Staff

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• Yael Cohen, Manager, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

  Yael Cohen
  310-208-3081x400
  yael@uclahillel.org
  
  

  Yael Cohen is the Manager of our very own in-house Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, where students meet and study while enjoying a handcrafted drink and friendly service!  Yael was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She graduated from the University of Kansas with a BFA in Jewelry Design, but found her love of customer service working in the restaurant industry. She eventually followed her future husband, Craig, to Los Angeles in 2000 when he moved here for his career in the film and television industry. After a few years as Assistant Manager at various restaurants and for a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf corporate store, Yael came to Hillel in 2005 for an opportunity to run her own Coffee Bean and to interact with young Jewish students who share her interest in Jewish life.  Yael is an avid Jayhawks fan, and she and Craig have two beautiful daughters: Greta, who was born on August 25, 2008, and Irie, who was born on April 28, 2010.

• Hilari Egar, Assistant to the Finance & Facilities Manager

  Hilari Egar
  310-208-3081 x218
  Hilari@uclahillel.org

  Hilari was born and raised in Southern California; she currently lives in Santa Monica with her 10 year old 18 lbs cat Cody, her pride and joy. When she is not running the coffee bean & tea leaf as their assistant mgr, you will find her taking care of the building as the assistant to the finance and facility manager. She is the go to person for all of Hillel’s needs. "On my very 1st day, I felt like part of a family, the way I was welcomed by the staff was great. And now its 2 years later and the family bond is even stronger. It’s the best job I have ever had, working for hillel, it really is like being a part of a family; my Hillel family"

• Charlene Green, Special Projects Director

  

  Charlene@uclahillel.org

  Charlene Green was born in Toronto, Canada, but soon after moved with her family to the United States. Charlene has lived in several States and has also spent a year living in Israel.  She recently got married and moved to Los Angeles, to be with her husband, after living and working in San Diego running a Youth Department and creating and developing a Judaic High School program. She has been working with Leadership Development over the last 10 years in a variety of non-profit and corporate organizations.  Charlene has almost completed her Master’s in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego, where she has combined Peace and Leadership Studies, focusing on dialogue and group relations, to gain a global understanding of group work.  Charlene is thrilled to be a part of the UCLA Hillel staffing team and is excited to put her passion of teaching key values of leadership into practice by continuing to find creative ways to place theories into practice.

• Sydney Henning

  

  Email: sydney.henning@gmail.com

  Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sydney graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Political Science and Journalism in 2003. Immediately after graduating, she spent four months in Israel studying at an Ulpan in Haifa and enjoying her first experience in the Jewish homeland. After returning to the U.S., she became professionally involved in national politics and, shortly thereafter, became a nationwide community organizer for one of the largest labor unions in America, AFSCME . In 2006, she decided that she would like to continue community organizing, but within a Jewish context. She moved to New York in February of that year to become the Director of National Initiatives for Birthright Israel’s Alumni Association, now known as Birthright Israel NEXT. She worked with unaffiliated young adults who were looking to deepen their connection to their Jewish roots. The experience she had with these young adults through Birthright Israel was priceless and eventually inspired her to apply to rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Now in her 4th year at the College-Institute, Sydney is the recipient of the coveted Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship. She brings to UCLA Hillel her passion for Jewish Education, spirituality, and young adult engagement as well as her diverse background, having been the Student Rabbi for Temple Beth Torah in Ridgecrest, California, Temple Shaaray Tefila and Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City and Shwayder Camp in Denver Colorado.

• Neri Johnson, Israel Program Coordinator

  Neri Johnson
  310-208-3081 x 105
  Israel@uclahillel.org

  Neri was born to an Israeli mother and a Swedish father, and her early years were spent on a "moshav" in southern Israel. Later on the family moved to the big city of Tel Aviv – and it was love at first sight. As a soldierette Neri had a unique job, serving on the IDF Spokesperson Unit, accompanying foreign journalists on different missions. Neri studied Political Science and International Relations, and worked as a news editor for "Walla," Israel's leading news website. She has also worked for Israeli TV's 'Channel 2' as website manager for different television programs, and wrote music reviews for a music portal. Neri is an avid vegetarian. In her spare time she enjoys painting, reading, traveling and going to the beach like a true Tel Avivian.

