Born and raised in Kansas City, Ethan is excited that his newest journey will bring him to a new home just up the hill from Allen Fieldhouse, where he serves as the Executive Director of the University of Kansas Hillel! Throughout his career, Ethan has focused on building Jewish community through intentional immersive programming, informal Jewish education, and leadership and organizational development.

Ethan’s career as a Jewish professional started at Herzl Camp in Wisconsin where he led the Ozo program, serving as Director of Staff in Training, and later as the Director of Jewish Education. Soon thereafter, Ethan took the helm of USY’s EMTZA Region, serving as Regional Director of Teen Engagement. After a few busy years on the road, he made the move to Durham, NC to become the Associate Director for Programs and Leadership at Jewish Life at Duke, the Hillel at Duke University. In his most recent role, Ethan innovated Jewish programming and educational efforts in Kansas City as the Director of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J.

Ethan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies and Philosophy from The George Washington University, and a Master of Arts in Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, with a concentration in post-Holocaust American Jewish Literature and Society. That’s a fancy way of saying he reads a lot. When he’s not reading, you can find Ethan spending Shabbat afternoons putting together his newest LEGO set or rewatching The West Wing yet again. In the lifetimes he’s lived during and in between being a Jewish professional, Ethan has worked as a bookstore manager, a sous-chef on an Israeli food truck, and a little league baseball umpire. He’s a diehard fan of the KU Jayhawks, KC Chiefs, and KC Royals, an above-average cook, and a below-average athlete.

Ben is thrilled to be the Assistant Director at KU Hillel. A proud Jayhawk, he graduated from KU with a Psychology degree and a minor in Jewish Studies. Throughout his time at KU, he was heavily involved at Hillel through many internships and three incredible Hillel trips abroad on Birthright and leadership trips. After graduation, he moved back to Wichita where he worked as a social worker in the foster care system, a passion area of his. In 2021, social work brought him back to Lawrence which was fortuitous timing; he now is able to bring his depth of knowledge in Jewish learning and engagement back to Hillel. When not talking about Jewish life, he will eagerly talk about coffee, politics and current events, the latest new show you think he should be binge-watching, and of course, KU basketball.

A 2021 KU alum, Ben was incredibly active at KU Hillel, where he served in a variety of leadership positions. Prior to joining the senior staff team at Congregation Beth Shalom as Director of Youth and Family Programming, Ben was the Jewish Student Life Coordinator at Indiana University Hillel. While at IU Hillel, Ben spearheaded the freshman engagement strategy, staffed multiple Birthright trips, and oversaw a variety of student groups. Ben grew up right here in Lawrence, however also spent time in his teen years living in the Washington DC metropolitan area. He is beyond honored, humbled, and excited to be part of the staff team at KU Hillel, where he works in partnership with students in the pursuit of enriching Jewish life on KU's campus and helping to develop the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Noa is a teacher, lecturer, and educator with a rich experience in both formal and informal education. In Israel, she worked as a guide and coordinator at the Bnei HaMoshavim youth movement, and later, for fourteen years, she worked as a middle-school science and homeroom teacher. During her career as a teacher, she was the co-founder of the Teacher’s Movement, a nation-wide grassroots initiative aimed at reforming the Israeli education system. She also gained experience working with American Jewish youth as the coordinator of the partnership program between Hertylizyia Gymnasium in Tel Aviv and the New Community Jewish High School in Los Angeles. Since moving to the US, Noa has been teaching Hebrew and Jewish studies at the elementary, high school, and university levels.

Mika is Kansas City’s community Shalicha (Israel Emissary), working as a part of the Jewish Experiences team, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J. Throughout her time in Kansas City, Mika works closely with many organizations, including KU Hillel, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, area congregations, youth groups, and more to create connections to Israel through education, engagement, and conversation. Prior to her arrival in Kansas City, Mika was a commander in the IDF where she built relationships and coordinated projects between Israel and foreign countries. Mika has an extensive background in informal Jewish education, both in Israel and abroad, and is very excited to run programs and hold conversations with students about the complexities and dilemmas within Israeli society. It is important to her to convey to students that Israel is comprised of many faces, and that there’s more to it than what’s seen in the headlines.

Wendy is a Licensed Master Social Worker. She has helped clients in a variety of settings, including residential treatment programs, community outreach, schools and outpatient clinics. Her focus has primarily been with children and families, with an emphasis on family systems, cognitive behavioral and play therapy approaches. In all of these she strives to help people learn how to help themselves. Wendy earned her bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Kansas, and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver. As a social worker at Jewish Family Services, Wendy is looking forward to working with the students and staff at KU Hillel. She is excited to have the opportunity for JFS to expand their counseling services beyond Kansas City. As a KU alumna, it means that much more for her to be able to give back to the Lawrence community.