Hillel Stories

Jewish History

Springboard Fellowship

Bringing History to Life for Yom HaShoah

Author

Kate Hartman

Date

April 14, 2026

Kate Hartman is the Springboard Fellow at George Mason University Hillel. In commemoration of Yom HaShoah, she shared the work she is doing to guide her students in remembering and honoring the millions of men, women, and children murdered during the Holocaust. 

When I was a student at Rollins College, I participated in a spring break trip to Krakow, Poland to learn about the Holocaust. On a cold Friday evening, my peers and I packed into the Krakow JCC with other college and Hillel groups to share Shabbat dinner together. One of these groups came from George Mason University, where I now work as the Springboard Fellow. Meeting the group that night was inspiring, and it influenced my decision to work at Mason because I could see the strong commitment to Holocaust remembrance among the students and staff. 

Now, as we mark Yom HaShoah, some of my own Hillel students have returned from a trip to Poland with George Mason’s Judaic studies department. As someone who has been to Poland and Germany to study the Holocaust, I know there is no deeper way to learn about this tragedy and mourn the victims. But I also know not every student will have the opportunity to travel abroad during college to witness this history firsthand.

This sparked my vision of creating a Holocaust education experience that felt immersive – I wanted to replicate the feeling of walking through the streets of Berlin, modeling a trip I took last year when I used professional development funds to continue my Holocaust studies in Germany. 

So, in January,  I created a gallery walk on campus of stolpersteine (stumbling stones) that line the streets of Germany and other countries affected by the Holocaust. These small, golden plaques mark where people once lived before they were taken from their homes and murdered. I recreated the streets by printing pictures of what the buildings look like, marking each with their respective stolperstein. Most of the victims who lived in these homes were families with two or three children. I researched all of them in the stolpersteine database, creating a biography for each person. Along the way, I discovered one black-and-white family photo, and a recent article about the stolpersteine being vandalized with spray paint.

One student who was moved by the gallery experience told me he felt the experiences of these victims had been lost by time. He struggled with people’s lives being reduced to a small plaque in the ground. This brought home for me why our remembrance of the Holocaust is so important – and why it’s sometimes so difficult to preserve these memories. After all, I had researched eight families and two individuals for this gallery, and only found one picture. 

Nevertheless, as Jewish people, it is our solemn responsibility to honor the lives lost in the best way we can. Paying tribute to those who were stolen from us is not just about recounting the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime, but remembering the vibrancy of Jewish life past and present, including the individuals and their stories.

This material can be difficult to process, and I heard that feeling echoed by many of my students. For me, these moments of remembrance are similar to the experience of attending a funeral. Emotions are high, and sometimes, it is hard to find the words to describe what you have seen or how you are feeling. As students filled the room for the gallery walk, reflective silence sometimes accompanied them and I let each student choose if and how they wanted to engage in discussion. 

To commemorate Yom HaShoah, we are again displaying these materials for a remembrance event – adding candle lighting, playing the sounds of the siren, and holding two minutes of silence as is the practice in Israel.

Yom HaShoah is not only an opportunity to remember our history, but to honor the lives lost and remember each person’s story. 

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Hillel Stories

Springboard Fellowship

A Day in the Life of a Springboard Fellow

Author

Eitan Weinkle

Date

February 6, 2026

Eitan Weinkle is the Springboard Fellow at the Ohio State University Hillel.

At least once a day in my role as a Springboard Fellow at The Ohio State University Hillel, I think about how much this work reminds me of the joy and meaning I found at Jewish summer camp. The parallels are everywhere: leadership development, moments of belonging, and an intentional focus on fun. Both camp and Hillel are places where young people learn, grow, and build lasting relationships.

Summer camp is just one of the Jewish experiences that shaped me as a Jewish leader and educator. Jewish day school, youth groups, and my own years as a Hillel student all taught me skills and values that I now draw on every day.

At the center of my work is supporting Jewish students. From the moment I walk into the building until I leave, helping students grow as leaders and build community is the heart of everything I do. One of my favorite ways to start the day is by advising the student executive board. Our meetings happen early, before most students want to be awake, but the energy the board brings is unmatched. Each week, someone steps up to take on a new project, pushes a peer to grow as a leader, or strengthens the group’s trust and friendships.

A tradition started by our co-presidents has become a highlight of these meetings. Each week, one board member teaches the group about something they are passionate about. Sometimes they share stories from travel, hobbies, or family. One particularly powerful moment came when a student spoke about helping raise her brother, who has special needs. She described how her family supports him in everything he needs, and how that support has brought them closer together. She also shared how that experience shapes her leadership style and motivates her work at Hillel. That moment of vulnerability became a turning point for our board, setting a standard for how we show up for one another.