• Rabbi Aryeh & Sharona Kaplan, JLIC - Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus

  Rabbi Aryeh 310-208-3081 x102
  rabbiaryeh@uclahillel.org

   

   

   

   

  Sharona Kaplan 310-208-3081x102
  sharona@uclahillel.org

   

   

   

   

   

  Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan and Sharona Kaplan, MSW are serving in their eighth year as the JLIC couple at UCLA.  Originally from Teaneck, NJ, the Kaplans – who met in High School - lead a vibrant student community at Hillel, offering an exciting diversity of individual study sessions, interactive learning experiences and formal classes. Aryeh and Sharona live in Westwood and, along with their four young children, spend every Shabbat on campus and spearhead Hillel’s holiday services and celebrations.  Bringing with them expansive experience in Jewish education, programming, community building and engagement, the Kaplans’ warmth, sincerity and passion attracts and inspires students and community members alike.  The Kaplans are sought after mentors, teaching brides and grooms before their weddings, escorting students through an array of defining life cycle events and offering advice and personal counsel to students.  JLIC, the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, is a national partnership between Hillel and the Orthodox Union that places an Orthodox, Rabbinic couple on select campuses to serve as Torah Educators and mentors for Jewish students. For more information about JLIC, go to www.jliconline.org. 

• Perla Karney, Artistic Director

  Perla Karney
  310-208-3081x108
  perla@uclahillel.org
  
  Perla is in her 8th year as the artistic director of the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel where she has transformed the center into a vibrant, popular destination for students and the Jewish community seeking art and culture. Perla presents nine art exhibits every year in over two thousand square feet of gallery space at Hillel. In addition, she mentors student artists, showcases emerging artists, introduces documentaries, book authors and coordinates the Hillel lecture series. Perla was born and raised in Bavaria, Germany. She left her home town of Munich as a teenager and was educated in the United States, Canada, Switzerland and Paris. She returned permanently to the United States for her college education (BA from UCLA, graduate work in English Lit. at Loyola Marymount University). Before taking the position as artistic director at Hillel at UCLA Perla was a successful theater producer in Los Angeles bringing such plays as "Woman in Mind" with Helen Mirren to the stage as well as many other West Coast premieres. In addition to being the Vice-President of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, Perla sits on the board of the UCLA Fowler Museum Arts Council and is a founding member of the Temple of the Arts.

• Jason Leivenberg, Engagement Director

  Jason Leivenberg
  310-208-3081 x106
  Jason@uclahillel.org
  
  Jason was born and raised a die-hard Dodger and Laker fan in Sherman Oaks, CA. He received his BA in Sociology and Mass Communications from University of California, Berkeley, with an emphasis on social change through media. Jason learned the importance of Jewish community and social justice in his leadership roles with Berkeley Hillel, coordinating immersion experiences to the Gulf Coast and engagement initiatives on and off campus. In his Junior year, Jason discovered his love for travel where spent one semester in Rome, studying art history, marketing and organized a Passover Seder for students studying abroad in Europe. Jason spent this past year working in Santa Barbara as the Engagement and Outreach Associate at Santa Barbara Hillel, helping students at UCSB and SBCC initiate engagement opportunities for the local Jewish community. Recently, Jason was selected to be a Jeremiah Fellow with the Progressive Jewish Alliance in Los Angeles, in his quest to bring social justice to the world. Jason is excited to be back in LA with his family, friends and dog, Moose!

