MEET THE TEAM
Jillian Juni
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jillian (she/her) was born and raised in New City, New York. She received a BA in sociology, with a minor in Jewish Studies, from Rutgers University where she was an involved HIllel student and leader. Growing up Jillian spent her summers at URJ Eisner Camp, and following college she worked for Eisner year round. While working, she received a MA in human rights from Columbia University, focusing on women and religion. Jillian met her husband, Mordechai, at Hillel and together they moved to Santa Barbara in 2012. She worked at Santa Barbara Hillel for seven years and in 2017 was awarded Hillel International’s Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award. Jillian has been leading the amazing team at Syracuse Hillel since 2019. She has two children, Lev and Aviva, who love Hillel, Otto, and Syracuse. Jillian is passionate about Judaism, women, singing songs for fun, and making the world a better place.
.jpg)
Ian Solow-Niederman
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Ian (he/him) was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He received a BA in communication, with minors in Jewish Studies and Religious Studies from the University of Colorado. As a student in Boulder he was an active leader with Hillel, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and the University. After college he cemented his love for Jewish communal work with time at AEPi’s Headquarters and the American Hebrew Academy. Over 5 years as the Regional Director for BBYO in Denver he expanded membership, built partnerships, and hosted International Convention 2019. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute. Ian is passionate about college basketball, Taylor Swift, food, and Judaism.
Rabbi Ethan Bair
CAMPUS RABBI
Rabbi Ethan Bair (he/him) comes to Syracuse Hillel after serving for the past year as College Rabbi and Hillel Director at Hamilton College and eight years as a congregational rabbi, most recently at Temple Beth Sholom, Miami Beach. He was ordained as a Reform rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles in 2011, after which he served as the campus rabbi at USC Hillel and helped establish the Los Angeles office of American Jewish World Service. Originally from Boston, Rabbi Bair is a trained singer and graduate of Oberlin College where he triple-majored in Religion, Jewish Studies and German Studies. After graduation, he went on to study at Humboldt Universität in Berlin as a Fulbright Fellow. A longtime activist for racial and environmental justice, immigration reform, and LGBTQ and women’s rights, Rabbi Bair is committed to building interfaith partnerships and creating an empowered spiritual Jewish community. He and his wife, Prof. Nadya Bair, have two daughters, Chaya Miriam and Emunah Gittel.
Stephanie Argyropoulos
DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS MANAGER
Stephanie (she/her) was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Stamford, CT. She earned a BA in communications from Curry College and an MBA in Finance from Iona College. After graduating from Iona, Stephanie moved to Boston where she worked for 8 years at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a graduate school affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. While at the Institute, Stephanie received the Partners in Excellence Award for her work on the Interprofessional Rounds. The Interprofessional Rounds is an annual event in which students come together to hear successful examples of how clinical teams collaborate to provide patient centered care. Stephanie has years of experience as a Program Manager and Development Operations Manager. She takes pride in the quality of her work and enjoys working in a collaborative environment. She is eager to join the Syracuse Hillel community and to begin working with, and learning from, this exciting team. When not at work, Stephanie loves traveling to Greece to spend time with her family there. She also enjoys trivia, all things Marvel, and watching hockey.
.jpg)
Shaina Morrel
SPRINGBOARD FELLOW: SOCIAL JUSTICE SPECIALIST
Shaina (she/her) grew up in Central Massachusetts before attending the George Washington University in Washington, DC where she studied International Affairs, focusing on culture and human rights. She grew up immersed in the Jewish community - URJ camp, NFTY, Heller High, and in college became deeply involved in GW Hillel and founded a chapter of SAEPi, a Jewish First, Greek Second sorority on campus. Along this journey, Shaina found and fostered her love for the intersections of Judaism and social justice, immersing in learning opportunities and spaces to explore these ideas. In her free time she can be found hiking, spending time with family, practicing yoga, and in the kitchen trying new vegetarian recipes. Shaina is excited to be a part of the Syracuse University and the Hillel International communities, to learn with and from the students, and create meaningful, inclusive and intersectional programming opportunities.
Omer Talker
Omer (he/him) is an Israeli native and grew up in southern Israel and moved to Jerusalem for university. He got a BA in Business Administration and International Relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his time in university, he got to take an active role in Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Hebrew U. chapter and cooperating with AEPi’s headquarters and the undergrad cabinet. In the IDF he had active combat role in the Artillery corps along Israel’s borders. Omer enjoys reading, skiing, hiking and watching motorsports.