Executive Team
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Student Life Team
Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus
Philanthropy Team
Facilities Team
Naomi Hochman, President
Arnold Anisgarten
Alan Berro
Akiva Brookler*
Bella Brannon*
Sara Broukhim*
Tikva Cohen*
Ziva Cooper
Lauren Eber
Sandy Einberg
Michael Farahnik
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel
Stephen Gingold
Tamara Horwich, M.D.Joan Kessler
Josh Khalili
Dean Russell Korobkin
Maxine Lacher*
David Henry Simon, Chair
Mayim Bialik
Sandy and Robert Carroll
Phyllis and Philip Colman
David Dortort (z"l)
Sandy and Howard Einberg
Julie Monkarsh Gadinsky
Elaine and David Gill
Carole Goldberg
Roz and Abner Goldstine
William Isacoff, M.D.Mark Lainer
Judith and Louis (z"l) MillerSepideh and Robin Nourmand
Frank Ponder
Dorothy z"l and Avram Salkin
Daniel and Doreen Tenenblatt
William and Anna Tenenblatt
Caryn and Alan Viterbi
At Hillel, our mission is clear: we are dedicated to being the home away from home for all Jewish students at UCLA. We understand the importance of fostering a sense of belonging, connection, and identity within our diverse and vibrant community.
We are committed to creating an environment where Jewish students can come together to build and strengthen their Jewish identities. This mission is not just about embracing and celebrating the richness of Jewish culture, traditions, and heritage, but also about providing a nurturing space for personal growth and self-discovery.
Through Jewish life, learning, and a deep connection to Israel, we strive to empower our students to explore their roots and expand their horizons. We believe that by fostering a sense of home away from home, we can help students feel supported and inspired as they navigate their academic journeys at UCLA.
At Hillel, we believe in the transformative power of inspired leadership. We are dedicated to nurturing and empowering the next generation of leaders within the Jewish community and beyond. Through our programs, activities, and supportive environment, we aim to instill the values, skills, and confidence needed to make a positive impact on the world. Our commitment to inspiring leadership extends beyond the confines of traditional leadership roles. While we do provide opportunities for students to take on leadership positions within our organization, we also believe that leadership can take many forms. It can be seen in acts of kindness, advocacy for important causes, or even the simple act of standing up for what is right.
During the peak of the pandemic, the Jewish Bruin community bonded closer than ever (despite physical distance). Then and now, Hillel’s entrepreneurial spirit guides our efforts to meet students where they are and evolve to recognize and meet their needs. Our digital programs, creative adjustments to food service and individual outreach ensure that students are seen and nourished. Among the lessons that the pandemic has taught us, it is affirming Hillel’s agility - our values promote the cultivation of a creative mindset geared toward adaptation and innovation in service of our ever-evolving Jewish Bruin community
Some of Our Programs:
Online wellness events
One-to-one check-ins/pastoral care
Multi-week, cohort based learning by Zoom Virtual Shabbat services and to-go meals
Hillel care packages sent by mail
Restaurant relocation (to the first floor outdoors, providing uninterrupted Kosher lunch service) Outdoor face-to-face meet ups and meals
The number of UCLA students reporting loneliness, anxiety, and depression has spiked significantly over the past five years and particularly as a result of the pandemic. Guided by research and professional healthcare advisors, Hillel integrates mental health support into virtually all of our student programs, explicitly addressing physical health (exercise, sleep, nutrition); mental health (addiction, anxiety, mindfulness, depression, distortion); executive functioning; adulting; and intimacy and sexuality (consent, safety, vulnerability).
Some of Our Programs:
Provide access to free, confidential individual therapy
Chai on Life outdoor experiences
Weekly movement classes
Jewish Learning Fellowship focused on intimacy and relationships
Creating sensory soothing spaces during crowded and loud programs
One-on-one pastoral care/counsel
Collaborations with UCLA and other Jewish institutions to enhance services/access
Wellness Chair on Student Board
Dignified access to free meals for students facing hunger
Hillel invests in cultivating the future leaders of our Jewish people at a critical moment in their identity development. When they graduate, we want them to see themselves as leaders and know how to lead. Hillel leaders are taught hard skills for community engagement, developing best practices in outreach, securing partners, managing event logistics, working within a budget, creating welcoming spaces and evaluating impact. The Hillel Student Board is composed of students who can opt to focus their attention on specific interests. Leadership activities are student-driven, staff-supported and calibrated for every level leader (beginner to most senior). Efforts of student leaders elevate Hillel and the broader campus community.
Some of Our Programs:
Student Board Engagement Interns
Micro-community leadership: Challah for Hunger, Bearing Witness, Social Justice, Wellness
Freshman Leadership Council
Persian Community at Hillel
Transfer Undergraduate Students at Hillel
Senior Seminar and Senior Class Gift
Students serving on Hillel’s governing Board of Directors
Celebration of Shabbat/Jewish rituals and engaging in Jewish learning are fundamental to the development of one’s sense of Jewish identity. Hillel offers a plurality of opportunities to immerse in Judaism, ranging from exploring ancient and contemporary text (and its applications to everyday life) to experiencing rituals to mark Jewish holidays. Radical inclusion enhances our whole community! Every Jewish Bruin can plug in, regardless of denominational affiliation or past Jewish experience.
