they are already philanthropists 鈥� and generosity is learned through practice. We become more generous by giving, more responsible by taking responsibility, and more connected to our communities by showing up for them. The Philanthropy Leadership Lab was designed to not only teach students about philanthropy, but to help them live it. 

As I look ahead, I see the Philanthropy Leadership Lab as more than a single program. It is part of a broader effort to help students develop the skills, values, and relationships that will shape them throughout their lives, building future Jewish leaders who understand they have both the opportunity and the responsibility to contribute to something larger than themselves.

As Rabbi Tarfon reminds us, the work is not ours to finish.

But it is ours to begin.

The post What Happens When We Teach Philanthropy Like We Teach Leadership? appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

Supporting and Growing Talent Through Relationships

Author

Jordenne Parker, Rachael Cohen and Taylor Silverman

Date

July 9, 2026

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 糖心vlogl 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.听

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, 糖心vlogl 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 鈥� 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 糖心vlogl鈥檚 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 鈥� shaping campuses, strengthening organizations, and sustaining the movement as a whole.

The post Supporting and Growing Talent Through Relationships appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

From Student Leaders to Hillel Professionals, These Recent Grads Are Making a Difference

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

July 6, 2026

Through 糖心vlogl’s Leadership Passport program, over 200 student leaders attended some of the most influential Jewish communal gatherings in the country, including the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, ADL鈥檚 Never is Now summit, and the American Jewish Committee鈥檚 Global Forum. Passport gives students the opportunity to build relationships, explore careers in Jewish communal life, and see firsthand how Jewish organizations create impact. For some participants, that experience does more than strengthen their personal leadership. It inspires them to join the next generation of Hillel professionals shaping Jewish life on campus.

For Passport participant and recent Kent State University graduate Jacob Rathkopf, that inspiration and decision was deeply personal. 鈥淕rowing up, I didn鈥檛 have a strong Jewish community around me, so my experience at Hillel was transformative,鈥� said Rathkopf, who will head to the University of Delaware this fall to serve as a Springboard Fellow. Rathkopf’s time at Kent State Hillel gave him a lens into how the community he found on campus translated into a global community. 鈥淚t showed me what Jewish community could look like, and it inspired me to become a source of support and a role model for other students as they navigate their own Jewish journeys,鈥� he said.听

糖心vlogl鈥檚 Springboard Fellowship is a two-year program, focused on professional and personal growth and designed for recent college graduates. Springboard Fellows are embedded in campus Hillels, where they have the opportunity to engage Jewish students and help build Jewish communities with emerging leaders.听

For Lilly Chavez, a Florida State University graduate and Leadership Passport participant who will be a Springboard Fellow at CU Boulder starting in July, the work she did in partnership with the Hillel staff at FSU was part of what inspired her to continue her Hillel journey. 鈥淎s a student leader, I learned that relationships are at the center of everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淧rograms and events are important, but the most meaningful impact comes from making people feel seen, valued, and connected.鈥�

“As a Hillel student, I was given the gift of a powerful national conference. I came back to campus inspired and ready to lead, and now we’re giving that same gift to hundreds of students through Passport,” said Jordan Fruchtman, 糖心vlogl’s associate vice president of community partnerships. “It puts them in rooms with lay leaders and professionals, building relationships and shaping the conversations that define Jewish life on campus.”

Kylie Miller, a Leadership Passport participant who graduated from Roosevelt University this spring and served on the 2025-2026 Hillel Student Cabinet, is starting her professional career with Hillel at . She鈥檒l serve as an IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) coordinator. IACT coordinators work within campus Hillels and focus on supporting students鈥� Jewish journeys through Jewish learning, immersive Israel travel like Birthright, and community service.

鈥淢y focus as the IACT is to engage and foster connections between students, for students to connect with Hillel, and for students to connect with Israel in as many ways as possible,鈥� she said. She鈥檚 looking forward to taking the skills she learned as a student leader on both the campus and national level and bringing them with her into her new role. 鈥淚 know my experience [with Passport] will help me present leadership opportunities to students the way they were presented to me.鈥�

The experiences Rathkopf had as a student leader and through Passport were also part of what inspired him to become a Springboard Fellow. 鈥淚 loved being able to [be part of] spaces where students could show up as their authentic selves, make friends, and build meaningful Jewish connections,鈥� he said.听

For Chavez, her moment of inspiration came as she  listened to 糖心vlogl President and CEO Adam Lehman speak at the JFNA General Assembly this year.