After board meetings, I often switch into my role as a Jewish educator. Whether I’m teaching sessions for a Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) cohort or leading our leadership fellowship, Building Leaders Today (BLT), I love learning alongside students. In JLF, it’s inspiring to watch students engage deeply with Jewish learning while also forming friendships through shared Torah study. In BLT, many participants are already highly engaged campus leaders. With a strong curriculum, guest speakers, and a culture of mutual support, the cohort brings leadership and learning together in powerful ways.

We intentionally invite speakers from across the Jewish community to give students examples of Jewish leadership in action. One of our most impactful speakers each semester is a community member who works as a trauma surgeon and is deeply connected to his Jewish identity. While his work is not explicitly Jewish, he shares how his Jewish values and experiences shaped his path. He often reflects on the impact Jewish summer camp had on him, and how it inspired a lifelong commitment to leadership and service. His story resonates deeply with students, many of whom say it helps them better understand how Judaism can shape their own education, career goals, and leadership.

Community is woven into everything I do. This year especially, it has been meaningful to watch the OSU Jewish community grow and thrive. Each day brings honest conversations, laughter, and shared moments of Jewish joy. From welcoming more than 150 first-year students at our opening Shabbat to the strength of our community is undeniable.

As I write this, Shabbat is only a few hours away, and the energy in the building is already building. Tables will soon be set with white tablecloths. Students will arrive for services and fill the space with song and prayer. We’ll gather for Shabbat dinner, sharing food, stories, and warmth. I’m looking forward to checking in with students about their classes, their weekend plans, and everything in between.

That feeling of support, trust, and mutual respect, the one I carry with me through Shabbat and through each day at Hillel, is what keeps this work meaningful – and it makes every day as a Springboard Fellow truly joyful.
Feeling inspired by Eitan and ready to make your own mark on Jewish student life? of ����vlogl’s Springboard Fellowship are now open —and the deadline to apply has been extended to February 20, 2026!

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Q&A with Leah Palestrant – Executive Director of the Springboard Fellowship

Author

����vlogl

Date

January 23, 2026

Leah Palestrant is ����vlogl’s executive director of the Springboard Fellowship. A champion of early-career inspiration and growth, Leah shared her reflections on the outsized impact of the fellowship on Hillels across the United States and Canada. 

What is the Springboard Fellowship and why does it matter?

Leah Palestrant: Springboard is a selective, two-year, post-grad fellowship for people who care deeply about Jewish life and want to be leaders in it. Fellows work full-time on campus at Hillels across North America, but they’re also part of a cohort of peers who are learning and growing together as early career professionals.

Why it matters is simple: the early years of a person’s career shape them deeply. Springboard gives recent graduates real responsibility and real support at the same time. Rather than being thrown into a job and told to “figure it out,” Springboard Fellows get coaching, professional development, mentorship, and a community that has their backs. That combination is rare — and it’s what turns a first job into a meaningful launchpad.

What drew you to working with Springboard before you came to Hillel?

Palestrant: Honestly? The people.

Before I officially joined Hillel, every interaction I had with Springboard Fellows and alumni stood out. They were thoughtful, values-driven, curious people and they were always asking big questions about leadership, community, and impact. They were consistently looking for purpose, growth, and connection.

I was also drawn to the idea that Springboard treats early-career professionals as leaders in the making, not entry-level staff. That belief — that investing in great talent really matters — aligned deeply with how I think about leadership and the future of the Jewish community.

What is the most meaningful aspect of the fellowship for you?

Palestrant: The cohort, without question.

There is something incredibly powerful for the fellows about knowing they are not doing this work alone. Fellows are spread across campuses and communities, but they’re connected to one another in a really intentional way. Over time, that cohort becomes a professional network, a sounding board, and very often, lifelong friends.

Springboard also layers in coaching, professional development, and funding that early-career professionals rarely have access to elsewhere. That combination sends a clear message: you matter, your growth matters, and we’re investing in you.

Why is it so critical to have this early-career cohort for Jewish professionals?

Palestrant: This is a critical inflection point in a young person’s career development trajectory — the opportunity to make a real, meaningful impact on the lives of students while having a support network will hopefully inspire them to see themselves as Jewish leaders beyond Springboard.