• DeAnne Millais, Development & Marketing Manager

  DeAnne Millais
  310-208-3081 x214
   DeAnne@uclahillel.org
  
  A proud Bruin, DeAnne has over twelve years experience in event production, marketing and administration. After graduating from UCLA in 1997, she spent six years as an event producer, planning sales meetings, incentive trips, galas and other programs for a variety of corporate clients. In 2003, DeAnne stepped away from the event industry for four years during which time she was the PR and Administration Manager for Appleton & Associates, Inc. - Architects where she worked closely with Principal Marc Appleton, handled all public relations and marketing efforts, and coordinated two books projects: California Mediterranean by Marc Appleton & Melba Levick (Rizzoli, 2007) and New Classicists: Appleton & Associates by Marc Appleton (Images Publishing Group, 2008). Additionally, she worked alongside Mr. Appleton to develop the Southern California Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America - a non-profit dedicated to the appreciation and advancement of classicism in architecture and the allied arts. In 2007, DeAnne returned to event production, working this time for non-profit and entertainment clients producing a variety of golf tournaments, auctions and galas – and even worked on a Rose Parade float! At the same time, she found her way to Hillel, where she managed a variety of projects leading to a full-time position in 2009. When she’s not at Hillel, DeAnne enjoys studying experience design, going to the theater, and obsessing over LOST.

• Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Executive Director

  Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller
  310-208-3081 x103
  rabbichaim@uclahillel.org

  Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller is in his 37th year at UCLA Hillel as director. He previously served as Hillel Director at Ohio State and as Rabbi of Congregation Ahavat Achim, New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was ordained in 1971 at Yeshiva University where he also earned a Masters Degree in Rabbinic Literature. He has taught Kabbalah and Talmud at the University of Judaism, is a Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, and is a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Wilstein Institute for Social Policy. He is also a member of the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and is a Lehman Faculty Fellow at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute. He loves the constant challenges presented by students who consistently and persistently ask the most interesting questions. He is a known book collector and is married to Dr. Doreen Seidler-Feller, a clinical psychologist, and is the father of Shulie who studies photography at NYU and Shaul, planning to go to Yeshiva.

• Lauren Trexler, Program Fellow

  Lauren Trexler

  Lauren currently is in her last year of the Jewish Nonprofit Management masters program at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She was raised in Tallahassee, Florida and attended the College of Charleston in South Carolina where she studied Comparative Religious Studies. After college, she volunteered two years in AmeriCorps*NCCC serving communities in the nine western most states and AmeriCorps*VISTA serving at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming. Before returning to graduate school she rediscovered her passion for her Judaism while working at a small synagogue in Vancouver, Washington as the Religious School and Congregational Coordinator. In her free time Lauren loves to cook and entertain. Lauren is very excited to be part of UCLA Hillel for the 2011-2012!

• Raul Subia, Finance & Facility Manager

  Raul Subia

  310-208-3081x222
   
  
  raul@uclahillel.org

• Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Director of Jewish Life & Senior Jewish Educator

  Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz
  310-208-3081x104
  Rabbi_Shmuly@uclahillel.org
  
  

  Rabbi Shmuly studied at the University of Texas as an undergraduate, at Harvard University for a Masters in Leadership and Psychology, completed a second Masters degree in Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University and is now a Doctoral candidate at Columbia University in Moral Development and Epistemology. Shmuly was ordained as a Rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah where he studied as a Wexner Graduate Fellow and also received a second rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the Chief Rabbi of Efrat and a third rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo of Jerusalem. As a global social justice educator, he has volunteered, taught, and staffed missions in many countries including Israel, Ghana, India, France, Thailand, El Salvador, Senegal, Germany, Ukraine, and Haiti. Shmuly is the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, a national Jewish social justice organization. A film crew followed Shmuly for over a year to produce a PBS documentary (“The Calling”) about the training of religious leadership was aired on national television in December 2010. In 2008, the Jewish Week recognized Shmuly as one of “36 under 36” (one of 36 of the most influential Jewish leaders under the age of 36). In 2009, the UJC named Shmuly one of five “Jewish Community Heroes.” You can follow Shmuly’s writings in his bi-weekly column in the Jewish Week called “Street Torah.”  Shmuly and his wife, Shoshana, live in Los Angeles.

• Rachael Petru Horowitz, Director of Development

  Rachael Petru Horowitz
  310-208-3081 x 213
  rachael@uclahillel.org