鈥淗e spoke about the idea of Hineni, meaning 鈥榟ere I am,鈥� and the importance of showing up for your community,鈥� she said. 鈥淗earing a Torah based message in that setting caught me by surprise and really resonated with me. It became a turning point that helped me realize I wanted to dedicate my career to creating meaningful Jewish experiences for others.鈥�

鈥淚 hope to help students see that there is a place for them in Jewish life exactly as they are,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 want to build genuine relationships with students and create opportunities for them to explore their identities, connect with others, and grow as leaders. Most importantly, I want students to know that their voices matter 鈥� and that showing up for one another can make a lasting difference in a community.鈥�

The post From Student Leaders to Hillel Professionals, These Recent Grads Are Making a Difference appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

eJP: What happens when students lead Jewish learning: An experiment in Jewish male engagement

Author

Rabbi Rob Gleisser and Mollie Feldman

Date

June 30, 2026

Originally published on June 19, 2026 in eJewish Philanthropy,听鈥�,鈥�听by Penn State Hillel Senior Jewish Educator Rabbi Rob Gleisser and 糖心vlogl Senior Director of the Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Experience Mollie Feldman, explores a new model for engaging Jewish male students in Jewish learning.听Here are excerpts from the piece:

“On a Tuesday night at Penn State, groups of fraternity brothers gather in their living rooms to talk about masculinity, responsibility and what it means to be a Jewish man. There is no rabbi or teacher at the front of the room. The conversation is led by a peer, for their peers…

For decades, Hillel has built learning programs designed to help students explore Jewish ideas in meaningful, relationship-centered ways. This model has proven remarkably effective at cultivating Jewish identity and a sense of belonging on campus. 

And yet, a set of converging trends is impacting the landscape in which this work unfolds: First, as noted, male student engagement continues to lag behind that of their female peers. Second, students increasingly trust their peers much more than they trust institutions or traditional authorities. Third, we鈥檝e found fewer students are stepping into leadership roles in the post-COVID-19 era, absent compelling frameworks for doing so. These trends are both root causes and outcomes of one another, affecting Jewish life on campus as well as Jewish communities beyond the college years. 

The Men to Mensches (M2M) program, developed at Penn State Hillel and supported by the Maimonides Fund, offers a response to these converging realities, as well as the larger problem outlined in Wainer, Kurtz and Kenter鈥檚 piece. M2M is a four-session, peer-led, Jewish values and identity conversation that takes place within an existing male-networked community, such as a fraternity or an athletic team…听听

This spring, 糖心vlogl piloted M2M on 17 campuses to test whether the model that succeeded at Penn State Hillel can scale. 

This R&D approach aims to address this sector-wide male engagement challenge: seek out inspiring and impactful campus initiatives, understand the conditions that make them successful and invest in testing them across the movement. By scaling local innovations through national pilots, we can generate new knowledge, identify promising practices and actively explore strategies to strengthen male engagement and contribution across Jewish life. 

Our hope is not only to replicate the success seen at Penn State Hillel, but to learn and to challenge our own assumptions in ways that might strengthen the broader Jewish ecosystem.”听

The post eJP: What happens when students lead Jewish learning: An experiment in Jewish male engagement appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

Doug Berman Announced as Incoming Board Chair of 糖心vlogl

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 29, 2026

Longtime Jewish communal leader and finance executive will assume his position on July 1, 2026.

糖心vlogl announced today that Doug Berman will assume his role as Chair of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Board of Directors on July 1, 2026, a position he will hold for the next three years. He succeeds outgoing Board Chair Lee Dranikoff.

Berman comes to the role with six years of experience on 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Board of Directors. He most recently acted as treasurer of the board and chair of its finance committee, where he played a central role in shaping the organization鈥檚 financial strategy. He is also a member of the 糖心vlogl Board of Governors and a devoted supporter of campus Hillels across the country, including his alma mater, the University of Virginia. 

鈥淪erving on Hillel鈥檚 board over these past years, especially through the extraordinary challenges Jewish students have faced since October 7, has only deepened my commitment to this organization and its mission,鈥� said Doug Berman, incoming Chair of the 糖心vlogl Board of Directors. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to take on this role at such an important moment and to work toward ensuring every Jewish student has a place to belong.鈥�

His engagement in the Jewish community extends well beyond Hillel. Berman has been an active member of the Jewish Federation of Broward County for more than two decades and is the immediate past chair of its Board of Directors. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Jewish Federations of North America and is a former Executive Board member and lifetime trustee of Temple Dor Dorim in Weston, Florida. 