Springboard creates a bridge between being a student and becoming a professional. It gives people space to explore leadership, try out new things, learn from mistakes, and build confidence, all while having a cohort and professionals supporting you. When we do that well, people don’t just stay in the Jewish professional sector, they thrive.

It also pushes the Hillel movement forward. Early-career professionals bring fresh ideas, creativity, and a deep understanding of what this generation is actually looking for in Jewish community. When we listen to and invest in that, everyone benefits.

Can you share an interaction you had with a fellow that changed the way you think about early-career development?

Palestrant: One thing I hear from fellows again and again is some version of: “I care deeply about this work — and I don’t want to lose myself in it.”

That honesty has really shaped how I think about early-career development. Gen Z isn’t asking to work less because they’re less committed; they’re asking to work sustainably. They want clear expectations, healthy boundaries, and permission to be full humans while doing meaningful work.

Springboard creates space for that. Through coaching and cohort conversations, fellows learn how to advocate for themselves, how to set boundaries without guilt, and how to build habits early that prevent burnout later. Seeing fellows name what they need — and grow into leaders who model that for students and colleagues — has reinforced for me that supporting work-life balance isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s essential for developing leaders who can thrive in this work long-term.

Can you share an example of a fellow who had an outsized impact on their campus in a way that inspired you?

Palestrant: I’ve seen fellows create spaces where students who never thought they were “Jewish enough” suddenly felt like they belonged at Hillel. I’ve seen fellows reimagine engagement in innovative ways that felt authentic to their campus culture — and they inspired students to show up!

I’ve also watched fellows use Springboard as a meaningful transition point in their career trajectory: some discovered a passion for Jewish education and went on to rabbinical school, others realized they wanted to build long-term careers in Jewish nonprofits, and some have moved into significant leadership roles surprisingly quickly. We even have a Springboard alum who became an executive director of a campus Hillel just a few years after completing the fellowship. That’s incredible — and it speaks to what’s possible when early talent is nurtured well.

What impact do you hope to see both for students and for fellows in the next 10 years of Springboard?

Palestrant: Ten years from now, I hope Springboard alumni are everywhere — leading organizations, shaping communities, serving as Jewish educators, and stepping into lay leadership roles with confidence and clarity.

I also hope the program continues to model a different way of thinking about early-career professionals: not as temporary support, but as innovative, creative leaders who are actively shaping the future of Jewish life. The landscape is changing fast, especially on campus. The people who can adapt, imagine new possibilities, and lead with values are often those closest to the moment.

If Springboard continues to be a launching pad for those leaders — and a place where people feel supported, challenged, and deeply connected — then we’re doing something right.

Learn more about the Springboard Fellowship and the impact the fellows have on campus and beyond.

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For the Springboard Alumni Committee Co-Chairs, It’s All ����vlog Giving Back

Author

����vlogl

Date

November 26, 2025

����vlogl is known for championing Jewish life on campus, but did you know that Hillel also invests deeply in young Jewish professionals?

Nowhere is that clearer than in the Springboard Fellowship — a two-year program for recent graduates seeking a purposeful career in the Jewish world. Blending personal growth with professional development, Springboard Fellows serve as Hillel professionals on campuses across the continent, engaging students and building vibrant Jewish communities. 

“Springboard doesn’t just prepare you to be a Jewish professional, it opens doors into the greater Hillel professional world— and into the larger Jewish nonprofit ecosystem as a whole,” said Kal Marcus, one of the co-chairs of the Springboard Alumni Committee.

For Kal and his co-chair, Khiya Connolly-Sisk, the Fellowship didn’t just shape their early careers — it charted their professional paths. Kal, who served as a Springboard Fellow at Florida State University from 2019–2021, now works as the associate director of talent development at the Jewish Federations of North America. Khiya began her Springboard journey at Ithaca College in 2022, and now serves as the Midwest engagement coordinator for the Jewish Graduate Organization.

Immediately after completing their Springboard fellowships, both actually stayed for a third year at their respective Hillels as directors of student life — Kal while completing his master’s in Jewish nonprofit management, and Khiya to support her Hillel through a full staff transition.

“Springboard was honestly one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” Khiya said. “I wanted to explore the intersection of nonprofit work and higher education, and Springboard was the perfect blend of the two.”

Getting involved with the Alumni Committee felt like a natural next step. Kal joined as soon as the committee launched in winter 2023, two years after completing his Fellowship, and Khiya jumped in immediately after finishing hers in spring 2024.

“I’m a huge supporter of the [Hillel] mission and values,” Khiya said. “But more than that, Springboard gave me so much — I wanted to give back.”