Some of Our Programs:
High Holy Days services/meals (for students and community at large)Weekly student-led Shabbat services and hearty, free Shabbat meals
Jewish Learning Fellowships (8 weeks of text study with a cohort of peers + educator + food)
Chevrutah-style, peer-to peer, learning Rosh Chodesh gatherings
Torah Study with a Rabbi Hanukkah party and distribution of Hanukkah accoutrements
Shabbat Around Westwood (students host Shabbat in their homes)
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Hillel is the hub for Israel activity at UCLA and a guiding force for influencing campus climate as it relates to Israel. 35+ Israel affinity groups are hosted by Hillel, bringing hundreds of students closer to Israel through exploration of dual narrative, culture, travel, advocacy training, lobbying, language and learning. A trusted source for pluralistic Israel engagement on campus, we are the only campus organization that employs an Israeli shaliach (Israel Fellow) to work alongside students in an effort to establish greater degrees of confidence about and love toward Israel. We aspire to show students Israel and bring an average of 150 students (Jewish and non-Jewish) to Israel each year to study, tour, immerse and learn.
Some of Our Programs:
Israel Learning Fellowship
Hebrew Conversation Hour
Interfaith social action/fundraiser co-hosted by Bruins for Israel
Israel advocacy training and lobbying (Bruin Israel Public Affairs Committee)Fact Finding Journey (interfaith leadership development trip to Israel)Western Region Policy Summit (convening 40-50 students from five states)Giant Celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut
Sponsoring the largest delegation of students to AIPAC’s Policy Conference
The Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts weaves art and culture into the Hillel experience for UCLA students and community members. Boasting five gallery spaces at 574 Hilgard Avenue, intentional and thought provoking art and creative collaborations contributes to a holistic sense of Jewish pride and curiosity.
Some of Our Programs:
Annual Student Fine Arts Show
Annual Student Photography Contest
Fall and Winter Art Openings featuring art in our four gallery spaces
In-person and virtual lectures presented by the Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller Institute for Jewish Learning Collaborations with local museums, consulates, academic departments and organizations
Permanent art installations in the Hillel building
Mentorship for students with an interest in the arts (i.e. opportunities to curate shows and learn alongside experience artists/producers)
For more information, please contact Gisèle Goldwater-Feldman, Director of Community Philanthropy, at Gisele@uclahillel.org or (310) 208-3081 x222.
Donate“Hillel attracts the most talented and driven Jewish students and serves as a hub of learning, social connection, and worship. The diverse programs I participated in gave me the tools to run for student government, and my Hillel family became my biggest support as I was elected Student Body President of UCLA. I am forever grateful for the values learned from and the doors opened by this community, which have guided my entire professional life thereafter.”
“My time at Hillel helped me to understand that changing the world didn't have to be one part of my Jewish identity, it could be the entire bedrock of it. Time I spend fighting inequality is time spent being Jewish. I learned that if you see something missing in your community, it may be up to you to build it. So, when I began to launch Swipe Out Hunger during undergrad, Hillel offered me encouragement, guidance and resources that I needed.
“Hillel attracts the most talented and driven Jewish students and serves as a hub of learning, social connection, and worship. The diverse programs I participated in gave me the tools to run for student government, and my Hillel family became my biggest support as I was elected Student Body President of UCLA. I am forever grateful for the values learned from and the doors opened by this community, which have guided my entire professional life thereafter.”
“My time at Hillel helped me to understand that changing the world didn't have to be one part of my Jewish identity, it could be the entire bedrock of it. Time I spend fighting inequality is time spent being Jewish. I learned that if you see something missing in your community, it may be up to you to build it. So, when I began to launch Swipe Out Hunger during undergrad, Hillel offered me encouragement, guidance and resources that I needed.
We also significantly expanded our new Mental Health and Wellness programs to accommodate for the increased needs and provide preventative wellness support.
All the while, we have been partnering with philanthropic visionaries who are joining forces to grow a $30+ million Endowment Fund for the Jewish Future, which will ensure Jewish Bruin life for UCLA students for the next 100 years!
Many, many thanks to you, our lay leadership, our staff, and especially to the students who partner with Hillel!
With gratitude, friends
This impact report is a testament to the commitment and hard work of hundreds of Hillel leaders and thousands of Hillel supporters like you.
Determination has fueled our efforts through the uncertainty of the pandemic. As many of you know, early on we witnessed a collapse in student mental health. Students were desperate to safely connect. In response, we innovated by spacing apart individual tables outside our building in accordance with LA County Health Department guidance.
Upon the return to in-person classes at UCLA, we installed virus filtration in our HVAC system, learned new protocols for gathering, and witnessed our halls buzzing with masked students attending Shabbat dinners, Jewish Learning Fellowships, and Bruins for Israel events.
Planned and endowed gifts help ensure Hillel’s presence for years to come. To learn all about the Hillel Forever society
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Hillel UCLA was fortunate to have a dedicated team of professional staff and leadership that played a pivotal role in nurturing the vibrant and inclusive community we cherish. Our staff and leadership members worked tirelessly to create a welcoming environment where Jewish students and their peers could connect, learn, and grow. Our professional staff brought a wealth of experience, passion, and expertise to their respective roles, providing guidance and support for our students. They served as mentors, advisors, and facilitators of meaningful experiences, ensuring that our community members had access to resources and opportunities that enriched their journey.
The Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA was officially dedicated in 2002 and is located at 574 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90024. The 25,000 square foot building is a dynamically designed home away from home for thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish young adults currently enrolled at UCLA - a place where students socialize and share Jewish learning, celebrations and programs. The Grade A, multi-use building has a dedicated staff and state-of-the-art amenities (such as Wi-Fi access, a full-service/kosher-certified in-house caterer and a large Coffee Bean Bar & Lounge). We can comfortably accommodate functions of diverse size and style - such as a weekly book club for 12, dinner and dancing for 150 or a public lecture and cocktail reception for 300.
For more information, please contact Gisèle Goldwater-Feldman, Director of Community Philanthropy, at Gisele@uclahillel.org or (310) 208-3081 x222.
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