AUGUST 17 • 2023 | 47
of her most lasting friendships,
including her relationship with
her husband, were sparked
because of Hillel.
“My husband, our siblings
and I were deeply involved with
Hillel during our years on cam-
pus, and it was a place where we
found community and life-long
friendships,
” she wrote. “For me,
Hillel was a place I could go that
felt like home and continue my
Shabbat observance. When my
daughter began her first year at
Michigan, we were impressed
with the continued and expand-
ed strength and vibrancy of the
Hillel.
”
A TIME TO REASSESS
Frank wrote that as in every
transition, there is an opportunity
to take a step back and assess
strengths and areas for improve-
ment.
“Our intention is to examine
how our Hillel is meeting the
needs of 21st-century Jewish
young adults and the ways
in which we can continue to
grow our impact and serve the
religious and cultural needs of
Michigan students,
” she wrote.
“Our Hillel is committed to
evolving and growing — that is
what has enabled us to contin-
uously be a leader in the Hillel
community.
”
Shemer served as director amid
an increasingly hostile environ-
ment toward Jewish students,
especially those with pro-Israel
leanings. There have been cam-
pus incidents that targeted Jewish
students for their “loyalty” to
Israel, a faculty member refusing
to write a letter of recommen-
dation for a student wishing to
study in Israel, and a push for stu-
dent government bodies to pass
anti-Israel and boycott, divest-
ment and sanctions resolutions
against Israel.
Frank said that under Shemer’s
leadership and guidance, Hillel
has been a national leader in nav-
igating some of the most com-
plex anti-Israel and antisemitic
moments in the last decade, and
the organization has expanded
the staff team to include two pro-
fessionals who focus on bringing
students to Israel and, just as
importantly, on bringing a piece
of Israel here to students in Ann
Arbor.
She wrote: “In my experience,
Jewish students and families feel
supported by the leadership of
Hillel when these difficult times
emerge. Michigan Hillel contin-
ues to lead the country in sending
students to Israel on Birthright
and Onward Israel (internship)
experiences and bringing some
of the most thoughtful, diverse
programming about Israel to
campus.
”
She continued: “Responding
to events on campus requires
nuance and understanding of
the dynamics on campus and the
nature of students today. While
the spotlight may be on our cam-
pus during challenging times,
what is more important is the
way in which our Hillel proac-
tively works to increase awareness
about Israel and Jewish life and
seeks out partnerships on campus
to deepen this understanding all
year long.
”
Rabbi Alter Goldstein of
Chabad at the University of
Michigan said he has enjoyed
a collaborative and cooperative
relationship with Hillel, including
coordinating efforts to make sure
that there is a daily Orthodox
minyan available to the Michigan
community, whether it takes
place at the Hillel or Chabad
buildings, during the school year.
Goldstein said he looks forward
to the same this fall as well as
when the new
executive director is
selected.
“Chabad has
always had a great
relationship with
Hillel through-
out the years,
”
said Goldstein.
“Whoever it will be that will
come to fill the spot as executive
director, we know that they will
continue to share the same goals
as Chabad, that is, to continue
to propel and provide for the
strength of the Jewish community
here on campus. Chabad and
Hillel both have the same goals to
welcome in Jewish students wher-
ever they feel most comfortable,
that we reach and connect with
each Jewish student on campus,
especially in difficult times.
”
HOPES FOR NEW LEADER
Some parents hope that a new
Hillel leader will take a stron-
ger stance against the growing
anti-Israel climate on campus.
Some events, such as a pro-intifa-
da rally last January, drew nation-
al attention.
Gayle Feingold Chait’s old-
est daughter graduated the
University of Michigan in 2019,
and her youngest will be a senior
this year. Though her daughters
had many positive connections
with Hillel, Chait hopes the next
Hillel executive director is more
assertive in fighting antisemitism
and anti-Israel sentiments on
campus. That includes putting
pressure on the university admin-
istration to adapt the working
definition of antisemitism from
the International Holocaust
Remembrance Alliance, which
includes language about unfairly
singling out Israel.
“I do hope that the next exec-
utive director can be a bit more
assertive in speaking out against
antisemitism,” said Chait of Seal
Beach, California. “It’s not OK to
keep under the radar. You can-
not fight antisemitism that way.”
#EndJewHatred Michigan
Director Adar Rubin, who recent-
ly made his organization’s pres-
ence known in Ann
Arbor after several
fraternity houses
were vandalized
with antisemitic and
homophobic slurs,
said he expects the
new campus Hillel
executive director will have a
strong voice to support the Jewish
community and will be a leader
in promoting the rights of Jewish
students to experience campus life
without Jew-hatred in any form,
whether it comes from white
supremacists, anti-Zionists or any-
one else, he said in a statement.
“We look forward to working
collaboratively with Hillel and
other campus organizations to
promote and protect the civil
rights of Jewish students and fac-
ulty, empowering the university
community to reject Jew-hatred
in the same way other forms of
racism and bigotry have become
unacceptable,
” Rubin stated. “We
need to work together to shape a
healthy future for the campus that
fully embraces Jewish identity in
all its forms.
”
The Hillel Building at
University of Michigan
Rabbi Alter
Goldstein
Adar Rubin