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.

Board of Directors

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

Eric Green
Chair

Janet Winkler
Vice Chair

Rabbi Seth Goren
Chief Executive Officer

Gregory Baylin
Treasurer

Danielle Adler
Secretary

Members at Large:

Jeremy Pertman

Adam Breslin

Noah Fenyes

Avi Greenspoon

Debra Kwinter

Noam Samson

Mark Redinger

Gary Diamond

Ashley Bahar

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

Fran Sonshine

Allan Weinbaum

Henry Wolfond

Meet the Team

Jared Anstandig
Co-Director, JLIC
JLIC

Sarah Avalis
Development Officer

Hillel Ontario

Maya Belson-Zeifman
Content Curator

Hillel Ontario

Eliezer Benjamin

Fellow, Springboard

Hillel McMaster

Sydney Brenner
Coordinator, Jewish Education

Hillel York

Jacob Brickman
Coordinator, Jewish Education
Hillel Western

Jacob Burman
Coordinator, Programs

Hillel York

Gila Cotler

Director, Sr. Campus

Hillel Guelph

Jacqueline Dressler
Director, Advocacy

Hillel Ontario

Marta Feldman
Coordinator, Development

Hillel Ontario

Katie Goldig
Director, Campus

Hillel Western

Ashley Goldstein
Senior Director, Content Marketing

Hillel Ontario

Seth Goren
Chief Executive Officer
Hillel Ontario

Aaron Greenberg
Director JLIC
JLIC

Miriam Greenberg
Director, JLIC

JLIC

Jessie Greenspan
Director, Campus

Hillel Waterloo

Yael Greenwood
Therapist & Wellness Professional

Hillel Ontario

Ya'el Kastiel
Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator, IACT, Hillel TMU

Adi Keidar
Israel Fellow,
Hillel TMU

Debby Klachook
Intern, Student Campus

Hillel UofT

Dean Lavi
Director, Campus
Hillel York

Gabrielle McSween
Therapist & Wellness Professional

Hillel McMaster

Judith Moses-Dworkin
Vice President, Campus Life & DEI

Hillel Ontario

Ashley Murphy
Coordinator, Advocacy

Hillel York

Matteo Pasquale
Coordinator, Advocacy

Hillel Western

Deborah Pekar
Manager, Operations

Operations

Jonathan Riaboy
Co-Director, JLIC
JLIC

Ailis Rinet
Ontario Content Curator
Hillel Digital

Anita Robins
Director, Stakeholder Engagement 
Hillel Ontario

Amit Rozenblum
Director, Sr. Campus 
Hillel UofT

Thomas Samelstad
Director, Talent

Operations

Eric Sanderson
Coordinator, Advocacy

Hillel UofT

Daniel Sennet
Chief Finance Officer

Operations

Ben Shefter
Director, Sr. Campus
Hillel McMaster

Beverley Shimansky
Chief Engagement & Campus Officer

Hillel Ontario

Melanie Shimov
Coordinator, Jewski
JLIC

Christopher Simpson
Manager, Advocacy

Hillel Guelph

Jay Solomon
Chief Advancement Officer

Hillel Ontario

Jeremy Starr
Sr. Program Director

Hillel UofT

Ariel Stern
Manager, Community Giving

Hillel Ontario

Leora Tarshish
Educator, Senior Jewish
Hillel Queen's

Yos Tarshish
Director, Campus

Hillel Queen's

Elyse Wieskopf
Director, Sr. Campus
Hillel TMU

Noah Zeidenberg
Coordinator, Programs

Hillel Guelph

Jake Zeldin
Sr. Creative Strategist

Hillel Ontario

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?

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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.

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