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New Hillel director plans expanded programming
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By JENNIFER DADDARIO, Staff Reporter
As Jewish students at Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College and other area colleges return to campus this fall, many may find it harder to ignore the call of getting involved at their on-campus Hillel.
Gary Coleman, new executive director at The Cleveland Hillel Foundation, promises there will be many changes to increase Hillel’s visibility and provide students with a variety of enticing new programs and events.
Serving three different Jewish communities on three different campuses is one of the “different challenges” Coleman, 50, is looking forward to. “Each (college) has different kinds of cultures, so Hillel at each of those places has to be different,” he says.
Coleman was the founding director of Hillel in Binghamton, N.Y., for six years before moving with his family to Shaker Heights in July to begin his new position. “Professionally, I was ready for a new challenge,” he admits. “(In New York) we built a very nice program, something that was really a part of the campus culture, and I’m ready to do something new.”
Building the Binghamton Hillel from the ground up was part of the reason Coleman impressed the Cleveland Hillel board of trustees, says president Scott Siegel. “Hillel in Binghamton won a number of national honors because of how good a program they have. We were impressed by (Coleman’s) skills in terms of doing that and his true desire to work with Jewish students.”
In 2006, Federation’s budget committee singled out The Cleveland Hillel Foundation, along with other agencies that require long-term planning, to weather financial difficulties. Hillel was tasked with strengthening its board of trustees, establishing a strategic plan, replacing retiring executive director Marcia Bloomberg, and formulating an aggressive fundraising plan.
The Cleveland Hillel Foundation serves Case, CSU and Oberlin as well as providing some resources to local universities such as John Carroll University, Notre Dame College and Ursuline College.
With Coleman’s arrival, Hillel has already begun discussions on how they can be more innovative, develop new partners and allies, and enhance fundraising. He has already begun working with foundations to create relationships and increase the grants Hillel receives. “I want to know that in a couple of years we are in a better financial situation,” Coleman says.
Increasing the visibility of Hillel not only on each campus, but to the general Jewish community, is another important goal of Coleman’s. He plans to get more information about future events into local media and will also meet with Jewish organizations to highlight events or programs of special interest to them.
With CSU’s student body of mostly commuter students, raising the profile of the Hillel there is another challenge. Although much of the campus is under construction now, Coleman would like to see a “Hillel space” either on or near the campus in upcoming years.
With a high graduate student population, particularly at CSU and CWRU, Hillel is working on reaching out to those older students through events geared to their interests. Coleman plans more social events (like potluck Shabbat dinners), educational programming for graduate students, bringing in speakers who are successful in different professions. Hillel will also focus on subjects that will be of interest to students in specific fields, such as a series on medical ethics for medical students.
A graduate student-alumni mentoring program had already begun before Coleman arrived, and he hopes to help it grow. Hillel will continue to match law students with alumni to create relationships and mentoring opportunities.
Coleman also wants to reach out to Jewish students who attend universities out of town, but return home to Cleveland for the summer. “In the summer, there are a couple thousand Jewish students who are here and really aren’t doing anything as a group,” he notes. Hillel is hoping to offer these students programs and internships, helping them to learn about the Cleveland Jewish community.
“It’s another way to connect young students to the community,” Coleman says. “We want to be a resource in Cleveland for summer social events.”
The new executive director is looking forward to sending more students on birthright israel trips, bringing more Israeli speakers to campus, and creating more Israel culture programming. He also wants to create a connection between The Cleveland Hillel Foundation and the Hillel in St. Petersburg, Russia. St. Petersburg has a long-standing working relationship with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.
During his tenure at Binghamton Hillel, Coleman worked with students who helped rebuild Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He hopes to send a group of Cleveland students there as well.
“And if a group of students wants to have an area basketball or volleyball team, Hillel will sponsor that,” he adds. “It’s just a matter of creating a wider variety of programs.”
