Reflections from Hillel’s New Professionals Institute 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 Hillel International 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.