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Rabbi Sue Laikin Silberberg
Executive Director
hillel@indiana.edu |
Rabbi Sue Laikin Silberberg grew up in Indianapolis. She attended Indiana University as an undergraduate and majored in social work. She graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Rabbi Sue attended the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and was ordained in 1988. While she was a student, she was the Hillel Director at the University of Delaware. She spent one year in Israel and returned to the United States to become the Executive Director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center at Indiana University in August of 1989. She loves IU Hillel and the students here. Rabbi Sue is also committed to promoting diversity on campus. She helped to found Bloomington United, a grassroots community organization dedicated to building diversity and responding to incidents of hate.
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Leah Hedrick Aft
Assistant Director
leahaft@indiana.edu |
Leah Hedrick Aft currently serves as the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center’s Assistant Director. Since graduating from Indiana University in 2004, she has spent time teaching in Camden, New Jersey through Teach for America and working as a Program Manager at City Year Washington, DC. She is passionate about youth leadership, education, and social action. Leah joins the IU Hillel staff being very excited about engaging and empowering students to discover their own paths and develop powerful leadership skills.
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Lance daSilva
Program Director
ldasilva@indiana.edu |
Lance daSilva was born and raised in Caroline County VA. Being Jewish was no easy task living in rural Virginia, but it was a fulfilling one that has shaped who he is and his current career path. Before moving to Bloomington, he lived in Charlottesville VA, where he received his Bachelor's degree in Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia in Spring 2009. While a student, he got heavily involved at Hillel and the local synagogue. For Hillel, he focused on religious life and how Shabbat services were conducted. He taught at the synagogue's religious and Hebrew school, tutored B'nei Mitzvah students, and served as a counselor and songleader for their summer camp. His passions are working with youth, Jewish music, and learning. He is a huge NBA fan, loves to sing, and enjoys trying new foods. As Engagement Director of IU Hillel now, he hopes to help all students that he encounters have a positive sense of Jewish identity. Please stop by Hillel and say hey! |
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Daniel Weber
Engagement Associate
djw@indiana.edu |
Daniel Weber joined the Hillel staff in August 2011, and is the new Engagement Associate. While being raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he was an active member of the Jewish community through "The Temple", otherwise known as Congregation Adath Israel Brith Sholom. After four years of high school in Northbrook, Illinois, Daniel made the best decision of his life: Becoming a student at Indiana University. In his four years here, he was a Business-Marketing major, member of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, a contestant in several talent competitions (BMOC, Campus SuperStar), and was very active in music producing, songwriting, and promoting. He released several videos/songs on YouTube entitled 'IU Anthem', 'This Is Indiana', and 'iLL 5', which have collectively accumulated over 1 million views. Daniel hopes to bring a new, exciting aspect of digital and campus marketing to Hillel, and is excited to work with an incredible staff and organization. |
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Ross Bennett
Engagement Associate
rombenne@umail.iu.edu |
Ross Bennett grew up in Skokie, Illinois, but traveled the country as a volunteer with AmeriCorps NCCC between receiving his Bachelor's degree in Sports Marketing & Management and a Master's degree in Athletic Administration from IU. Needless to say, he loves Bloomington! Judaism has been an integral part of his life being a camper and working as a counselor and Land Sports Director at B'nai B'rith Beber Camp for a total of 12 summers. As a student on campus, Ross was active both as a brother at ZBT and at Hillel, involved with Campus Super Star and Sports programming, and as a participant in Birthright and Alternative Spring Breaks. |
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Ronald Klotz
Center for Informal Jewish Education
ronklotz@gmail.com |
Rabbi Ron Klotz came to the Myron S. Goldman Union Camp Institute (then called simply, Union Camp Institute) to be its director in 1975, during his final two years of rabbinical studies. In 1977 he moved to Indianapolis continuing his work at our camp. Ron is married to Juca Klotz who grew up in Porto Alegre, Brazil. They met while studying at the Hayim Greenberg Institute in Jerusalem in 1969. Ron and Juca have two sons, Jeremy and Michael. Jeremy and his wife Melissa met at camp and now have two children, Zoe and Maya.
Ron began his time in URJ camps in 1958. Being from Chicago, he attended the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Ron was a camper from 1958 to 1962. From 1963 to 1974 Ron served the camp as a counselor, specialist, unit head, and assistant director. Ron graduated from the University of Illinois in 1969 with a degree in Finance, studied for a year in Jerusalem at the Greenberg Institute, returned to Chicago to the Assistant Director position, and then studied at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and Cincinnati from 1972 through ordination in 1977.
Ron’s commitment to Jewish education, health and safety, and building community has helped to create a wonderful sense of family at camp. He’s known as a wonderful storyteller, and claims to be a decent banjo player. |
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Melissa Silvers
Administrator
office@iuhillel.org |
Melissa currently serves as the Administrative Assistant. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ursinus College in
Pennsylvania. Melissa has had a variety of business experience including social work, customer service, and quality assurance in pharmaceuticals. Melissa brings compassion and humor to the Hillel Center. |
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