Coleman’s fresh ideas for Hillel have already impressed Siegel. “In the short time he’s been here, I have found him to be a very quick study,” he says. “He’s really jumped in with both feet and rolled up his sleeves. I think he’s doing a great job already.”
jdaddario@cjn.org
Gary Coleman, new executive director at The Cleveland Hillel Foundation, promises there will be many changes to increase Hillel’s visibility and provide students with a variety of enticing new programs and events.
Serving three different Jewish communities on three different campuses is one of the “different challenges” Coleman, 50, is looking forward to. “Each (college) has different kinds of cultures, so Hillel at each of those places has to be different,” he says.
Coleman was the founding director of Hillel in Binghamton, N.Y., for six years before moving with his family to Shaker Heights in July to begin his new position. “Professionally, I was ready for a new challenge,” he admits. “(In New York) we built a very nice program, something that was really a part of the campus culture, and I’m ready to do something new.”
Building the Binghamton Hillel from the ground up was part of the reason Coleman impressed the Cleveland Hillel board of trustees, says president Scott Siegel. “Hillel in Binghamton won a number of national honors because of how good a program they have. We were impressed by (Coleman’s) skills in terms of doing that and his true desire to work with Jewish students.”
In 2006, Federation’s budget committee singled out The Cleveland Hillel Foundation, along with other agencies that require long-term planning, to weather financial difficulties. Hillel was tasked with strengthening its board of trustees, establishing a strategic plan, replacing retiring executive director Marcia Bloomberg, and formulating an aggressive fundraising plan.
The Cleveland Hillel Foundation serves Case, CSU and Oberlin as well as providing some resources to local universities such as John Carroll University, Notre Dame College and Ursuline College.
With Coleman’s arrival, Hillel has already begun discussions on how they can be more innovative, develop new partners and allies, and enhance fundraising. He has already begun working with foundations to create relationships and increase the grants Hillel receives. “I want to know that in a couple of years we are in a better financial situation,” Coleman says.
Increasing the visibility of Hillel not only on each campus, but to the general Jewish community, is another important goal of Coleman’s. He plans to get more information about future events into local media and will also meet with Jewish organizations to highlight events or programs of special interest to them.
With CSU’s student body of mostly commuter students, raising the profile of the Hillel there is another challenge. Although much of the campus is under construction now, Coleman would like to see a “Hillel space” either on or near the campus in upcoming years.
With a high graduate student population, particularly at CSU and CWRU, Hillel is working on reaching out to those older students through events geared to their interests. Coleman plans more social events (like potluck Shabbat dinners), educational programming for graduate students, bringing in speakers who are successful in different professions. Hillel will also focus on subjects that will be of interest to students in specific fields, such as a series on medical ethics for medical students.
A graduate student-alumni mentoring program had already begun before Coleman arrived, and he hopes to help it grow. Hillel will continue to match law students with alumni to create relationships and mentoring opportunities.
Coleman also wants to reach out to Jewish students who attend universities out of town, but return home to Cleveland for the summer. “In the summer, there are a couple thousand Jewish students who are here and really aren’t doing anything as a group,” he notes. Hillel is hoping to offer these students programs and internships, helping them to learn about the Cleveland Jewish community.
“It’s another way to connect young students to the community,” Coleman says. “We want to be a resource in Cleveland for summer social events.”
The new executive director is looking forward to sending more students on birthright israel trips, bringing more Israeli speakers to campus, and creating more Israel culture programming. He also wants to create a connection between The Cleveland Hillel Foundation and the Hillel in St. Petersburg, Russia. St. Petersburg has a long-standing working relationship with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.
During his tenure at Binghamton Hillel, Coleman worked with students who helped rebuild Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He hopes to send a group of Cleveland students there as well.
“And if a group of students wants to have an area basketball or volleyball team, Hillel will sponsor that,” he adds. “It’s just a matter of creating a wider variety of programs.”
Coleman’s fresh ideas for Hillel have already impressed Siegel. “In the short time he’s been here, I have found him to be a very quick study,” he says. “He’s really jumped in with both feet and rolled up his sleeves. I think he’s doing a great job already.”
jdaddario@cjn.org
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