鈥淒oug has been an invaluable lay leader and supporter within the Hillel movement for many years, and we鈥檙e very fortunate to have him step into this role with such a deep knowledge of our work on campus and the students we serve,鈥� said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of 糖心vlogl. 鈥淗is passion for our mission, engagement with our field and strategic perspective position him to make a significant impact leading our board of directors.” 

In addition to his communal work, Berman serves as co-President of H.I.G. Capital, LLC, helping grow the firm into a leading global investment platform with more than $70 billion in assets under management. He previously worked as a consultant at Bain & Company. 

Berman and his wife, Jodi, live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Park City, Utah. Jodi also served as the immediate past chair of Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County. 

The new officers serving alongside Berman will be Vice Chairs Jack Azagury and Laurie Blitzer, and Treasurer/Secretary Marina Jacobson. Several new board members will be joining as well: Jacki Karsh of Los Angeles, California, Executive Director Charles Cohen of Metro Chicago Hillel, and Executive Director Donna Schwartz of University of Delaware Hillel.听

The post Doug Berman Announced as Incoming Board Chair of 糖心vlogl appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

A Farewell Message from Board of Directors Chair Lee Dranikoff

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 25, 2026

When I became the chair of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Board of Directors in July 2023, I could not have imagined what the next few years would hold. Timing is everything. 

People sometimes say to me that I got more than I bargained for, and they are right. But I also got more than I gave. It was a privilege to serve in this role at this moment in history, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity.

I spent my career in the private sector. There is a perception I sometimes hear among private sector professionals that nonprofits are easier to run and could learn from business. My experience over these last few years is that the opposite is true.

After October 7th, the leaders of every Jewish organization in the world had to figure out how to stay true to their missions but also pivot the strategy to meet the moment, and no organization more so than Hillel. And that is exactly what we did.

The ability of Hillel professionals to adapt, grow, and carry the weight of the last few years has been extraordinary. Hillel professionals became spiritual leaders, counselors, organizers, fundraisers, advocates, media commentators, legal coordinators, and crisis managers 鈥� often all at once. Hillel is a network of roughly 1,300 professionals, which sounds large until you consider the scale and intensity of what they were asked to accomplish.  

Hillel leaders found the right balance. They dramatically scaled our work around campus climate and advocacy. They developed an entirely new strategic plan for our organization. And through it all, Hillel remained focused on our core mission to serve Jewish students.

As I reflect on the future of Hillel, there are several shifts and challenges that I believe should shape our path forward.

First, we must place an even greater emphasis on community building. For years, Hillel鈥檚 relationship-based engagement model transformed Jewish campus life. It was revolutionary in helping us track progress toward our mission. Last year, we engaged over 190,000 students. It鈥檚 extraordinary. But, relationship engagement has a tendency toward effectuating change one student at a time. This 鈥渉ub and spoke鈥� theory of change is not enough.  We must also explicitly build Jewish community.

That means all of our Hillels need to feel that much more welcoming, more personal, and more like a home 鈥� perhaps even a bit less 鈥渃orporate鈥�. It also means empowering students to create their own micro-communities and helping those communities remain connected to the larger Jewish whole. Jewish community is not simply a programmatic goal; it is the antidote to many of the challenges we face.

Second, and closely related, Hillel must continue embracing its role as the voice of ALL Jewish students on campus. Hillel not only represents students who identify as 鈥淗illel students.鈥� On most campuses, we serve the majority of Jewish students, but our responsibility extends beyond those who walk through our doors regularly. We have an obligation to help ensure that every Jewish student feels welcome, safe, and able to belong on campus. That represents a significant evolution for our movement.

Third, we must recognize that the battle against antisemitism on campus is fundamentally a battle for the hearts and minds of the student body. Relationships with university leadership matter. Holding administrations accountable matters. But ultimately, the future campus climate will be determined by students themselves.

Whenever I hear a graduation speech turn into a denunciation of Israel, I often find myself listening carefully to the applause afterward. The challenge before us is not simply confronting those moments, but understanding how we impact the students listening in the crowd. Jewish students will help lead in this effort. Our responsibility is to support, prepare, and empower them.

