July 16, 2018 – Denver, CO – Hillel International, Hillel of Colorado and JEWISHcolorado announced today that an historic collaboration of their organizations will birth an independent CU Boulder Hillel. Seth Reder will be the new entity’s first Executive Director.
Hillel of Colorado has historically funded and managed CU Boulder Hillel as one of its three main campuses (along with the University of Denver Hillel and the Colorado State University Hillel in Ft. Collins). A crucial part of the strategic plan written by Daniel W. Bennett, Hillel of Colorado’s Executive Director, and adopted by Hillel of Colorado’s board in 2016, was to facilitate the development of CU Boulder Hillel into a top-40 Hillel, which its 2500 Jewish students indicate it should be. An independent Boulder Hillel, governed by its host community and alumni, is better positioned to achieve the goals of that plan.
Hillel of Colorado board chair, Ed Barad, announced that Hillel of Colorado’s hard work these past two years is beginning to pay off in many ways. Barad cited this past June’s conclusion of Hillel of Colorado’s best fundraising year and first balanced budget since at least 2009, solid student engagement metrics and programming at all of its campuses, and a newly-constituted business board and board of directors with deep philanthropic experience that will move Hillel’s mission rapidly forward – in addition to this groundbreaking partnership for CU Boulder.
Barad said: “Through this exciting collaboration, Hillel of Colorado and Boulder Hillel are now both positioned to better serve Colorado’s more 5,000 Jewish college students. We are fortunate to have both Daniel W. Bennett as Executive Director of Hillel Colorado and Seth Reder as CU Boulder Executive Director. We are looking forward to both Hillels continuing the momentum Bennett has built through community engagement, excellent programming, sound finances, and extraordinary leadership.
“I have begun working with Seth Reder and look forward to having a colleague of his caliber and passion taking the helm of this new Boulder-based organization,” Bennett said. “Our staff and board will assist Seth in any way we can as together we nurture the Jewish journeys of our Colorado college students who will become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders.”
CU Boulder Hillel will be financially supported for its first two years by a partnership of Hillel International, an anonymous donor, and Hillel of Colorado. JEWISHcolorado will provide technical support for this new entity until it can sustain itself and will work closely with Hillel International to create an organization that will bring robust programming to CU Boulder’s Jewish students. JEWISHcolorado, owner of the CU Boulder Hillel House, is pleased to support CU Boulder Hillel as part of its mission to engage the next generation in being Jewish, and will also assist the new entity with board development, management, and back office support.
Reder comes to CU Boulder Hillel from Hillel International, where he has served as Associate Director of Leadership Programs for its professional development department, Hillel U. He managed the ACCELERATE: Weinberg Executive Training Program for aspiring Hillel Executive Directors and oversaw a year-long comprehensive onboarding program for all new Hillel professionals. Originally from the small town of Boring, Oregon (and yes, that’s its real name), Reder has worked in various educational capacities, both domestically and in Israel, and has taught and facilitated leadership courses at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to his work with Hillel U, he worked as the Director of Jewish Student Life at Central Florida Hillel and spent a year in Netanya, Israel as a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow.
“I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this exciting new chapter as the Executive Director of CU Boulder Hillel,” Reder said. “I look forward to working closely with CU Boulder students, staff, faculty, and community members alike to enrich the lives of every Jewish student on campus. With my team, we will continue to inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and their personal relationship to Israel. Noah Herreid will continue in his current role as Program Director. This consistency, as well as Noah’s trademark enthusiasm, will certainly contribute to a successful transition. “
About Hillel International
Founded in 1923, Hillel has been enriching the lives of Jewish students for more than 90 years. Today, Hillel International is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. Hillel is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities, and inspires them to direct their own path. During their formative college years, students are challenged to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.
For more information visit Hillel.org.
About JEWISHcolorado
JEWISHcolorado is the umbrella community organization focused on stewarding and strengthening the Jewish community in Colorado, Israel and around the world. Since 1946, the organization has provided programs and services that embrace all Jews at every age and stage in life. In matters of daily living and in times of crisis, we act with compassion, competence and resourcefulness to impact the safety and well-being of Jews everywhere. For more information visit JEWISHcolorado.org.
About Hillel of Colorado
Hillel of Colorado one of over 500 North American affiliates of Hillel International, is the Jewish home-away-from-home for over 1,000 Jewish students at the University of Denver and at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins – with outreach to students at a dozen other colleges in metro-Denver and northern Colorado. Founded in the early 1950’s, Hillel of Colorado provides students with a safe place to learn, socialize, celebrate, act, hone their Jewish values, travel to Israel – and develop the all-important skills and contacts to enable them to become tomorrow’s community leaders. Student-run and staff supported activities – from weekly Shabbat dinners to social justice trips to assist disaster victims – connect Jewish students with mentors, with Jewish tradition and with each other as they navigate the often-rocky transition from the Jewish world of childhood to that of Jewish adulthood. For more information visit Hillelcolorado.org.