Hillel Elects New Leaders

Campus Jewish organization Hillel, Columbia’s largest student group, has elected its new executive board.

301 Hillel members turned out, electing Emily Steinberger, CC ’10, Josh Weiss, CC ’10, and Marit Pearlman Shapiro, CC ’10, to the positions of president, vice president of initiatives, and social chair respectively.

“I’m thrilled and really looking forward to working with the Jewish community on campus” said Steinberger. Her two priorities for her tenure are “[improving] the Hillel atmosphere so students feel they have a niche in which they feel comfortable” and “interfaith and intercultural initiatives”.

Steinberger, who has already been working on interfaith and intercultural initiatives, believes they are “particularly important with what happened on campus regarding bias incidents.”

“We’re seeking a more pro-active position in which different cultures and religions come together, not in response to incidents but preemptively ... our campus is lacking a broader sense of community.”

According to Weiss’ proposal some potential events include an “interfaith feast, Hin-Jew dinner: Bagels and Curry, Jewish-Buddhist Meditation, and Battle of the Ethic Bands”.

Shapiro, who ran uncontested for the social chair position, hopes to see Hillel step up its role as a social network. “What do I expect for social next year?” she wrote in her statement. “Fabulous flashy events: think Hillel Formal meets laser tag and then goes to a Broadway show.”