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Behind the Scenes at HIGA 2022

Author

黑料传送门

Date

December 23, 2022

At the opening plenary of the 2022 黑料传送门 Global Assembly (HIGA 2022), Erez Cohen, HIGA 2022 Co-Chair and Executive Director of Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, asked everyone who was attending HIGA for the first time to stand up. After two years of convening virtually, there was a sea of people who stood up and celebrated being at their first in-person HIGA. 

But it wasn鈥檛 just newbies who flocked to Dallas to convene with 1,000 Hillel professionals, partners, and supporters. In the opening plenary, professionals celebrating their five, 10, 15, 20, and even 25-year milestones were honored!

In reflecting on the lessons learned and connections made last week at HIGA, we asked Hillel professionals from throughout the movement to share their highs, lows, and biggest takeaways from their HIGA 2022 experience. 

What was your peach and pit (high and low) from HIGA 2022?

Alli Rubinstein, Manager of Early Career Talent at 黑料传送门: My peach from my time at HIGA was getting to spend so much time catching up with colleagues I haven鈥檛 seen since New Professionals Institute and meeting colleagues in person who I鈥檝e only ever known in a Zoom box! The joy in the room was contagious and so inspiring. My HIGA pit was how quickly the week passed! I wish I could go back and do it all over again.  

Leah Chakoff, Director of Strategic Grants at 黑料传送门: My peach was having the opportunity to meet people in person I have worked with virtually for years but have never had the chance to meet in person. I also really enjoyed seeing colleagues I鈥檝e known for a long time but have not seen since the last in-person HIGA. I shared some very big hugs鈥攊t felt like an overdue reunion!

My pit was saying goodbye to someone on my team, whose last week with Hillel is this week. She has been a part of the Hillel family for many years, so it was a tough moment, but I鈥檓 grateful we were able to send her off in person!

Russell Gottschalk, Vice President for Campus Support Services 黑料传送门s of Georgia : The peach was being around colleagues. We have some real rockstars in the Hillel ecosystem. I thought the futurist visioning could have been even more productive. I think a “recognize 100, look out 10” would have been really interesting and helpful.

Jami O鈥橰ourke, Senior Administrative Assistant at 黑料传送门: My peach was being able to spend time with coworkers that I don’t normally get to interact with. I was able to grow existing relationships and create new ones. My pit is that I decided to wear new shoes on the first day, which resulted in some large blisters on my feet. 

What was your biggest lesson learned/takeaway from HIGA 2022?

Alli: My biggest takeaway from HIGA is that the movement is focused on progress and growth more than anything. Hillel is really striving to be THE place for folks to feel like they can be their true, authentic Jewish selves without compromising any other part of their identity. Being surrounded by so many industry leaders with that mission in mind was really full circle for someone who didn鈥檛 know any other Jews growing up and then was told I wasn鈥檛 鈥淛ewish enough鈥� when I did meet other Jews. I鈥檓 really proud to work 黑料传送门, and I鈥檓 looking forward to the work we still have to accomplish to make all Jews feel welcome. 

Leah: My biggest takeaway from HIGA 2022 is th黑料传送门 hires the most thoughtful, passionate, and hardworking professionals. From the many one-on-one, pre-planned meetings I had, to the impromptu conversations I had at the bar, and even while , I was able to interact with professionals varying in years of experience and job title. I am so in awe of the Hillel professionals I met and inspired by their dedication.

Russell: The biggest lesson I learned is the power of community. I found the most meaningful moments in and around the Executive Directors cohort, where I learned from luminaries in the field and those that have similar roles to me. I have an atypical position in the Hillel ecosystem, and connecting with peers who genuinely care about my success was a HUGE win for me.

Jami: This was my first HIGA, as I have only worked for 黑料传送门 for five months. In my day-to-day work, I typically interact with the same few people in my happy little corner of Hillel. Being at HIGA, surrounded by so many people, really made me realize how much we are impacting people all over the world鈥� and even the work I do in my little corner helps to make the lives better of all these amazing people!

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News

Mark Cuban Gets Real 黑料传送门 the Future of Jewish Leadership at HIGA 2022

Author

黑料传送门

Date

December 19, 2022

What does it mean to think of Judaism as a brand? That鈥檚 the question that Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner, put before Hillel supporters and professionals at 黑料传送门鈥檚 Global Assembly 2022 (HIGA) in Dallas.聽

In a conversation with Adam Lehman, President and CEO of 黑料传送门, Cuban spoke about his own personal Jewish journey and how it has impacted his identity and relationships. 鈥淕rowing up in Squirrel Hill, the most Jewish part of Pittsburgh,  I didn鈥檛 understand what it meant to be Jewish in a world that was mostly not Jewish,鈥� said Cuban. 

But when Cuban鈥檚 family moved to a different neighborhood in Pittsburgh where he was one of just two Jewish students in his elementary school, the dynamic shifted, and he faced animosity, adversity, and antisemitism. 鈥淲hen a kid tried to beat me up, I didn鈥檛 understand why someone would want to beat me up just for being Jewish,鈥� Cuban said. 鈥淥f course I kicked his [butt].鈥�

Cuban continued to maintain a strong connection to Judaism through his grandparents as a child, and he fondly recalled eating borscht and other traditional Ashkenazi Jewish food in their kitchen. And as he grew up, Cuban realized that his strongest, most long-lasting connections were with other Jewish people who shared this unique experience with him. 

