Hillel International has announced the awarding of a grant of up to $1.3 Million by the Maimonides Fund.

This award, in concert with local funding, will support a new Hillel initiative to substantially increase the number of Jewish educators available to engage and teach Jewish students on campuses across North America. The Engage2Educate program will fund the recruitment, training, and retention of more than 30 talented educators over the next three years. The new engagement professionals will serve as Jewish role models to college students and provide deep Jewish content and experiences.

Inspired by the success of Hillel’s Senior Jewish Educators program, the new Engage2Educate initiative broadens the number of Hillel professionals who will be trained and equipped to lead students in Jewish conversations and learning.

“Hillel’s success in inspiring students to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life rests on the talent, knowledge, and skill of our professional staff,” said Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of Hillel International. “Engage2Educate will ensure that more campuses have dedicated young professionals with strong Jewish backgrounds to engage the student population. This has the potential not only to expose more Jewish college students to the richness and depth of Jewish life and tradition, but also to create a new cadre of educators for the broader Jewish community.”

Mark Charendoff, president of the Maimonides Fund, said, “By recruiting young people with a deep commitment to, and knowledge of, Jewish life we hope that every student who walks through Hillel’s doors will have a Jewish experience stewarded by a talented and knowledgeable professional. The professionals who are recruited and who receive the fruits of this training and guidance will more effectively serve Hillel and the broader Jewish community throughout their careers.”