Important announcement regarding our executive director
It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that the Board of Directors announces Ari Gauss’s departure as Executive Director of NC Hillel, effective May 31, 2022. Since 2009, Ari has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization, and while we will miss him and his tireless leadership, we wish him the best of luck as he writes the next chapter of his life. We want to thank Ari for the 13 years of dedicated service which involved many significant accomplishments. These included:
Creating programs that engaged over 3,000 Jewish students across the entire University of North Carolina System
Being named in 2016 as the 4th most impactful Hillel in a study conducted by Hillel International
Sponsoring 1,000 students on NC Hillel Birthright Israel trips
Developing a NC Hillel cohort in Tel Aviv to meet increasing student demand for the Onward Israel summer internship program
Tripling both our budget and our staff to better support more students on more campuses
Bringing the Jewish Learning Fellowship, a 10-week experiential learning program, to NC Hillel and fostering its success
Working with the board to develop an innovative strategic plan designed to better serve students on the varied campuses served by NC Hillel
Over the next few months, we will be conducting a search to find the next Executive Director of NC Hillel. The search committee will be led by Laura Stein, our board vice-chair, who will be working closely with Hillel International.
To support NC Hillel during this time of transition we have engaged the services of Ziva Starr Raney and her company, 8Gates Consulting. Ziva, who lives in Durham, has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations, both Jewish and secular.
Again, we cannot thank Ari enough for the dedication, passion, enthusiasm, and motivation he has given to NC Hillel over the past 13 years. He will be greatly missed by the staff, Board members, students, and strategic partners alike. We look forward to following the continued success of his career and are hopeful and excited for the future of NC Hillel as we continue to support our Jewish students on college campuses across North Carolina.
Shalom,
Peter Levinson
Chair, Board of Directors
NC Hillel