Kal echoed that sentiment. Both he and Khiya noted that serving on a small Hillel staff pushed them to take on big responsibilities early, giving them skills they wouldn’t have developed in other entry-level roles.

“I was managing our program budget just a few weeks into my Fellowship,” Kal said. “I didn’t know how to do that yet, and most people don’t get that kind of experience so early in their careers.”

“We were a staff of two when I started at Ithaca, so I learned to do a little bit of everything,” Khiya added. “From programming to fundraising, I had my hands in all of it. Springboard gave me the perspective of, ‘If I can do that, I can do anything,’ which is awesome.”

As co-chairs of the Springboard Alumni Committee, Kal and Khiya are focused not only on supporting future cohorts, but also on strengthening an alumni network that now includes nearly 300 professionals — two-thirds of whom still work in the Jewish community. And the benefits go far beyond career advancement.

“Every single major city has at least one former Springboard Fellow at this point,” Khiya said. “So everywhere you go, you have access to this network. People will post in our WhatsApp group chat, ‘We need another resident for a Moishe house, do you guys know anyone?’ or ‘I’m stranded in Florida this weekend and I need somewhere to go for Shabbat.’ And someone can almost always jump in to help.”

“Having access to multiple pillars of connection and engagement in the alumni network is transformative,” Kal said. “Not just now, but in the future.”

Learn more about the Springboard Fellowship and see if it’s the right fit for you.

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A Time for Return: Returning to Each Other in the New Year

Author

Amichai Levy

Date

September 29, 2025

Each year, the beginning of a new academic year coinciding with a new Jewish year leaves us wondering — what can we learn from each new beginning to inspire reconnection, growth, and well-being for the year ahead? In this installment of our High Holiday series, “A Time for Return”, Amichai Levy, Springboard Fellow at the , shares practical steps for students to repair and return to relationships with each other. 

Read the first installment of a “Time for Return” from Rabbi Ben Berger, senior vice president of Jewish education, community, and culture at ����vlogl.

College is a time of immense growth, but that growth doesn’t always come easily. As you head into a new school year, you’ll encounter new challenges and new people, and you will make mistakes. It’s a part of life. We sometimes hurt others without even meaning to, and the big question is always: What do we do when that happens?

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur offers a profound framework to help answer this question. It centers around the concept of teshuvah, a Hebrew word often translated as “repentance,” but more accurately meaning “to return.” In a world that often demands perfection, teshuvah reminds us that we all fall short, and that our path forward is not about being flawless but about turning toward our best selves and our relationships.

The Dangers of Absolutes

In our culture today, we often see extremes in how we handle conflict. On one hand, there’s a strong push to reject criticism. The idea is that as long as you’re not hurting anyone, you have the right to do whatever you want in the name of personal freedom. 

But this can sometimes create an inability to turn inward to accept constructive feedback or see how our actions might unintentionally affect others.

On the other hand, sometimes people are condemned and ostracized for even minor faults or accusations, regardless of the full story. This can result in public humiliation and a sense of absolute finality, leaving no room for growth or forgiveness. It’s the exact opposite of the “live and let live” approach.

Both of these extremes miss a crucial point: our relationships are the fabric of our lives. Our actions don’t exist in a vacuum; they ripple out and impact the people around us. Teshuvah offers a meaningful alternative, an approach that is neither completely permissive nor totally unforgiving. It helps us accept that people are flawed and that mistakes happen, and it gives us a path to repair and rebuild.

The Power of Return

Yom Kippur is a day of deep self-reflection. It’s a call to take stock of our faults and the ways we’ve hurt others. The holiday liturgy describes a powerful idea: that our actions have the power to change our fate. It says that teshuvah, along with prayer and giving back, can “mitigate the severity of a decree.”

This isn’t about an abstract, all-powerful judge; rather, it’s about the transformative power of our own choices. As Rabbi Alan Lew, the former spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco, writes, teshuvah is a reciprocal process. We have to take the first step, but we can’t do it alone. The possibility of transformation is always there, but we must choose to turn toward it. This journey isn’t always a straight line, but a process of returning again and again. Every step away is also a step toward home.

This is a powerful ethic for college students. You will inevitably say the wrong thing, forget to show up for a friend, or act selfishly. When you do, you don’t have to get stuck in shame or despair. Instead, you can lean into the idea of teshuvah. You can be honest about your shortcomings and try to make things right. You can offer a genuine apology and work to understand the other person’s perspective.

