Interim Hillel Director Appointed
Jeremy Brochin will serve as Muhlenberg’s interim Jewish chaplain/Hillel director beginning July 29, 2013.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 04:25 PM
A resident of Philadelphia, Brochin has a long and distinguished background as a Hillel professional. He served as the director at Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania for 23 years, and following his retirement in 2010, he served as interim director at the University of Washington Hillel in Seattle.
With experience at other campuses that totals 37 years, Brochin has achieved a reputation as one who empowers student leadership, ably mentors staff, and nurtures Jewish identities. He has strong experience navigating the challenges and opportunities of pluralistic Jewish communities. He is known for collaborating with colleagues across campus.
Brochin served as a national coordinator of the Jewish Campus Service Corps, was a founding director of Tzedek Hillel (a national social justice program) and has led many student service and educational trips to Israel, the Soviet Union, Germany, New Orleans and to the American south. He was awarded the Martin Luther King community involvement award from the University of Pennsylvania and the Exemplar of Excellence Award from Hillel: the Foundation for Campus Life.
Brochin received a B.A. in sociology from the University of Minnesota, and an M.A. in contemporary Jewish studies from Brandeis University. In addition, he has studied at Hebrew University, Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He is an avid bicyclist who last summer rode from Seattle to Minneapolis as part of a cross country ride.
He is married to Rabbi Reena Spicehandler. They have two grown children: Ari, who is a human rights lawyer in Mae Sot, Thailand, and Elana, who does public health research in Boston.
In his role as interim Jewish chaplain/Hillel director, Brochin will offer pastoral care to the Jewish community as well as be available to the broader College community, support the community in its observances of holidays and Shabbat and guide the Hillel staff and student board through this time of transition.
Visit the Hillel website for updates on staff transitions at Muhlenberg Hillel in the coming months.
