Adjunct Instructor Boaz Avraham-Katz has joined the Hillel team as Jewish education consultant.
Elon Hillel is delighted to announce that Adjunct Instructor Boaz Avraham-Katz, well known for his engaging Hebrew courses, participation-focused Israeli cooking classes, and vast and diverse background in Jewish education, will be joining the Hillel team as a Jewish education consultant to provide even richer religious programming options for the campus community. This exciting move forward is a direct result of the feedback students shared in response to Hillel’s student experience survey, conducted in December 2019.
Boaz will join Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Hillel’s student board and professional team to create new and dynamic options to celebrate Jewish holidays and Shabbat, and inspire students to connect with their Jewish heritage.
“We’re thrilled that Boaz will be working with us as a consultant,” commented Director of Jewish Life Betsy Polk. “His ability to engage with students as a teacher, mentor and advisor will bring even more vibrancy and ‘ruach’ to life at Elon Hillel.”
Respondents to Hillel’s student experience survey also gave the Jewish life team high marks for creating a welcoming environment, providing meaningful and fun social programming options, and adhering to their mission.
40 percent of respondents gave Hillel a 5-star rating (out of 5) and 41.5 percent gave Hillel a 4-star rating, which means that the majority of students surveyed are happy with their Jewish life experience. Only 2 percent of respondents gave Hillel one star.
The survey responses also indicate that most students see Hillel as their home away from home, and come to the Sklut Hillel Center for social programming, Jewish holidays (including Shabbat), and to get food from the fridge, and just to hang out. In open form responses, the word “community” was mentioned 26 times, more than any other single word recorded.
Students also asked for changes in Shabbat services, which will now be 45 minutes rather than one hour, and will include plenty of opportunity for Jewish learning.
More data and information about the 2019 Hillel Student experience survey, and the steps the Jewish life team is taking to address the feedback, will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.