Hillel searches for new director
The new director will take over summer 2011.
Published March 2, 2010
The Hillel board of directors has formed a committee to find a new executive director to replace Kerry Hollander, who will leave at the end of spring semester 2011.
The committee, which students can join, will recruit and interview candidates, board member Jeff Rice said.
Board of directors President Dan Edidin and Rice met with Jewish Student Organization members Friday at Hillel to hear their thoughts about the next director.
Qualities students said they are looking for are communication and social networking skills, the ability to manage finances and knowledge about the Jewish faith and religious practices.
Hollander often represents Judaism in the local community, which the new director will also need to be prepared to do, Co-religious Coordinator Rachel Levin said.
"I think they have to have not only knowledge of their religion, but also confidence in their knowledge of their religion, as well as just being willing to learn something new," Levin said. "One of the major tenets of Judaism is that we're always learning."
Hollander said directors need to step back to allow students to grow on their own. She said the students already own the power so the director just needs to give them the OK to use that power.
"The word 'director' is not a word I'm crazy about, because it says, 'I'm the one in charge,' " Hollander said. "I think that a lot of the recent success of the program comes from allowing the students' natural abilities to come forth."
Edidin said Hollander has valuable connections to the Jewish and campus communities.
"To me, her greatest strength is her networking ability," Edidin said.
Hollander uses her connections to send the JSO board e-mails about local events she thinks might be of interest, JSO President Daniel Brick said.
"I can't expect someone who lives in Columbia and knows the area so well, but someone who's willing to go out into the community," Brick said of potential candidates.
JSO Treasurer Belinda Kocen, formerly of The Maneater staff, said it is important for the next director to know how to follow kosher rules. Hillel must keep all food kosher for students who observe Jewish dietary laws, she said.
"A lot of other Hillels that are larger than ours have rabbis in charge of making sure the religious aspects are followed," Kocen said. "Since we're smaller, we don't have the budget to hire a rabbi. So we use our Hillel director to oversee the religious aspects we decide we need to follow at Hillel."
Hollander said she is preparing a new director's manual with details the next director will need to know, such as security information and what programs have and have not worked for Hillel in the past.
Hollander will be looking for a new job but said it is the right time to leave, especially because JSO has been so successful.
"The strength of what happens here comes from the students, not the person who has the title of director," Hollander said. "It absolutely breaks my heart to think about leaving this place, but it's the right time, the right thing to do."