But today, more than 50 years later, Cuban believes that to connect with and activate Gen-Z students as future Jewish leaders, Hillel professionals need to understand how to emphasize the importance of Jewish connections as part of students鈥� personal brands. In a world where students are searching for in-person connections to complement the global network they can access online, Hillel offers them a community that aligns with their values and aspirations. 鈥淭hat is the beauty of wh黑料传送门 is doing 鈥� you are helping students form the communities and allegiances that they鈥檙e looking for,鈥� said Cuban.

While thinking about Judaism as a brand may seem like a counterintuitive model, Cuban stressed that this framing is a starting point, a place to begin the conversation with a generation for whom this is a familiar and relatable concept. 

Cuban also noted that, as we walk together into Hillel鈥檚 next 100 years, Hillel professionals will encounter generations who continue to think differently about Judaism and their own relationship to Jewish ideas and identities. Who knows where the future generations of Hillel students and professionals will take us?

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Top 10 Moments from the First 24 Hours of 黑料传送门鈥檚 Global Assembly (HIGA)

Author

黑料传送门

Date

December 13, 2022

1. Welcome Back to HIGA!

A common theme among the opening speakers at HIGA 2022 was, as Skip Vichness, Chair of the 黑料传送门 Board of Directors, put it, 鈥�Hinei matov u鈥檓ah naim shevet achim gam yachad.鈥� How great is it to see 1,000 Hillel professionals and supporters from all over the world back together in one room after a three-year hiatus! The resilience and creativity of Hillel professionals and their commitment to Jewish students stayed strong throughout the last three years (and the last 100!).

2. HIGA Co-Chairs Celebrate Hillel Professionals across the World

HIGA Co-Chair and Executive Director of George Washington University Hillel Adena Kirstein and HIGA Co-Chair and Executive Director of Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Erez Cohen opened HIGA 2022 with a tribute to their colleagues. As Kirstein and Cohen shared, dedicated Hillel professionals do everything from 鈥渄ealing with an internet outage to texting a student in the hospital to asking for a million bucks. From digging up art supplies, to tracking Amazon packages, to supporting a student navigating a mental health crisis. And that can all be in one day!” There were many rounds of applause for the dedication, drive, and warmth of Hillel professionals around the world.  

3. A Room Full of New Faces

In the three years since the last in-person HIGA, many new faces have joined the Hillel movement. It was powerful to see so many of those new people stand up and be recognized at this year鈥檚 opening session. Hillel professionals have not only built student communities in difficult circumstances; they have also maintained and strengthened their professional relationships and communities even through the years of being apart. 

4. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt Educates and Inspires

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, spoke to Hillel stakeholders and professionals about the historical components of antisemitism, why it鈥檚 so important to fight it, and how important it is for Jewish people to find joy and pride in our traditions despite the hatred we may face. As Ambassador Lipstadt said, 鈥淲e identify as Jews because of the magnificent, rich, and multifaceted tradition we own as ours.鈥� Ambassador Lipstadt also stressed the importance of fighting hate wherever we find it: 鈥淲ith racism and antisemitism, if you want to fight one, you have to fight the other.鈥�

5. Mark Cuban鈥檚 Got Thoughts on Gen Z

Entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner (and father of two college students) Mark Cuban spoke with Hillel stakeholders about the importance of being responsive to the unique needs of each group of students on campus. When working with Gen Z students, Cuban pointed out that, 鈥渆very Gen Z student can tap into a global community on social media,鈥� and it鈥檚 the job of Hillel professionals to help them deepen and enrich the experience of Jewish connection on campus. 

6. Hillel is Thriving at 100

Why is there a reconstructed barbershop at HIGA? One hundred years ago, Hillel was founded in a small room over a barbershop at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and today, Hillel is celebrating its 100th birthday! In celebration of the past 100 years of Hillel and looking forward to the next 100 years and beyond, Hillel professionals spoke about what they鈥檝e built on their campuses, how they鈥檙e thriving today, and how they鈥檙e looking to shape the next 100 years. 

7. The Promise of a New Generation

Hillel is not only celebrating the last 100 years, but also launching a that will carry the movement forward into the next 100 years and beyond. Campus Hillels are working to craft campaigns that will serve their needs and help set them up for long-term success as the next century of Hillel starts to unfold. 

8. Holistic HIGA

In an exciting, intense experience like HIGA, it鈥檚 important to center wellness and different sensory and social needs. The wellness and low sensory room help address those different needs. Most importantly, the all-day coffee bar helps Hillel professionals be their best selves for connecting with each other and thinking about building the next 100 years of Hillel. 

9. Hillel House Band was on Fire

After a rocking introduction from former President and CEO of 黑料传送门, Richard Joel and former Music Director of 黑料传送门, Moshe Shur, the Hillel House Band took the stage to play a flaming hot set, starting with 鈥�Ivdu Et Hashem B鈥橲imcha鈥� (Serve God with Joy – a Jewish golden oldie). The band had a warm welcome from the crowd and, as always, was a smoking success.

10. Hillel鈥檚 Brand Glow-Up

黑料传送门鈥檚 refreshed brand is on display throughout HIGA and communicates Hillel鈥檚 ongoing commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and student voices. Hillel鈥檚 new branding is also on display at the HIGA swag bar, which is always a favorite stop.

Thank you to our HIGA 2022 Sponsors!

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