Get to know Hillel

About

A recognized leader in the international Hillel movement, Hillel Ontario amplifies Jewish campus life at nine universities across the province.

Get to know Hillel

Who we are

A recognized leader in the international Hillel movement, Hillel Ontario amplifies Jewish campus life at nine universities across the province.

Engaging Jewish students is what we do best.

That’s why we centralize organizational thought-leadership, stakeholder relations, philanthropy, and operations to enable our campus professionals to spend the most time possible working directly with students.

Hillel embraces religious and political diversity in an inclusive environment, and supports a broad spectrum of identities while students grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually, opening up new ways for them to make a meaningful impact on the future of the Jewish people and the world.

Through innovative campus programming, student leadership training, life-changing immersive experiences, and educational and religious initiatives, Hillel engages, empowers, and inspires the next generation of Jewish leaders to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, Jewish learning and Israel.

Our Mission

To be a compelling community for all Jewish students, one where they gather, celebrate, and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Our Vision

Generations of empowered Jews who are joyful, passionate, and resilient, have an enduring relationship with Jewish tradition and Israel, and feel a sense of belonging in Jewish communities.

Meet the Team

Senior Leadership

Rabbi Seth Goren 

Chief Executive Officer

Jay Solomon

Chief Advancement Officer

Beverley Shimansky

Chief Engagement & Campus Officer

Daniel Sennet

Chief Operations & Finance Officer

Judith Moses Dworkin

Sr. VP, Campus Life and Advocacy

Operations

Jessica Seidman

Director of Talent & Culture

Deborah Pekar

Manager of Operations & Human Resources

Advocacy

Jacqueline Dressler
Advocacy Director

Wellness

Yael Greenwood

Director of Therapy & Wellness

Development

Sarah Avalis

Development & Communications Officer

Laurie Blumer

Development Officer

Anita Robins
Stakeholder Engagement Director

Marta Feldman

Development Specialist

Digital

Ashley Goldstein
Sr. Director of Content Marketing

Jake Zeldin

Sr. Creative Design Manager

Maya Belson-Zeifman

Digital Content Curator

Hillel Guelph

Gila Cotler

Sr. Campus Director

Aya Rimon

Associate Director of Jewish Life & Advocacy

Chaya Mamer

Programs Coordinator

Noah Zeidenberg

Programs Coordinator

Hillel Queen's

Yos Tarshish
Campus Director

Leora Tarshish
Sr Jewish Educator & Advocacy Manager

Gali Haim
Israel Fellow

Jennifer Grosz

Wellness Support Specialist

Sheana Tchebotaryov

Communications Intern

Hillel McMaster

Ben Shefter
Sr. Campus Director

Ezzie Benjamin

Springboard Fellow

Michelle Gorokhovsky

Wellness Intern

Hillel York

Dean Lavi
Campus Director

Ashley Murphy

Associate Director

Eliana Alexandroff

Wellness Intern

Hillel TMU

Elyse Wieskopf

Sr. Campus Director

Ya'el Kastiel
Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator

Adi Keidar

Israel Fellow

Hayley Greenberg

Wellness Intern

Hillel Western

Katie Goldig
Campus Director

Jacob Burman

Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator

Sam Brotman
Engagement Coordinator

Hillel UofT

Jenn Ferman

Sr. Campus Director

Sean Tsivian

Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator

Rose Bridger

Springboard Engagement Fellow

Eve Haras

Wellness Support Specialist

Hillel Waterloo & Laurier

Jessie Greenspan

Campus Director

Board of Directors

Hillel Ontario works in partnership with its Board of Directors to effectively manage the organization and strive towards achieving its vision.

Adam Breslin
Chair

Rabbi Seth Goren
Chief Executive Officer

Eric Green
Vice Chair

Gregory Baylin
Treasurer

Members at Large:

Ashley Bahar

Gary Diamond

Jeffrey Feldman

Noah Fenyes

Avi Greenspoon

David Horwood

Debra Kwinter

Mark Redinger

Noam Samson

Janet Winkler

Hillel Ontario Governors

Hillel Ontario is grateful for the advice and guidance of its Board of Governors.

Lianne Leboff
Chair

Hinda Silber
Immediate Past Chair

Lori Shaprio
Representing the Schwartz/Reisman Foundation

Members at Large:

Barbara Bank

Michael Diamond

Sarena Koschitzky

Jeremy Pertman

Fran Sonshine

Allan Weinbaum

Henry Wolfond

Our Values

We are
student-centric

We engage and support Jewish students in the most important areas of their lives and ensure their concerns are preeminent in our work.

We exhibit pride
and courage

We take unwavering pride in our multifaceted Jewish inheritance, even in the face of adversity.

We respect the
whole person

We engage each person holistically, recognizing that "Jewish" is one of multiple identities individuals carry.

We embrace
diversity & inclusion

We welcome an expansive definition of Jewish expression and the unlimited learning that flows from diversity of though, perspective and identity.

We experiment
and reinvent

We support calculated risk - taking and learning from our missteps as a way to adapt and improve

We foster
collaboration

We emphasize the generative power of intentional partnering with communal stakeholders across the university, and amongst our campus Hillels.

We cherish our
relationship with Israel

We treasure the Jewish people as a nation and our unbreakable ties with the Land of Israel, the Jewish and democratic state that thrives there, and the people who live there.

We anchor ourselves in Judaism and Jewishness

We believe in the importance of Jewish values and ground our communities in holiness, decency, and respect.

Our Priorities

Engage Jewish students and
address their most pressing needs

  • Infuse our work with Jewish knowledge, experiences, and learning
  • Nurture and empower Jewish leaders
  • Build inclusive Jewish communities and instill a sense of belonging in the broader Jewish world
  • Equip students to respond to antisemitism, advocate for themselves, and strengthen relationships with Israel
  • Guide students to career opportunities and training
  • Boost emotional wellness and mental health

Transform universities into
welcoming communities

  • Cultivate allies and partner across campus in the fight against antisemitism
  • Expand campus resources that reinforce students’ intersecting Jewish, Zionist, and other identities
  • Denounce antisemitism and anti-Zionism to push them to the margins of campus discourse

Reinvigorate Jewish
communal relationships

  • Fortify relationships with other Jewish institutions
  • Amplify student voices and raise awareness of campus realities
  • Connect students to opportunities and resources in the Jewish community

Scale and strengthen
our professional operations

  • Advance financial sustainability and revenue diversification
  • Establish Hillel Ontario as an employer of choice
  • Foster cross-campus collaboration to develop and share best practices

Did we have you at Hillel?

Subscribe to Hillel Ontario's monthly newsletter!


As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel enriches the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people,  and the world.

>