Our Staff
Shalom! We love our jobs making a Jewish home for every student at Stanford. Please feel free to get in touch if you need anything!
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Hillel at Stanford aims to empower Jewish students at Stanford to explore and deepen their Jewish identities, and to envision their futures with choices inspired by Jewish values and commitments.
Rabbi Jessica Kirschner
Executive Director and Senior Rabbi
rabbi.kirschner@stanford.edu
Rabbi Jessica Kirschner is a Bay Area native. She has deep roots in the synagogues, summer camps, and youth organizations of the Union for Reform Judaism. She graduated from UC Berkeley, where she had been a student leader at Hillel and studied at the Hebrew University. After five years of rabbinical school in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, she was ordained by Hebrew Union College in 2007. She served for seven years as a Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Washington DC, and as a board member of Jews United for Justice, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and the Washington Interfaith Network. Upon moving back to San Francisco in 2014, she worked for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism as a community organizer and leader of their state-wide legislative work. She and her husband live in San Carlos and have two daughters, Hannah and Maya
Leah
Chief Operating Officer
lnewman1@stanford.edu
Leah is excited to be 'home' both in Hillel and the Bay Area. She attended UCSD where she loved being involved with the Hillel on campus. From there she worked at the Hillel at the University of Maryland and then returned to California to work at the Hillel of San Diego, where she was the Assistant Director. While there she completed a Masters degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership at the University of San Diego. Leah then moved with her husband to Los Angeles where she worked at BBYO for five years, most recently as an Area Director overseeing three BBYO regions encompassing California, Nevada, and Arizona. Leah loves reading, talking, eating, and spending time with her twin four year olds, Miriam and Jonah.
Amit
Development Director
amitmr@stanford.edu
After performing several management positions in Nonprofit and social businesses where she brought to the table her background and expertise as an international social worker and a graduate Cum Lada of a Nongovernmental organization management and community development master, Amit moved with her family to the bay area five years ago.
Branden
Associate Director
brandenj@stanford.edu
Branden (he/him) grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon for his undergraduate education. He has an MA in Jewish Educational Leadership from the Davidson School at JTS, and is an alumnus of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In addition to Israel and the US, he has also lived in France, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea. He currently lives in San Francisco, where he relocated in 2022 after spending more than five years living in Israel. Branden has been a competitive swimmer for nearly 30 years and currently swims with the SF Tsunami masters club in the city. He also likes to kayak, travel, cook, bake, read a variety of things from Jewish texts to graphic novels and magazines, and loves learning new languages. Most recently, he was the Business and Operations Director for Camp Ramah in Northern California, where he worked for six summers, as well as the Education Director at Peninsula Sinai Congregation in Foster City. Branden has also been a long-time leader in the LGBTQ community, including working with the Jerusalem Open House and as a board member of the World Congress of GLBT Jews.
Rabbi Eli
Rabbi and Director of Student Well-Being
Rabbi Eli is an experiential educator for the Jewish people, and strives to manifest his love of the environment and Jewish tradition in a deeply connected world. After seminary in Israel and getting a BA from Yeshiva University, Eli worked in psychology research for five years before transitioning to the Jewish nonprofit world. He worked for Hazon for three years before transitioning to graduate-level rabbinical and environmental studies. He received ordination for Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2024. He enjoys pickling and cooking with fake-meat substitutes. Anywhere that people are trying to free themselves from the constraints of conflicting truths, you will find Eli cheering them on.
Savannah
Campus Rabbi
Savannah is excited to be starting her rabbinic career at Hillel at Stanford! She has spent the last decade working in Jewish organizing, education, and counseling, most recently serving as the California Organizer for Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, and a Spiritual Counselor at Beit T'Shuvah, a Jewish addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. Before attending rabbinical school at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, Savannah studied Geological Engineering & Physics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and she served as a medic in the U.S. Army for nine years. Savannah's involvement in Hillel goes back to her undergraduate years, when she served on the Hillel International Student Cabinet and later worked at Binghamton Hillel. She has also spent summers at Camp Ramah in the Rockies and Camp Ramah Northern California. In this role, she looks forward to walking alongside students through their years on the Farm and exploring the big questions of Jewish life together. When she's not at Hillel, you can find her climbing, biking the Bay Trail, or out exploring with her wife Sophie and their dogs Denver and Pico.