Finally, when this publication interviewed me shortly after I became chair of the 糖心vlogl Board of Directors, I was asked about my greatest fear for the future of Hillel. My answer was that America鈥檚 political polarization would eventually come for our movement and pull us apart. That concern feels even more urgent today.

There may be no Jewish organization that navigates as many internal Jewish dividing lines as Hillel does. We span religious movements, political perspectives, Jewish identities, views on Israel, and international boundaries. There are powerful forces pushing Jews apart. We cannot allow ourselves to fracture.

More than 100 years ago, our founders had the wisdom to name this organization after Hillel the Elder. Now is the time to live up to our name.   

The post A Farewell Message from Board of Directors Chair Lee Dranikoff appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

Inside 糖心vlogl’s Summer Internship Experience

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 16, 2026

Each summer, 糖心vlogl welcomes a new cohort of student interns from across the country, to learn about what it鈥檚 like to work behind the scenes for the world鈥檚 largest Jewish campus organization, and explore potential career paths. This year, 糖心vlogl is hosting eleven students with diverse backgrounds, skills, and interests for a summer of learning and growth.

The summer internship gives students the chance to build their professional skills, connect with a community of peers and senior leadership, and gain an inside look at the work that powers the Hillel movement. From human resources and communications to talent development, interns work alongside professionals while exploring how their passions and experiences can contribute to the future of Jewish life on campus. 

“Because they are fully immersed in campus life, they bring a fresh student perspective to our work,” said Allyson Silver, 糖心vlogl鈥檚 senior manager of strategic human resources. “They contribute unique insights, innovative ideas, and great suggestions that directly push our mission forward.” 

For Silver, who oversees the program, one of the most rewarding aspects is watching interns grow as individuals and as Jewish leaders throughout the summer and beyond. Many former interns go on to become Hillel professionals themselves, helping strengthen the movement’s talent pipeline and provide mentorship for future cohorts. 鈥淢y favorite part is getting to know each intern individually, curating impactful professional development opportunities for them, and celebrating their accomplishments throughout the summer,” said Silver. “It’s incredibly rewarding to follow their career journeys after the program ends.”

This summer鈥檚 cohort brings together students from across the country for weekly professional development cohort meetings and time to learn from members of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 leadership team. While each intern arrives with their own academic interests, career goals, and passions, they all share a desire to make a meaningful impact on Jewish life.  

Creating spaces where students feel connected and supported has long been important to Daniela Gonzalez Quintanilla. A fourth-year student at the University of Houston majoring in management and entrepreneurship with double minors in political science and marketing, Gonzalez is a first-generation college student passionate about building communities and developing future leaders. She was drawn to 糖心vlogl’s internship because of its emphasis on community and belonging.听

“I was excited by the opportunity to learn from an organization that has built such a strong model for creating belonging and meaningful student experiences while gaining hands-on experience in conference and event planning,” she said. 

For Ruth Gittleman, a fourth-year student at Connecticut College studying psychology with a minor in economics, the summer鈥檚 journey began with curiosity. As an intern for 糖心vlogl’s strategic human resources team, she is eager to learn more about day-to-day operations and develop skills she can bring back to her campus community. Gittleman said she was drawn to this internship experience after she heard about the community it sparks for students and how 鈥渉ighly my friends who have done the internship speak about it.鈥�

For Eliza Goldwasser, a student at Northwestern University studying journalism, political science, and Italian, the internship offers an opportunity to explore a question that has long inspired her: How can we help people become the best versions of themselves? As a member of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 talent development team, she is excited to learn more about supporting professional growth through Jewish values like kehillah (community) and b鈥檛zelem Elohim (the belief that every person is created in the image of God).

Over the coming months, this intern cohort will gain hands-on experience, build relationships with professionals across the movement, and contribute their unique perspectives to 糖心vlogl’s mission. And whether they pursue careers in Jewish communal service or bring their experiences into other fields, the lessons and connections they build this summer will continue to shape the future of Jewish life long after their internships ends.

The post Inside 糖心vlogl’s Summer Internship Experience appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

News

Connecting with a Global Jewish Community Through Birthright Israel

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 16, 2026

Each year, thousands of Jewish college students travel to Israel with Birthright Israel and their campus Hillels, gaining a powerful experience of Jewish identity and belonging alongside a community that will be there for them even after the trip ends. For over 80,000 participants, Hillel: Birthright Israel has been one of the most meaningful Jewish experiences of their college careers.