A Call to Action

So, what does this look like in practice? Here are a few ways to bring this idea of return into your new year:

• Set aside time for reflection. Even if it’s just 15 minutes, find a few quiet moments to think about your relationships. Have you hurt anyone? Have you neglected a friendship? Identify one area where you know you need to improve.
• Have that hard conversation. If you’ve been avoiding a difficult conversation with a friend or family member, make a plan to have it. Be honest, listen actively, and focus on repairing the relationship, not on who was right or wrong.
• Find an accountability partner. Talk to a trusted friend about the idea of teshuvah and your personal goals for the year. Check in with each other regularly to discuss your progress and offer support.

Your actions and words have immense power, and you have a responsibility to use that power for good. You owe it to yourself and to the people in your life to try to be better. By embracing the spirit of teshuvah, you can move away from judgment and toward a more nuanced understanding of mistakes, accountability, and the incredible, ongoing process of forgiveness.

May this new year be filled with meaningful connections and growth for you and for the communities you hold dear.

Amichai is the Springboard Ezra Jewish Education Fellow at Hillel Council of New England, which serves schools with small Jewish populations in the Boston area.

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At the Rabbinic Pipeline Shabbaton, Springboard Fellows ����vlog the Possibilities of Rabbinic Life

Author

����vlogl

Date

May 8, 2025

����vlogl Springboard Fellows are young professionals looking to embark on a meaningful career, and who choose to focus their energy on building thriving Jewish communities on college campuses. They spend two years empowering Jewish students to find their voice, inspiring their journeys, and leaving their mark on campus life and the Jewish future. 

A core focus of the Springboard Fellowship is helping fellows discover what they want to do next in their careers and then helping them build the skills and connections they need to move forward in that journey. 

That’s why Springboard Executive Director Leah Palestrant and ����vlogl Associate Vice President for Jewish Learning Danielle Kranjec decided to organize a recent Rabbinic Pipeline Shabbaton, an immersive weekend experience in New York City for Springboard Fellows interested  in exploring the rabbinate in the future. Designed to provide space for personal reflection, exposure to a diversity of careers as a rabbi, and the opportunity to meet with current rabbinical schools and students, participants were able to experience how rabbis are shaping Jewish communal life in various ways.

“The Rabbinic Pipeline Shabbaton was a sacred experiment — one that created space for fellows to engage in deep, communal discernment about their Jewish leadership journeys,” Palestrant said. “We witnessed how transformative it can be when emerging leaders are invited to explore spiritual questions with curiosity, courage, and a diverse array of rabbinic models.”

Held on the Upper West Side and developed in partnership with and several rabbinical schools and institutions of Jewish learning, the shabbaton offered fellows the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of rabbis, synagogues, and communities where they encountered multiple models of what it means to live and lead as a rabbi today. 

“Before the shabbaton, I felt anxious about telling people that I was considering rabbinical school. I worried that I didn’t know nearly enough to be a serious candidate,” said Claire Shroder, Springboard Innovation Fellow at Ithaca College. “But I learned that nearly all of us shared similar doubts.” 

She continued, “Many of us were asking ourselves the same core questions. I had been wondering, ‘Is there anything else I can do in my life that would be just as meaningful?’ But what I needed to ask was, ‘How can I best serve the Jewish community? What will bring me purpose and joy?’ The shabbaton gave me the space and time to reflect deeply on those questions.”

Fellows took part in reflective and interactive exercises and text study sessions, all grounded in the norm of “curiosity over certainty.” Over the course of the weekend, participants were able to participate in workshops, learning sessions, and deep discussions about prayer and tradition, Jewish communal life, and questions about the future of Jewish American leadership and the American rabbinate. 

In reflecting on the workshops and sessions, Amichai Levy,  Springboard Fellow at the Hillel Council of New England shared, “The Rabbinic Pipeline Shabbaton was such a cool experience… [It] really expanded my thinking about what rabbinical school could look like for me, and is encouraging me to think about this path much more seriously.” 

Interspersed with these programming sessions were all of the joyful, energetic activities expected at a Hillel shabbaton: prayer, music, community-building, and (of course!) delicious food.

“I was especially grateful for the opportunity to see the many ways people experience Judaism,” Shroder said. “From the service at , where everyone got up and danced, to the service at Hadar, where page numbers weren’t called and everyone used a different siddur — I felt God in every space where people gathered.

On the final day of the Shabbaton, participants met with representatives and current students from , the , and , rabbinical schools for the Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox movements, respectively. Fellows were able to learn more about the different programs, hear stories from current students about the rabbinical school experience, and ask their own questions. They closed with a last collective reflection session, zeroing in on the question: What’s next in your rabbinic journey?

