MEET THE TEAM
Jillian Juni
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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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.
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Jared Stern
jmstern@syr.edu ​
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Jared Stern (he/him) comes to Syracuse Hillel after serving for the past three years at Ohio
University Hillel, including the past year as the Director of Jewish Student Life. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University, where he was involved as a student leader in Hillel and Student Government. Jared graduated with a MA in Jewish Nonprofit Management from Hebrew Union College Zelikow School in May of 2024. Jared was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in South Florida. He is very excited to come to Syracuse Hillel and to get to know all of the amazing people in the community. Jared is passionate about leadership, all things Philadelphia sports, and being in nature.
Melanie Halbert
SPRINGBOARD INNOVATION FELLOW​
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Melanie Halbert(she/her) grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended Muhlenberg College, where she majored in Mathematics and Music with a concentration in vocal performance. At Muhlenberg, she was an active member of Phi Mu sorority, serving as Treasurer in 2023. Melanie showcased her artistic talents by dancing in various performances, playing viola in the Chamber Orchestra, and singing classical and musical theater pieces. She honed her relationship-building skills as a Mathematics Tutor at Muhlenberg’s Academic Resource Center, a member of the Cardinal Key Society (Muhlenberg’s Alumni Engagement Network), and a First-Year Engagement Intern at Hillel. Melanie also spent a semester abroad in Milan, Italy, where she refined her vocal performance skills in Italian opera, volunteered at a local soup kitchen, enjoyed daily cappuccinos, and embarked on numerous adventures. In her free time, Melanie loves spending hours at the beach, singing and dancing to Taylor Swift songs, and drinking Matcha or Boba Tea. She is thrilled to bring her creative thinking, love for Judaism, and passion for meeting new people to her new role as the Innovation Fellow at Syracuse Hillel. Go Orange!
Hannah Smuckler
SPRINGBOARD INNOVATION FELLOW​
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Hannah (she/her) grew up in the Kansas City area. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a major in Journalism and a minor in Spanish, which she finished while studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain. She was also heavily involved with both KU Hillel and Hillel International, holding a plethora of internships and taking advantage of travel opportunities within those as well. Outside of school, Hannah loves spending time outside, trying new recipes, and reading. She’s so excited about her new role as Syracuse Hillel’s newest Innovation Springboard Fellow!