Julianna
Director of Student Life
juligold@stanford.edu
Julianna is a Nicaraguan Jewtina from Miami who moved to the Bay Area six years ago to attend UC Berkeley. At Cal, she studied Public Health with a focus on women's health and wellness and was involved in Hillel, working the front desk for two years and participating in a variety of fellowships. Before transitioning into her role as Director of Student Life, Julianna served as the Springboard Fellow at Stanford for two years. Julianna is a member of the PUENTES Fellowship through Jewtina y Co. and strives to create spaces where Latin Jewish identities and Jews of Color feel fully seen, valued, and celebrated. Julianna lives in San Francisco, and in her free time you can find her reading (or doomscrolling), enjoying the sun, adding new restaurants to her Beli rankings, and exploring the city!
Tamar
Director of Graduate Experience
Tamar grew up in Northern Israel and moved to the Bay Area as a teenager. She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Film, Television, and Digital Media. Tamar loves spending time with her family, friends, and two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creative writing, watching movies, painting, and hiking. She is excited to support the student community at Stanford, and looks forward to getting to know everyone — so please don’t hesitate to say hi (or shalom), she is always happy to chat!
Tal
JAFI (Jewish Agency for Israel) Israeli fellow
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Tal is originally from a moshav in northern Israel and is married to Asaf. She holds a BA in International Relations and Communication from the Hebrew University and previously worked in business operations. She is also a Pilates instructor and previously owned her own studio in Israel. She loves coffee, hiking, running, and cute dogs - so come grab a coffee or hike with Tal!
Penelope
Springboard Fellow
Penelope is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley’s departments of Comparative Literature and Theater & Performance Studies (Go Bears!). Throughout college, she both worked for her campus Hillel and served its students in various leadership capacities. Penelope hails from the PNW (Washington State) and thus loves nature, good books, decaf lattes, and a rainy day. Reach out to chat (in English OR French) about the aforementioned subjects, unconventional Jewish journeys, water sports, Ryan Gosling films, or anything creative! Penelope is ecstatic to expand her love for Jewish life on campus into her new role as a Hillel professional, and looks forward to breaking through the boundaries of the Bay Area scholastic rivalry to connect with the vibrant student community at Stanford.
Megan
Development and Social Media Associate
Megan grew up in Cleveland and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she majored in Marketing with a Digital Media Certificate. Megan is always looking for new food and hiking spot recommendations in the Bay Area! In her free time, she loves to travel, thrift, do arts & crafts, hike, listen to music, and watch movies. She is excited to help support the fundraising efforts at Hillel at Stanford and contribute to the success of this amazing team.
Jacob
Facilities Manager
Jacob, a native Chicagoan, who attended the University of Michigan when dinosaurs roamed the earth, is excited to cap his decades long career as a facilities professional by working at Hillel. A ‘Jake of All Trades’, he undertakes myriad tasks but always has time to chew the fat on a cornucopia of subjects. In his spare time accompanied by his wife and four-legged children, he likes to go camping or relax at home.
Nina
Senior Manager, Campus Marketing and Development
Nina is a Senior Manager of Campus Marketing and Development working with the Hillel at Stanford team. Prior to joining Hillel International, Nina spent several years managing marketing and development efforts for various arts and cultural organizations. She also operates a freelance marketing and design consulting practice, collaborating with a diverse range of clients both domestically and internationally. Nina is passionate about grassroots initiatives, community-based programs, and fostering inclusivity and equity across the public and cultural sectors. In her free time, she enjoys visiting museums, taking care of her many plants, and collecting various tchotchkes from her travels!