“I’m excited to have so many meaningful conversations in the weeks ahead as I continue exploring my path,” said Shroder. “If everyone considering rabbinical school could experience something as transformational as the Rabbinic Pipeline Shabbaton, we’d never have a shortage of future rabbis.”

Learn more about the Springboard Fellowship and its impact.

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Notes from Springboard Fellows: Thinking Outside the Box

Author

����vlogl

Date

January 30, 2025

Notes from Springboard Fellows is a series of deep dives into the work of first and second year Springboard Fellows who play transformative roles in their Hillel communities. Read on to learn more about Craig Carroll, the Springboard Fellow at American University. 

Interested in becoming a Springboard Fellow? Apply today.

Craig Carroll, a first-year Springboard Fellow at American University, started thinking about working for Hillel early in his college career. “I was what you might call a pipeline kid,” he joked. “Hillel was like my second major — I spent all my time at the Hillel building.”

By the time he was a senior, Craig knew he wanted to pursue a career where building relationships was key. “I really wanted something that was people-focused,” he said. “And where the main work is in connecting with people. Because that is what I love doing, and I’m very good at it.”

The Springboard Fellowship brings recent college graduates with raw talent, passion, and skills needed to reimagine and redesign Jewish student life to college campuses across North America. This was the perfect opportunity for Craig to combine his love for the Jewish world with his desire to work in an environment where every day would be different, where he’d get to focus on connection and community-building, and where he’d find great mentoring and professional development.

For Craig, having the support and structure of the Springboard environment has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the fellowship. “Springboard really puts such an emphasis on the growth process,” he said. “It’s made clear what you need to work on and where you need to do better, but it’s not expected that you’ll have all the answers immediately.”

One area where Craig invested a lot of professional development work has been building creative problem-solving skills and learning to facilitate brainstorming sessions with students. He recalled a moment earlier in his fellowship when he and his supervisor were working with students to plan a Wellness Shabbat, and had to go back to the drawing board several times to make sure their programming ideas aligned with what the community was looking for, and Hillel’s values regarding a Shabbat experience. 

“It can be hard to encourage students to turn their ideas into reality,” he said. “Sometimes they hold themselves back if they think an idea is too weird, or if they don’t think they’re the right thing…”

To work through this problem, Craig called on the insights he’d gained from a workshop at ����vlogl’s New Professionals Institute (NPI). “We were given a problem to solve, and our instructions were to come up with the worst possible idea to solve the issue. Then we passed it along the table, and the next person had to make it even worse, and so on. What it encouraged us to do was come up with ridiculous ideas and then say, ‘What could make this into a good idea?’ And then model it into something better.” With this strategy in mind, Craig, his supervisor, and the student leaders were able to put together a successful and engaging Wellness Shabbat, and many other programs since.

Asked what advice he’d give a prospective Springboard Fellow, Craig suggested that the most important thing an applicant can do is self-advocate. “You’ll want to make sure you ask for what you need,” he said. “And sometimes that means coming in with your own needs and advocating for them. That’s what I did, and I ended up very happy and fulfilled in my work.”

Join a network of changemakers like Craig and transform Jewish student life— visit and apply today!

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Notes from Springboard Fellows: Inspiring the Next Generation of Jewish Leaders

Author

����vlogl

Date

January 23, 2025

Notes from Springboard Fellows is a series of deep dives into the work of first and second year Springboard Fellows who play transformative roles in their Hillel communities. Read on to learn more about Lindsay Rosenzweig, the Innovation and Intrapreneurship Springboard Fellow at University of Central Florida. 

Interested in becoming a Springboard Fellow? Apply today.

For Lindsay Rosenzweig, Innovation and Intrapreneurship Springboard Fellow at , Hillel was a passion that unexpectedly became a career.

Lindsay grew up in North Carolina, and attended Elon University as an undergraduate, where she majored in human services studies — a unique course of study that encompasses concepts and skills related to social work, nonprofit management, social justice, and other human service fields. She was active in Hillel, serving as an engagement intern, the religious and education chair on the student board, and then as co-president her junior and senior year. Throughout her undergraduate career, she formed meaningful and impactful relationships with the Hillel staff that influenced her decisions post-graduation.

“They were really my mentors,” she said. “I stayed close with them even after graduation.” As Lindsay began her career working at a domestic violence nonprofit, those relationships proved key to her finding the right fit. 

