Middlebury Hillel Board Members
~Spring 2024~
Simon Leiderman is a Sophomore Feb from River Forest, Illinois. He is majoring in International and Global Studies with a concentration in Global Security and minoring in History. He is also a Rohatyn Global fellow. When not tooling around the Jewish Center with Hillel or being a scholar and a gentleman, he can be found on the volleyball court, soccer field, sailing the vast waters all over North America, or giving tours across Midd. Simon is so excited to see you on Friday evenings and around campus, and looks forward to holding meaningful conversations and making long-lasting Jewish memories!
Jeffrey Bolnick, ’24
Jeffrey (he/him) is a senior Molecular Biology & Biochemistry major from Long Island, NY, who you may have previously known as rituals chair or co-president. Outside of Hillel, he proudly works as a medical assistant at Porter Hospital and as a research assistant in a biology lab. He simultaneously is a fierce food critic and has the palate of a six-year old. As such, you can almost always find him in Proc eating mac and cheese, chicken tenders, pasta with butter, or a finely-crafted ice cream sundae. He is officially washed up as the oldest member on board by a long shot, but is nevertheless pumped for his sixth (!!) and final semester on board!
Likes: chocolate, his dog Hank, Rangers hockey, taking joy rides, maple creemees, ping pong, long dinners with friends/family
Dislikes: waking up early, dessert with fruit in it, non-NY bagels
FIC Manager, Secretary
Thea Rosenzweig ’26
Thea Rosenzweig is a member of the class of 2026 from Bryn Mawr, PA (just outside of Philadelphia!). She is a double major in Classics (huuuuge fan of the Roman Empire) and Environmental Policy. Thea is also a member of the Varsity field hockey team and is the VP of Finance for The Women’s Network at Middlebury. She will always choose the beach over the mountains (hot take at Midd!) and loves the ocean wholeheartedly. Thea is a strong advocate that Ross is the best dining hall, and Proc is the worst, while Atwater is an acceptable choice. She is excited to be on board, is always looking to make new friends, and cannot wait to share her love of Judaism with those around her!
Meals Chairs
Charlie Fisch ‘26
Charlie Fisch (they/he) is a sophomore from Redwood City, CA. They are a Political Science and Chinese minor, moonlights as a writer for the Middlebury Campus, and a member of club swim. Otherwise, you can often spot Charlie wandering around the Middlebury Co-op. Charlie grew up cooking with his dad and is excited to take on a third semester as meals chair. They are planning to make Sushi Shabbat pt. 3 a rousing success. Despite their position as meals chair, Charlie has an extremely low tolerance for onion juices (see photo). While their meals may be lacking in alliums, they are very much looking forward to being a part of Hillel this semester!
Ella Gincherman ’27
Tzedek Chairs
Evie Happel, ’26
Evie (she/her) is a sophomore from Natick, Massachusetts. She is a statistics major, and hopes to minor in education and/or psychology. She is currently teaching Hebrew School at the Middlebury Havurah, marking about 7 years into following the path of her mother, a celebrity in the northeast Jewish professional community. Evie is so excited to be on board as a programming chair and to be a frequent recipient of the question “Can you lead services this week?” She hopes to see you every Friday night for the time of your life.
Zev is a Freshman from Cleveland, Ohio. He intends to major in Arabic and International and Global Studies, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. Outside of being a new Hillel board member, Zev loves watching and playing soccer (Come on You Spurs!), watching films, playing bass and guitar, and getting mad at people who can’t tell the difference between a bass and a guitar. He is excited to actively participate in the Middlebury Jewish community and connect with Jewish students, as he hopes to foster a strong Jewish community on campus where all forms of Jewish identity are celebrated.
Shayah Kosak (he/him) is a freshman from Portland, OR. He intends on double majoring in Conservation Biology and Spanish. Outside of his classes and Hillel, he is a Rohatyn Global Scholar, teaches English to a migrant farmer, and has attained celebrity status at the Spanish Language Table. Shayah loves being in nature, and will always be down for an impromptu walk in the woods. He is excited to be a part of Hillel board, and only hopes that people will stop telling him to become a Rabbi like his father.
Tess is a freshman from Abington, PA (about 10 miles outside of Philly)! While undecided about her major, Tess is particularly passionate about linguistics and sociology. When asked to describe herself, Tess stated that she is fiercely unathletic (a proud alumni of her high school chess team), an overalls enthusiast, and word game fanatic. She spends her summers as a counselor for young adults with disabilities. She is most excited to welcome new hillel members and cultivate a supportive jewish environment.
Real People
~Forever~
Associate Chaplain/Rabbi
Rabbi Danielle Stillman
Rabbi Danielle (she/her) is excited to be the Jewish Chaplain at Middlebury. She has previously worked as Jewish Chaplain at Lehigh University, Ursinus College, and as a program director at Harvard Hillel. She holds rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, a Master in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a BA in Religion from Oberlin College. Danielle has traveled and lived in Israel, India, Nepal, Tibet and a few other fabulous countries. Her Jewish practice is infused with mindfulness and an emphasis on the Jewish traditions which connect us to the Earth. She would love to have tea with you to discuss all this and more, so please be in touch!
Rabbi Emeritus
Ira Schiffer
Ira Schiffer was the Associate Chaplain/Rabbi at Middlebury College for many years. He and his family arrived in Middlebury in June 2001 after a five-year adventure living in the north of Israel, where Ira was involved with community building and Arab-Jewish coexistence programs. Prior to that, he served congregations in Newark, Delaware and Baltimore, Maryland for a period of nineteen years.
Ira’s rabbinic training was at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; he holds a Master’s degree in the History of Religions from Brown University.
In addition to his work as Hillel Rabbi, Ira worked with the students, faculty and staff of the College in supporting religious life on campus and building bridges of understanding among the diverse groups that make up the Middlebury community.