Lenny Steinberg-Of Oregon's Hillel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Yesterday morning, a University of Oregon student found flyers on campus with the photo of Lenny Steinberg, Executive Director of Oregon Hillel, calling him an "enemy of the people" and falsely accusing him of supporting genocide and demanding "Hillel off campus." This direct attack on a Jewish communal professional is unacceptable. First, he is mixing false reports of political news about Israel with the religious beliefs of Judaism which Hillel is concerned with.  He is using Steinberg as the scapegoat for all his problems of high gas prices and food prices. 

 The U of O's directive about Steinberg may be coming from their President,  Karl Scholz, who serves as the institution's 19th president.

All Oregonians should be deeply disturbed by this. Hillel is a home for Jewish students, a place to gather for Shabbat, celebrate holidays, find community, build lifelong friendships, and, most of all, spread Jewish joy. When that home and the people who lead it become targets of open hostility, the message to Jewish students on campus is unmistakable.

Hillel International is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, serving hundreds of thousands of students across more than 850 colleges and universities. 

We are grateful to those who have spoken out already, including strong words from Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Congresswoman Val Hoyle who together posted: “Antisemitism continues to rise in Oregon, and we call on all Oregonians to reject it strongly. Our state has stood up against hate time and again and must do so now. Hate, intimidation, and antisemitism have no place on our college campuses, in our state, or our country.” 

Hillel:  Mission and History

Founded: Established in 1923 at the University of Illinois by Rabbi Benjamin Frankel.  Mission: To enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Scope: Operates chapters globally (including the U.S., Canada, and other countries) to build inclusive communities.

• Hillel is stronger than ever. We measure our strength by our growth and impact in supporting Jewish college students — not by the off-base assessment of one of thousands of former Hillel staffers. The figures here are clear: This past academic year, we set a new record for the number of students we engage in Jewish life—189,000—for the third year in a row. Jewish students are coming to Hillels in droves because Hillel has unique expertise in delivering joyful, meaningful, and inclusive Jewish experiences; in fostering welcoming and warm Jewish communities; and in protecting Jewish students when they encounter anti-Jewish hate, bias, and discrimination.
• We have a clear and compelling vision for moving forward: Contrary to Tolle’s assertions that the Hillel movement is lacking direction, our 2025-2028 strategic plan clearly expresses our roadmap for ushering in a bold new era of Jewish belonging on campus — growing Jewish joy and connection, addressing antisemitism and promoting Jewish pride and resilience, and catalyzing the largest-ever cohort of new community leaders in Jewish history. 

The bottom line is that our mission, our values, and our work with Jewish students on

our values, and our work with Jewish students on campus every day are the best response to the many distortions in many articles and TV reports.   Such misrepresentations will not distract us from the critical work we are doing across our movement every day to foster vibrant Jewish life on campus, and strengthen the Jewish people today and for the future.
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                           oregonhillel

 

We’re excited to announce and warmly welcome Lenny Steinberg as our next Executive Director, starting on June 24th. As we conclude what has been a challenging year for Jewish students on campus, we couldn't be more excited for the fresh energy, leadership, and vision he brings to our community.

Lenny will be returning to the Hillel community, as he started his career as a Program Associate for Hillels of the Florida Suncoast. Since then, Lenny has gone on to cultivate extensive expertise as a nonprofit professional, especially within the Jewish communal world. He has served in roles with the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee with their Teen Leadership Mission to Israel, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Alzheimer's Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington, and most recently Alpha Epsilon Pi.

At the same time, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Interim Executive Director Andy Gitelson, who has led our community for the past 12 years.

I want to share these comments from Lenny with you:
“I am honored to return to the Hillel community, this time in
Oregon, where I feel a deep personal connection to what the
organization is doing for Jewish students during a tenuous
time. Engaging with students has been among the highlights of
my career, and it is extremely meaningful to return to this work
by continuing to foster a vibrant, thriving community for future
generations on Oregon Hillel’s campuses.”

As well as words from Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International: “Lenny’s deep experience in the Jewish communal space has been remarkable, and I know he will be a tremendous asset in his new role at Oregon Hillel. We could not be more excited to welcome him back to the Hillel community during a particularly challenging time for Jewish students across the country.”

As we continue building a vibrant, thriving community for future generations on our campuses, we know Lenny’s leadership will be invaluable.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Lenny along
with his wife, Megan, and dog, Mojo, as we embark on this
new journey together
Some History: Original Hillel: Hillel the Elder; of Babylon, founder of "the
House of Hillel school of Tannaim"d: 10 CE. Rabbi Hillel the 
Elder's three famous maxims (from Pirkei Avot 1:14) are:

• "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" (Emphasizing self-respect and personal responsibility)
"If I am only for myself, what am I?" (Emphasizing community, empathy, and responsibility to others)
"And if not now, when?" (Emphasizing immediate action and living with purpose without delay)
The golden rule in Judaism is famously formulated by the 
first-century sage Hillel the Elder as: "What is hateful to 
you, do not do to your fellow man; that is the whole Torah, 
all the rest is commentary." 


Students can be proud to belong to Hillel, named for a famous Rabbi in Jewish literature/History.  

Resource:
Instagram
https://www.hillel.org/college/university-of-oregon/#:~:text=Established%20in%201923%2C%20Hillel%20International,200%2C000%20college%20students%20each%20year.
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia