Hillel International Student Cabinet

2018-19 Hillel International Student Cabinet at the 2018 Hillel Leadership Summit in Austin, TX

Hillel's mission:

Enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world

Hillel's vision:

Inspiring every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel

About the Student Cabinet:

Hillel International’s Student Cabinet was founded by students Hannah Schlachter (Illini Hillel) and Evan Traylor (Kansas Hillel). The Cabinet embodies diverse facets of the modern Jewish college student voice, drives collaboration between students, and serves as the student stakeholder group representing 600 campuses to Hillel International. The Hillel International Student Cabinet values diversity and inclusion in its commitment to serving Hillel's vision.

The student cabinet meets twice a year for in-person summits and monthly on video conference calls. In between meetings, they move work forward in four ways:

Formal Recommendations to Senior Leadership

When issues happen in the world that impact students, or when Hillel International is in the news, it’s critical that Hillel International’s senior leadership hear from students immediately – and come away with formal recommendations on how to proceed. Cabinet members raise issues they believe require a rapid response and Hillel International staff reach out to the Cabinet.

Student Cabinet Initiated Committees

When the Student Cabinet notices something missing in their local Hillel or Hillels around the globe, they can form a committee to address the issue. Current committees include Student Leadership to determine the role for student leadership convenings on a national level, Wellness to address mental health and wellness among students on campus, Israel to discuss ways to bring more nuanced Israel education to campus, and Recruitment to address ways to recruit diverse students to the cabinet.

Consulting to Hillel International professionals

When Hillel International forms a new department, creates a new strategic plan, or in general launches new initiatives or ideas, it’s important to have access to students to consult with. The Cabinet participates in these consulting sessions ranging from one-time meetings to ongoing partnerships with professionals.

Students on Board Task Forces

When Hillel International’s Board of Directors creates a task force to address an issue, one to two students from the cabinet join board members and a Hillel professional to serve on it. Examples of task forces that student cabinet members have served on include:

Governance: Focused on affiliation and how Hillel operates throughout the movement
Hillels Outside North America: Focused on examining the role of global Hillels
Safety Respect Equity: Focused on gender equity throughout Hillel

The 2019-20 Hillel International Student Cabinet

Co-chairs: David Kulp (Emory University, '20) and Jordyn Zimmmerman (Ohio University, '20)

Members:

Jared Bach, George Washington University, ‘21
Julian Biller, Rutgers University, ‘20
Ayla Bussel, Oregon State University, ‘20
Zach Epstein, University of Texas at Austin, ‘21
Matthew Ghan, Chapman University, ‘20
Tatiana Haimenis, Brazil, ‘20
Emma Hofman, Colby College, ‘20
Jonah Levitt, McGill University, ‘21
Aliza Lifshitz, Barnard College, ‘20

Sophie Nadler, California State University–San Marcos, ‘20
Naomi Pitkoff, Temple University, ‘20
Jacob Schwack, University of Florida, ‘21
Justin Shapiro, Western University, ‘20
Chanel Shirazi, George Mason University, ‘20
Rebecca Sturm, Arizona State University, ‘22
Daria Tass, Tel Aviv University, ‘20
CJ Wechsler, University of Southern California, ‘21