As conflict continues in the Middle East, many Jewish students are once again watching headlines from thousands of miles away and wondering how to understand what Israelis are experiencing on the ground. But for those who travel to Israel on a Birthright trip, the rich meaning of this ten-day journey cannot be overstated. The trip takes students from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea to Tel Aviv, offering a glimpse into sites that are both ancient and modern 鈥� and along the way, students build impactful relationships with each other and with Israelis, whose lives continue to be shaped by grief, resilience, uncertainty, and hope. 

For Ben Novorr, director of Jewish student engagement at University of Kansas Hillel, who recently returned home from Israel, staffing Birthright trips has become a way to deepen those relationships with Israelis and with Israel itself year after year.

鈥淓ach time I staff Birthright, I leave with a slightly different takeaway when it comes to my own Jewish identity or connection with Israel,鈥� said Novorr, who has led five Birthright trips with KU Hillel, including one this month. 鈥淲hen you visit a place enough, you start to feel like there is a community there that you are a part of, and even if you are only there once a year, it is waiting for you when you return.鈥�

That sense of connection can look different for every participant. Birthright trips may share a structure, itinerary, and set of educational goals, but no two students experience Israel in exactly the same way.

For Judah Schuster, a rising fourth-year student at the University of Kansas, who traveled with Novorr this year, Jerusalem was one of the places that left a lasting impression. Every Hillel: Birthright Israel bus stops in Jerusalem for a ritual where the group pauses together to make the shehecheyanu blessing 鈥� a moment of gratitude for bringing them to this special place and time. 

鈥淏oth times I鈥檝e been to Israel, the Old City [of Jerusalem] never disappoints,鈥� Schuster said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always impactful seeing one of, if not the most, important cities in the world鈥� [And] seeing the ways in which the four very distinctive quarters combine to make up the city is so fascinating.鈥�

For Brenna Gross, another rising senior at the University of Kansas, one of the most meaningful moments of the trip came through service. While volunteering at Netiv HaAsara, an Israeli agricultural village, she helped make sunflower bouquets and pick strawberries from the ground.

The work was simple, she said, but the ties she made with Israel were deep.

鈥淢aking sunflower bouquets and picking strawberries directly from the ground seemed simple, but it gave me a tangible connection to the people and communities of Israel,鈥� Gross said. 鈥淏eing able to contribute, even in a small way, helped me feel more connected to the resilience and strength of the people who live there.鈥�

Given the recent conflicts between Israel and Iran, safety was top of mind for many participants. Birthright Israel’s extensive security measures and continuously updated protocols helped students focus on the purpose of the trip: learning and building relationships.

鈥淏efore traveling, I was worried about having to be in a bomb shelter for the majority of the trip and that our itinerary would be greatly impacted by the war.鈥� Schuster said. 鈥� [But] there was not a single time on the trip where I was worried about my safety.鈥�

Yet Gross was deeply moved by the lasting impact of conflict on Israelis and Israeli communities.

鈥淎s an American Jew, it is sometimes hard to process what happened on October 7th,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut after visiting the sites, specifically Nova, I was fully able to understand how this could have happened to anyone. Seeing the texts between the victims and their families and friends was gut-wrenching, especially the fact that a majority of the victims were people my age. While it may have been one of the hardest days of the trip, it was easily one of the most impactful.鈥�

Unlike traveling alone, a Hillel: Birthright Israel trip gives students and staff a shared experience they can carry back to campus together. Gross reflected, 鈥淚 hope to keep the inspiration alive by staying involved in Jewish life on campus, sharing my experiences with others, maintaining the friendships I made, and continuing to engage in conversations about Israel and Jewish identity.鈥�

鈥淚 choose to be a Hillel professional and to be a Birthright staffer because my passion is creating Jewish community,鈥� Novorr added, reflecting on the ways students built community throughout the trip. 鈥淲herever we are and whoever we are, we are better together.鈥�

Whether it鈥檚 standing together in the hills of Jerusalem, forming new friendships with Israelis in Tel Aviv, or taking that inspiration back to Hillels across the country, Jewish students are finding a deeper sense of belonging and connection through Birthright Israel. 

The post Connecting with a Global Jewish Community Through Birthright Israel appeared first on 糖心vlogl.