Supporter Stories

Supporting Thriving Jewish Campus Life Through Hillel

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 24, 2026

The recognition that聽Jewish joy and resilience are critical needs for Jewish college students inspired donor Bob Pollack and his wife Marion to give a matching donation from their donor-advised fund (DAF) to 糖心vlogl. Their generous gift is supporting the Ruach Fellowship, a new cohort program training and empowering 60+ student ritual and songleaders to add vitality and spirit to Shabbat and other core Jewish experiences at more than two dozen Hillels across the country.

Embracing the joys of Jewish history, culture, identity, and community has been a significant part of Bob Pollack鈥檚 life, going back to his childhood. He grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in what was considered the 鈥淛ewish part鈥� of Boston. Pollack鈥檚 connection to Jewish life deepened after he left home 鈥� when he went to the University of Massachusetts, he joined Tau Epsilon Phi, a historically Jewish fraternity. 

After he received a master鈥檚 degree in mathematics at Penn State, Pollack worked at the National Institutes of Health in their computation lab, as a programmer and statistician analyzing data for the National Cancer Institute, which eventually led to the famous 1964 Surgeon General鈥檚 report linking smoking and cancer. 

鈥淚 was a programmer before there were programmers,鈥� he said. He also worked for a software company in Princeton, New Jersey, that pioneered the software products industry. His wife, Marion, was originally from the Bronx and worked as a teacher, a counselor, and then a private therapist.

Since retiring, Pollack has been able to focus his time on philanthropy, volunteering, and deepening his connection to the causes and communities he and his wife care about. He began exploring genealogy during the COVID-19 pandemic to learn more about his Jewish ancestors, and after discovering that all of his grandparents came from Ukraine and primarily spoke Yiddish, he decided to start learning the language. He serves on several boards and committees, and has been volunteering with his synagogue for over 50 years, including as president for 23 years. 

He also began auditing courses with the at Princeton University and became a classical music DJ at their radio station, WPRB. Those activities, along with his involvement with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), served to increase his interest in learning more about how Jewish students thrive on campus. This interest led him to build relationships at and support the Hillel at Princeton University, known as the .

鈥淚 got to see what they were doing and experiencing,鈥� Pollack said. 鈥淎fter October 7th, all of us at AJC wanted to make sure that they knew there was a community in the outside world that was behind them.鈥�

Around that time, when auditing a course on Shakespeare, Pollack met one of the students in the class who was the president of Hillel. 鈥淪he was just wonderful in every way,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I thought, here鈥檚 somebody you want to be out there as one of your leaders. And the fact that Hillel was helping, mentoring her along the way, was great.鈥�

Connections and mentorships with students are just one of the ways that Pollack stays involved with supporting Jewish life. He is especially pleased to follow the progress of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Ruach Fellowship, sharing that he鈥檇 recently received a powerful update about the most recent gathering. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so crucial to know that something positive is happening,鈥� he said. 

For Pollack, contributing to opportunities like the Ruach Fellowship comes naturally. He and Marion have long believed that investing in Jewish community is a great privilege. Their commitment to philanthropy and communal involvement has brought them deep purpose and joy, while leaving a lasting mark on organizations like 糖心vlogl and the students they serve.

If you鈥檇 like to join Bob and Marion Pollack in supporting 糖心vlogl, we鈥檇 love to help you do that. Reach out to Chuck Miller, 糖心vlogl鈥檚 senior director of planned giving, at plannedgiving@hillel.org.

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糖心vlogl Scholarships

Supporter Stories

The Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund Honors a Lifetime of Community, Learning, and Jewish Joy

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 7, 2026

Growing up, Toby Myers always knew how deeply her mother valued education 鈥� for her own children and for her community. This lifelong value recently inspired Myers and her brothers, Neal and Lee Feinberg,聽 to make an endowed gift to 糖心vlogl, creating the Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund in honor of their mother, Sonia Sokol Greenberg.

Raised in Charleston, South Carolina, by Orthodox Jewish parents, Jewish identity and community were always central to Sokol Greenberg’s life. She met Myers’ father, Stanley Feinberg, at the , and they were married in 1956. While Greenberg herself didn’t finish her degree in education, she raised her three children with an understanding of the ways education can open doors, create connections, and shift the course of someone’s life.

