Staff

Jeremy Brochin is in his 23rd year as Director of Penn Hillel and his 36th year at Hillel. Next year he will pass on the directorship to Rabbi Mike Uram who has served as Associate Director for the past 4 years. Jeremy supervises the staff, works with student communities, administers Penn Hillel, raises funds, and helps to create a vision of Jewish life on campus. Despite creaky bones, Jeremy continues to be a distance cyclist, runner, swimmer and hiker.(No wonder his bones are creaky!) He is married to Rabbi Reena Spicehandler and they have two children Ari and Elana in graduate school.

 

Rabbi Mike is a confused and passionate Jew. He has spent time in all of the denominations and he is most comfortable talking with people who are not quite sure what they believe. Mike is originally from Cleveland, but has lived in NY, Chicago and Jerusalem. He is married to Leora Eisenstadt, an amazing lawyer in town. Outside of working with the Jewish Renaissance Project or Hillel, Mike likes to bike and hike and listen to bad music (think Bon Jovi).

Limor Friedman, a native Israeli from Netivot, has arrived on the Penn campus full of excitement, curiosity and energy. She has just completed her Master's in English Literature from Bar Ilan University and has worked for numerous years at the Jewish Agency. Limor is getting used to the American campus culture and has made her home a new popular spot on campus (especially on Shabbat!) as the Friedmans live only a block away from Steinhardt Hall.

Rabbi Mordy Friedman received his rabbinic ordination (semicha) from Yeshiva University, where he completed his undergraduate studies in Judaic Studies and Bible, as well as his Masters in Medieval Jewish History. Rabbi Mordy made Aliyah to Israel five years ago, where he studied in various Yeshivot, pursued his doctorate in Talmud at Bar Ilan University and taught for two years at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. On campus he can be found preparing for shiurim in his office or in the Beit Midrash, schmoozing in the Dining Hall, meeting with students, answering questions and being a resource for a variety of Jewish functions.

Rabbi Joel loves three things – his family (his wife, Julia, and his children [Ella, and another girl due in Oct. ‘09), good food, and the Jewish people. He also loves hip-hop, the West Coast (his personal Homeland), and the great outdoors, but that’s beside the point. Rabbi Joel was recently ordained from Hebrew Union College (the Reform seminary) in Los Angeles and he is excited to be working at Penn, though as a Californian, he’s a little apprehensive about the East Coast weather. Pick a topic, any topic, related to Judaism, and he’ll be thrilled to discuss it with you.

Joan Bobroff has been at Penn Hillel for over 8 years. Not only is she the office manager of Penn Hillel, supervising over 10 work study students each year, Joan also makes sure all the computers and networks in the building are always up and running. When she is not at Hillel she is an avid gardener, growing lots of tomatoes in the summers and slowly redoing the gardens around her home in the fall. Joan is married to Steven and is the mother of two grown children. Her son Jeff is a police officer in New York City and her daughter Meredith is an acupuncturist practicing in the Philadelphia area. Joan and Steve have adopted a rescue dog named Barkley and spend most of their free time training him.

All the way from Israel, Hela Lahar moved to Philadelphia with her husband Arad after finishing her graduate studies at Tel Aviv University in Security Studies and International Relations.Hela’s greatest passion is anything Israel, though she can complain just as much as the next person. Hela loves hiking, reading, writing, kniting, sowing and drawing when she has the time, and can otherwise be found running around among the different Hillel’s in Greater Philadelphia, advocating for and celebrating Israel. She is very excited to be returning to Penn, Drexel,Temple, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore for her third year and looks forward to meeting you on campus!

Miriam is extremely proud to be both a member of the Philadelphia young adult Jewish community and a professional working to make the community the best it can be. You might find her on her laptop in a Center City coffee shop, at home rearranging the furniture for a Grad Network event, or at her office in Steinhardt Hall. In other incarnations of her adult life, Miriam has taught third grade and high school theatre, sold housewares, and reviewed children's books. Originally from tiny Fredonia, NY, and despite having lived in both Baltimore and Boston, she is still amazed by the size and diversity of the Jewish community, and that her job is to hang out with such cool Jews! Miriam loves to read, go to plays, and walk around Philly. She also loves to cook, and she and her husband, Marc, look forward to having you over for a (vegetarian) Shabbat meal soon!

Debbie Yunker is a big fan of running around campus and hanging out with as many students as possible each day! Within the Jewish Renaissance Project, she works with Greek Jewish Life Liaisons, Jewish Off-Campus Initiative (JOCI), Alternative Spring Break, and Beyond Birthright:Bringing the Experience to Penn. And that's just before lunch! Debbie has also been known to cover the cost of coffee during meetings, take flyers from everyone she sees on the walk, and sit at the same table at Houston Hall for hours at a time! Originally from Framingham, MA (the largest town in MA!), Debbie lived in Atlanta, St. Louis and New York City before descending upon Philadelphia in the summer of 2006. When she is not moving around the country or hustling between coffee shops on campus, Debbie likes to spend time keeping in touch with friends, running, reading, playing tennis, cooking, traveling and trying to take advantage of local cultural activities. She is also a big fan of the Cosby Show, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and Twix bars.