|
Ira Blum ✉
Director
he/him
Ira is honored and grateful to return to his alma mater at Muhlenberg College as Director of Hillel at the Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life.
Over the last decade, Ira has engaged one-on-one with thousands of college students, supporting them along their paths of Jewish self-authorship. Before Muhlenberg, Ira served as Assistant Director at Penn Hillel, helping to shape a vibrant and dynamic Jewish life on campus.
Ira holds dual master’s degrees in Jewish Professional Leadership and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. He is committed to the ongoing work of building enduring relationships with students, nurturing leadership and provoking emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual growth during critical years of young adulthood.
Alongside students, Ira continues to learn and grow in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, engaging students across difference. In his work empowering student exploration, he has also traveled internationally with students to Israel, Rwanda, Poland, and Germany.
Ira is committed to continued professional development and has participated in courses and certifications addressing anti-violence advocacy, mental health and wellness and restorative practices. Additionally, Ira advances the Hillel movement by mentoring colleagues, contributing to field-wide learning materials such as “Jewish Sensibilities” and teaching Springboard Social Justice and Ezra cohorts.
Ira lives in Allentown with his wife, Risa, their cat Pumpkin and their dog Daffy.
Please click here to find a time to connect.
|
|
April Cunningham ✉
Assistant Director
she/her
April has more than a decade of experience working with Jewish students at Muhlenberg Hillel. She joined the staff in 2008 as the Office Manager before being promoted to Assistant Director of The Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life. April is honored to have had the privilege of engaging with so many students throughout her time at Muhlenberg. The relationships she has fostered with students, parents, alumni, and community members have been integral in creating experiences and opportunities for our Hillel as well as enriching the diversity of Jewish life on campus.
April is a proud Alvernia University alumna holding a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Before coming to Muhlenberg, April worked at her alma mater, first in Institutional Research and later in Community Engagement, helping to connect college students with local youth in an afterschool program focused on outreach, mentoring, and creating a safe haven for young people.
April lives in Reading with her husband, Josh and their two children, Benjamin and Brenna. She enjoys traveling, kayaking, photography, and will never turn down chocolate. She is an allstar cheer mom, a dog mom, and the Hillel mom. Above all, April wants students to know that they always have a space in her office to come and chat, laugh, cry, or just be. “Being with students is what fills me up. It is what surpasses all of the other work that I do. Meeting a student where they are and being with them in their best and most challenging moments, humbles me to my core.” Please click here to find a time to connect.
|
|
-230x266.jpeg)
Hailey Smilowitz ✉
Springboard Fellow
she/her
Hailey is from Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2024, where she studied Mass Communications and Jewish Studies. She started her Hillel journey as the Public Relations Chair at UofSC, taking photos at events and managing various social media pages. When she moved up to the Vice President of Communications and Media, she realized how much she loved collaborating and creating connections with students.
In the summer of 2022, after traveling to Israel on Birthright, she began her two-year internship as a Digital Marketing Intern at Hillel International. She learned many different communication techniques and was a vital part of unique marketing campaigns. She was inspired by all the connections she made working with college students and encouraging them to create their own Jewish stories.
In Hailey’s free time, you can find her out in nature, playing board games with friends and family, trying new coffee shops, and listening to Taylor Swift. Hailey is so excited to get on campus and connect with students as the Innovation Springboard Fellow!
Please click here to find a time to connect.
|
|
Hagar Avichai ✉
Israel Fellow
she/her
Hagar is excited to arrive in Allentown as our new Israel Fellow in August!
Hagar was born and raised in Ramat Gan in central Israel. During high school, she was a group leader in the scouts and took theatre as her major. Hagar finished her degree in early childhood education and dialogue education from Kibbutzim College of Education this July and joined the Israel Fellow program shortly after.
For her whole adult life, Hagar has worked with children, in different summer schools and camps, kindergartens and youth movements. She's very passionate about creating personal and meaningful relationships.
Hagar is a big theatre fan and tries to go to shows at least once a month.
|