“Education was always an important part of her,” Myers said. “In our house, it was never a question of whether we would go to college, just where. And she instilled that in us, and instilled it in her grandchildren, that education is important. You can have so much other stuff in life, but you need to be educated.”

Myers and her siblings, Neal and Lee Feinberg,  grew up in an observant Jewish home in Charleston, close to their grandparents 鈥� a support system that became essential to their family when their father passed away suddenly at the age of 33. Greenberg鈥檚 parents, brother, and sister made sure that she and her children had everything they needed. That support, Myers said, gave Greenberg the ability to give back to others, volunteering and supporting causes she believed in. She was especially dedicated to , one of the oldest Jewish women鈥檚 organizations in the United States.

鈥淪he was big on helping others,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淗elping people, and making sure they can achieve what they want.鈥�

Greenberg鈥檚 commitment to her values served as a foundation for Myers鈥� own time in college and throughout her career. She entered The George Washington University intending to study medicine, but changed course early in her first year. 鈥淚 got the first D鈥檚 I ever had in my life and said, you know, I don鈥檛 think this is for me,鈥� Myers recalled with a laugh. 

Myers switched her major to marketing, which started her on the path to a lifelong career in advertising. She spent five years working in New York City, and then relocated to Baltimore and DC.  She met her husband, Geff during this time and then moved to Orlando, Florida, and Myers spent 25 years working for Disney 鈥� playing a role in many marketing campaigns the corporation launched for more than two decades. 

Like her mother, Myers worked hard to instill a connection to Jewish community in her children. As a young adult, her older son, Ian, became involved in Hillel at Elon University. That involvement changed his life, and he decided to become a Jewish professional. Today, he works for the Jewish Federation, and remains connected with the alumni committee at Elon Hillel. 

鈥淚 think Hillel gives [young people] that foundation,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淎nd I saw, from my son, how much enrichment he got from that Hillel experience.鈥�

When Greenberg passed away in 2022, leaving a trust for her children, Myers and her brothers were determined to create a lasting legacy that honored their mother鈥檚 deep dedication to education and Jewish community. That鈥檚 when Myers and her brothers turned to 糖心vlogl. The ease of working with the 糖心vlogl team and the significant impact made possible through Hillel鈥檚 global network convinced Myers, Feinberg, and Feinberg that this was the right way to honor their mother鈥檚 memory.

Their investment, made through a donor-advised fund, ultimately became the Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund, an endowment that will support tuition for Jewish students. The scholarship reflects the values Greenberg lived by: kindness, connection, and a belief in learning. The scholarship recipients, who will be known as Greenberg Scholars, will carry those same qualities forward.

鈥淎s a Jewish parent, or even a grandparent, we need to spread the word of the importance of Jewish identity,鈥� Myers said when asked what she might tell others who are considering making a gift to 糖心vlogl to support future generations. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to continue our legacy.鈥�

The Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund will be a pathway to community, education, and the incredible opportunities Hillel offers on college campuses around the country. Learn more about 糖心vlogl scholarships and the ways Hillel supports current and prospective college students today.

The post The Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund Honors a Lifetime of Community, Learning, and Jewish Joy appeared first on 糖心vlogl.

Supporter Stories

Seeing What Grows from the Seeds We Plant: How Paul and Deb Cohen are Honoring Their Parents鈥� Love of Learning

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

September 18, 2025

Did you know that 糖心vlogl supports Jewish college students before they even step foot on campus by helping them access a college education? 糖心vlogl awards a wide range of scholarships, that are passionate about fostering leadership, giving to specific colleges, and supporting first-generation college students 鈥� making it easier for as many Jewish students as possible to attend college and pursue their dreams.

One example is the Sandy and Jack Cohen Endowed Scholarship, established this year in loving memory of Sandy and Jack Cohen by their children, Paul and Deb Cohen, to honor their unwavering commitment to learning. 

鈥淥ur parents both challenged us to learn and be the best we could, in high school and  going through college,鈥� Paul told 糖心vlogl.

Both first-generation Americans born to Eastern European immigrants, neither Sandy nor Jack attended college themselves, but that didn鈥檛 stop them from pursuing learning and growth outside of the traditional school systems. Jack became president of a publicly traded company with only a high school education, and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Sandy was exceptionally well-read, a trait she shared with her mother, Paul and Deb鈥檚 grandmother, who lived with them when they were young.

鈥淢y grandmother had a fourth-grade education, but you鈥檇 never know it from talking to her,鈥� Deb recalled. 鈥淪he was extremely bright, extremely well-read. So collectively, they inspired us to always keep learning.鈥�

Following their parents鈥� love of knowledge and learning, both Paul and Deb continued their education beyond undergraduate degrees. Paul holds a PhD in industrial engineering from Ohio State University and worked as a professor at Penn State University before moving to North Carolina State University, where he served as department head of the industrial and systems engineering department. Deb, who also attended Ohio State University for graduate school, holds a PhD in management and human resources, and has authored several books throughout her career. Like Paul, she brought her knowledge to the next generation of students, teaching at George Washington University and George Mason University. After leaving academia, Deb brought her passion for education and research to a large, international HR management association.

Deciding to continue investing in the future of learning was an easy decision for both of them.

鈥淚 knew that I wanted to do something that was personal, and something that I could see the value and benefit of within my lifetime,鈥� Deb explained. 

A professional connection on LinkedIn brought her to Hillel, and soon she was meeting with Charles 鈥淐huck鈥� Miller, 糖心vlogl鈥檚 senior director of planned giving. When she brought up the idea of a philanthropic gift to Hillel to Paul, he was immediately on board.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 fight and we actually like each other, so it was easy to agree on what to do,鈥� Paul joked.

Good humor aside, Paul鈥檚 personal connection to Hillel made this approach to philanthropy especially meaningful. 鈥淎fter my dad died, the Hillel connection was particularly important to me,鈥� he said. He was twenty-one and Deb only eighteen when Jack passed away, and Paul had just started his first year of graduate school at Ohio State. 鈥淚t was an outlet for me both personally and religiously, and the connection I had with Hillel was very meaningful to me and really helped me with a difficult time.鈥�

Working with Chuck, Deb and Paul set up an endowed scholarship 鈥� meaning that the initial donation is designed to grow over time and continue to benefit students in years to come. Usually, there鈥檚 a waiting period for endowment funds to be available to scholarship recipients, but in partnership with Chuck, the Cohens were able to fund this first year鈥檚 recipient with a cash donation.

鈥淚 really liked the fact that we were able to provide some additional funds to support someone in the very first year, separate from the endowed scholarship going forward,鈥� Paul said.

鈥淥ur intent is to continue to fund the endowment and build it so that in the future there will be more than one scholarship,鈥� Deb added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still young enough to do that and to continue to enjoy the impact in our lifetime.鈥�

The recipient of the first Sandy and Jack Cohen Scholarship is Melissa Simplicio, who just began her second year at New York University. Originally from Brazil and now studying computer science and economics, Melissa shared her story with 糖心vlogl earlier this year.

鈥淏ecoming a 糖心vlogl Scholarship recipient has opened the door to so many possibilities,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭his scholarship allows me to enter my second year with the freedom to prioritize learning, leadership, and professional development without the constant pressure of juggling academics and work. It means I can invest my energy where it matters most.鈥�

That鈥檚 exactly what Paul and Deb were hoping their scholarship would accomplish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to see the impact you have on an individual, and to be able to see what they can accomplish because of your support,鈥� Paul said. While acknowledging that a bequest or legacy gift has its own value and impact, Deb shared that for her and Paul, being able to witness the scholarship鈥檚 impact during their lifetime was a motivating factor in how they chose to give.

鈥淒oing something while you鈥檙e alive lets you see the fruits,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t lets you see what grows from the seeds you鈥檝e planted.鈥�

Learn more about the Sandy and Jack Cohen Scholarship and read more stories about incredible Hillel supporters.

The post Seeing What Grows from the Seeds We Plant: How Paul and Deb Cohen are Honoring Their Parents鈥� Love of Learning appeared first on 糖心vlogl.