Big changes happen at Hillel

PAT JOHNSON

When Jewish students return to the University of British Columbia next month, it will be the first time since 1947 that they will not congregate in the familiar old hut that has served as the Hillel House on that campus since before Israel was a state.

The decommissioned Second World War-era building that has been the locus of Jewish engagement, Zionism and social justice work for 61 years will be demolished within days, and construction will soon begin on what local Hillel leaders say will be a magnificent new centre of Jewish life in British Columbia.

"We are not finished fundraising," said Eyal Lichtmann, executive director of Vancouver Hillel, which runs Hillel at UBC, as well as at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. We still need the support of the community, but I can confidently say this building will be built and will welcome Jewish students and the broader community for at least the next 80 years."

Lichtmann credits capital campaign chair Isaac Thau and what he calls "the unprecedented generosity of our community" for realizing the highly ambitious goal of a new Hillel.

"Hillel is incredibly lucky to have leaders of the calibre of Isaac and Judy Thau," said Lichtmann. "Isaac's dedication to the dream of a stunning new Hillel facility is a testament to Theodor Herzl's adage that 'if you will it, it is no dream.'"

Lichtmann also credited the unflagging support of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver for helping Hillel reach its goal.

During the period of construction, Hillel students and staff have moved into temporary space in the Vancouver School of Theology. But that's not the only change, said Lichtmann.

"Last year's programming staff have all moved on to law school, med school and grad school," he said. "And Jeff Bradshaw, who oversaw programming on the three campuses last year, has taken a senior position with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, which gives us particular naches [pride], because Hillel has a proud history of leadership training and transitioning entry-level staff into higher positions in the Jewish community."

Lichtmann said the team he has in place for the coming year will continue the organization's innovation and growth. Ayelet Gabriel Weil, an Israeli who grew up in Mexico and who is a veteran of the Israel Defence Forces, is the new director of Hillel at the University of Victoria. Ben Rabinovitch, who has risen through the Hillel movement as a student leader at Simon Fraser University, takes the helm at that campus. Daniel Moscovitch, who served as last year's president of the Jewish Students' Association at the University of Winnipeg, takes over as program director at UBC.

Across the province, staff will be assisted by Anat Fuxinboim, a Jewish Agency shlichah (emissary) who works jointly with Hillel and Habonim Dror. The four new staffers will work with Pat Johnson, who transitions to a new role this year. Johnson, a frequent contributor and former staffer of this newspaper, helped develop the messaging and infrastructure for the capital campaign and will continue to support fundraising efforts as the capital campaign enters its final phase, but will now manage programming staff on all three campuses.

The new Hillel House will serve Jewish students at UBC, Lichtmann said, as well as provide headquarters for Hillel's work throughout British Columbia and a new venue for community celebrations. With the only kosher kitchen on campus, Hillel will be a much-needed provider of kosher food to the UBC community. The presence of a kosher kitchen adjacent to most of the campus's main buildings could expand the university's ability to compete for a wider range of academic conferences and to serve better the diversity of delegates and visitors who come to UBC throughout the year for every variety of events, said the executive director.

Hillel's capital campaign began in December 2006, when Israel's 10th prime minister, Ehud Barak, was the keynote speaker at a gala campaign launch. This year, on Sunday, Dec. 7, the community will gather again at a glittering "town and gown" celebration to hear the results of that campaign, celebrate the commencement of construction and mark 60 years of Jewish engagement and empowerment. The evening will honor the business leader and philanthropist Moe Samuel, a great friend of Hillel.

"We're asking the community to mark their calendars and come celebrate with us on Dec. 7," Lichtmann said. "This will be one of the most memorable evenings in the long history of Hillel in British Columbia. There will be a litany of historic achievements to inspire, a breathtaking location and a guest speaker – we're not saying who yet – to knock your socks off."

More information about Vancouver Hillel, the capital campaign and the Dec. 7 gala celebration is online at www.vancouverhillel.ca.

Pat Johnson is, among other things, managing director, programs and communications, for the Vancouver Hillel Foundation.

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