“I told [my Hillel mentors] where I was working and how I was feeling conflicted about it, and they told me to apply for Springboard,” she said. “They really stressed that they thought I would be a good fit, and a great addition to the movement.”

At first, Lindsay wasn’t sure — she saw Hillel as a passion, but not necessarily a career path. Yet her mentors were persuasive, and Lindsay decided to apply for the fellowship. 

Now, in her second year as a Springboard Fellow at UCF, Lindsay can’t imagine doing anything else. “Innovation and intrapreneurship really stood out to me as an opportunity to try something different than what I had been doing for so long,” she said. Also, as someone interested in social justice, she finds this track of work particularly rewarding, because it’s all about solving problems in a way that starts with what each student needs and why. 

“It’s about taking an emphasis on creating innovative solutions, and bringing them to our campuses,” she explained. “How do we shape our programs and our structure around student needs and wants? That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

One of Lindsay’s proudest moments as a Springboard Fellow was helping one of her students go through the Springboard application process herself. “Knowing that I had such an impact on her that she wanted to go through the Springboard experience was so rewarding to me,” she said. “We had many conversations, just talking about her future and the schools she matched with, and I got to serve as a mentor for her.”

Professional development is a key part of the Springboard experience, and Lindsay has taken full advantage of the opportunities ����vlogl has to offer. 

Last March, she participated in a Sipurim trip to Israel, a special program for Hillel professionals designed to help shift Israel education in a post-October 7 world. “My team was so excited for me when I got accepted,” she said. “They were my biggest cheerleaders.”

Lindsay also worked one-on-one with her Springboard-assigned mentor who works in talent management at ����vlogl.

“I’m so appreciative of everything he’s done, because my goal is to stay with Hillel after my fellowship ends,” she said. “It’s been so helpful to hear what happens at the organization behind the scenes, and to have his support in planning conversations I need for my next steps.”

As she heads into the second semester of her final year as a Springboard Fellow, Lindsay has found the cohort experience to be one of the most fulfilling aspects of the program. “You’re joining a group of people who are in similar positions and can really lean on each other,” she said. “Our friendships developed quickly, and that has blossomed into many other connections within the Fellowship and within the Hillel movement.”

Every Springboard Fellow’s experience is different, but they all have one thing in common: They’re helping to make Jewish campus life more engaging and inclusive for college students.

“I wanted to inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders,” Lindsay said. “Just like my mentors did for me.”

To learn more about the Springboard Fellowship and see if it’s right for you, visit today.

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Notes from Springboard Fellows: Jewish Learning on Campus is ����vlog More Than Just Knowledge

Author

����vlogl

Date

January 14, 2025

Notes from Springboard Fellows is a series of deep dives into the work of first and second year Springboard Fellows who play transformative roles in their Hillel communities. Read on to learn more about Chaya Mamer, the Ezra Jewish Education Fellow at Guelph Hillel with Hillels of Ontario.

Interested in becoming a Springboard Fellow? Apply today.

Jewish educators have a unique role in their communities, and college communities are no exception. Chaya Mamer, an Ezra Jewish Education Springboard Fellow at the University of Guelph, has made teaching and studying Torah the core of her work with students, encouraging them to use knowledge and exploration to find new ways of forming relationships, deepening their Jewish identities, and developing a sense of curiosity in all aspects of their lives. 

Chaya grew up in Calgary, Canada, and attended the University of Waterloo as an undergraduate, where she studied political science and business with a minor in economics. She was deeply involved in , where she served as a student staff member, ran a campus food bank, and ultimately became student president. Inspired by the Springboard Fellow at her Hillel, Chaya knew she wanted to dedicate her life to Jewish nonprofit work. 

After she witnessed the upheaval on college campuses following October 7, Chaya realized she wanted to help build bridges between communities. 

She knew this work would require compassionate, sensitive, and innovative approaches to learning and teaching, and with that in mind, she identified the Springboard Fellowship as a strong pathway to that goal — specifically, the Ezra Jewish Education track of the program.

Ezra Jewish Education Fellows follow in the footsteps of the biblical Ezra, who reengaged and reinvigorated the Jewish community by reading the Torah aloud in the town square on Shabbat and market days, and translating it for people to understand. Ezra’s commitment to teaching, engagement, and innovation is a model for fellows to bring Judaism off the page and into life on campus. 

“With the Ezra track, you can come in with whatever your knowledge base is and you’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow,” she said. “And then you have the opportunity to learn how to share your knowledge with others.”

