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