This past week Hillel held its national conference at Washington University in St. Louis. It is the fourth year in a row that they have been on campus and this year the conference drew over 800 participants from around the world (click here to see an article about it in the Jewish Light). The event also featured the roll out of its new president and CEO, former US Congressman Eric Fingerhut. On Monday morning, Jewish Federation of St. Louis sponsored a small breakfast for Eric, hosted by St. Louis Hillel at Wash U; in the evening Eric delivered his first talk about his vision and the importance of the college years for the development of Jewish identity.
It was difficult to leave these sessions without the distinct impression that Eric “gets it” in terms of the potential of Hillel to shape the Jewish future. His prior experience as a politician, and his professional success as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents leading Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges, give him a unique skill set to move Hillel to the next level. Along with his personal warmth, engagement and charisma, the initial signs look very good for Hillel’s future as an international organization.
There is enormous potential to cultivate Jewish identity and engagement in the post-Adolescent years (18-25). College and graduate school are often the first time individuals have to explore their own identity separated from the comforts and familiarity of family. Developmentally it is a time of exploration of core ideals and values, of reflection on eternal themes, a time for individuals to start to find their own place in the story of their people. Jewish institutions like Hillel can provide that safe, intimate space for students to connect with each other at a deeper level. To say nothing of the social possibilities that these institutions can create as well.
Jewish Federation has been a long time supporter of multiple institutions in St. Louis that serve this population. Along with our annual allocation to our beneficiary agency St. Louis Hillels at Washington University, we support programs at Chabad, local congregations and through our grants to Moishe House and Next Dor. Together these form a web of intimate environments for personal exploration and connection.
Post-Adolescence is not just a great time to deepen engagement with Jewish life; it is also the time that individuals begin moving on their professional trajectory. Recognizing that here in St. Louis our college age population is disproportionately from outside of the region, Federation remains committed to helping college students envision a life in St. Louis after their college years. That will mean supporting professional development in areas that are attractive to Jewish students. This past year our own Hillel sponsored a successful gathering of local lawyers with law students to cultivate professional and personal partnerships. And at the recommendation of our Professional advisory group (one that included professional representation by Hillel), we approved a grant to fund a internship professional at Chabad simply to connect students to local professionals.
These efforts must continue within Jewish institutions and often outside of them. Federation is now exploring ways to support efforts to connect Wash U Business School students to Israel, lead by their director of undergraduate programs, Assistant Dean Steven Malter. Similarly we are looking at ways we might partner with local business and civic organizations to attract Israeli companies looking to have a North American presence. At our July Board of Directors meeting, the Federation approved a modest planning grant to partner with one of six local organizations–including BioSTL and Cortex–to develop a strategy for just this purpose. Other communities–including Baltimore and Atlanta–have been doing this to great success. As Israeli businesses expand it remains a growth area that supports economic progress here in St. Louis even as it strengthens our connection to Israel.
Such partnerships continue to advance our own strategic goals of strengthening our community by deepening Jewish engagement and helping individuals envision St. Louis as a dynamic place to start their professional lives. We wish Eric Fingerhut best wishes for a successful tenure as the CEO of the national organization. And we look forward to building on a strong foundation here at home.