Over the past six months of her fellowship, Chaya has been able to put her learning into action. And while she’s been an educator for her students, it’s not a one-way relationship — they’ve been teaching her, too. “They walked onto campus this year with joy and courage,” she said. “Seeing them flourish has kept me inspired all semester.”

Another powerful aspect of Chaya’s experience as a Springboard Fellow is the ability to connect with a large group of other young professionals with whom she shares goals and interests. She’s found the support of her cohort to be deeply meaningful. “The early months and years of your career can be really lonely,” she said. “I’m grateful to be able to reach out to people who are at the same stage and in similar roles.”

Recently, Chaya joined the Fellow Advisory Committee, a group of fellows who act as liaisons between their cohorts and the ����vlogl Team Springboard, after being inspired by how much Team Springboard cared about hearing feedback and perspectives from her peers. Working with Springboard Fellowship Manager Ava Gurman, Chaya became part of the cohort communications committee, representing the unique Canadian Jewish community. She’s enjoyed being a bridge between Team Springboard and the fellows, as well as getting to know fellows from both active cohorts.

Chaya sees the Springboard Fellowship as an opportunity to work within the Hillel movement and learn what the organization does, and to be part of its next stage of growth in a meaningful way. She also has some advice for prospective Springboard Fellows. 

“Approach your application and your interview process with a desire to improve and support your community. Trust yourself — your experience and perspective is invaluable,” she said.

To learn more about the Springboard Fellowship and see if it’s right for you, visit today.

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Reflections from Hillel’s New Professionals Institute 2024

Author

����vlogl

Date

August 1, 2024

Hillel’s New Professionals Institute is held every year at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) for all new Hillel staff members. It is an opportunity for new professionals to connect with their peers from all over the world, and to learn about the skills and values that make Hillel special. We caught up with Hailey Smilowitz, incoming Springboard Fellow at Muhlenberg College, to hear her reflections on this year’s conference.

Did you know about NPI before you attended? How did the real-life conference compare to what you expected?

I went to the University of South Carolina as an undergraduate, and I interned with Hillel during that time. I heard about NPI throughout my internship, and was so excited to attend as a new Hillel professional. It’s been an incredible experience, where I’ve met so many different people from across the United States and Canada. Every person here brings a different perspective, and hearing their stories has been inspiring.

How would you describe NPI to someone who’s never heard of it?

Honestly, it feels a lot like summer camp! It’s one big game of Jewish geography. You can constantly hear people shouting, “Oh my gosh, you know so-and-so? I know so-and-so!” I love seeing all the connections people are making — just watching it happen, and seeing that energy is so great. 

The rhythm of each day is similar to camp as well. All the participants eat breakfast together, then kick off the day with a joint opening program. There are different learning tracks and activities throughout the day, including sessions with Jewish texts or team-building, plus tabling and resources for various Hillel programs, Israel resources, and professional development. And snacks, of course! I learned some great team-building activities that I’m really excited to take back to campus. We eat dinner all together, and then the evening programming is a fun activity — like  ax-throwing!

What were some of your biggest takeaways?

As a Springboard Innovation Fellow, I was part of the human-centered design track at NPI — centering on how students experience our work as Hillel professionals, and using that experience to inform how we approach challenges. Specifically, we thought about  programming, relationships, and our roles in a way that tries to help an individual we are working with, rather than inventing big solutions that might not work for everyone. 

 After all, every student has their own story and Jewish journey, and their unique experiences will impact what they need. We explored the different resources that ����vlogl offers students, and started to build an approach that meets each student where they are.

How was the NPI experience especially impactful for you as a Springboard Fellow?

There are 56 Springboard Fellows in total, and before NPI, we had only connected online. Being able to meet the other 55 Fellows in person was absolutely amazing. We also had so many wonderful Springboard alumni and current Springboard Fellows who came and facilitated the sessions I attended. These sessions focused on topics like problem-solving and student engagement, and day-to-day skills like how to have a coffee chat or how to navigate a call with your supervisor. 

The NPI organizers also  made it really easy to connect with other Hillel professionals, not just Springboard Fellows or recent graduates. Each attendee was assigned a “peer pal,” and mine was a more experienced professional.  It was cool to learn from them and see how their experience impacted their perspective. 

I am grateful to the Springboard Fellowship team and the rest of the NPI organizers for giving my cohort and me an inspiring and meaningful start to our journeys as Hillel professionals. I can’t wait to take these new skills back to campus with me, and start building relationships with the Jewish students at Muhlenberg.

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