Heard Round WexWorld: January 2014

In photo: Eric Fingerhut, CEO and President of Hillel International, spoke about the challenges of leadership and his optimistic vision of the Jewish future with Wexner Graduate Fellows and Davidson Scholars at their Winter Institute. Here he engages Fellows who are interested in careers in Hillel. 


“Having the opportunity to speak with Eric Fingerhut was especially encouraging in the midst of our days spent on leadership skills-building. Seeing that a man with a storied career outside of the Jewish world is able to transfer his talents, expertise, open-mind and passion into an entirely new arena affirms the importance our course of training at Winter Institute. It was also incredibly exciting to hear that Fingerhut plans to dialogue with seasoned educators, in and outside of the organization, as he begins to expand his content and literacy-driven vision for Hillel’s future.”

–Malka Fleischmann, WGF (Class 25)

Malka is a current Wexner Graduate Fellow (Class 25) pursuing a Masters degree at Harvard Divinity School. Before returning to school to study Comparative Theology, Malka worked at Manhattan’s Ramaz Middle School as a Talmud, Bible and Learning Center teacher. This past summer, Malka was a first-time staffer for a Taglit Birthright trip with national Hillel. Malka graduated the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English, honors in Creative Writing, and a minor in Jewish Studies. During college, Malka chaired her campus interfaith organization, co-founded and chaired a Muslim-Jewish community service group, served as Editor-in-Chief of the campus literary magazine, was a Jewish Studies Bassini intern, and sat on the University Council and Undergraduate Assembly Steering Committee. She also served as a religious life liaison to the chaplain’s office, volunteered for the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, and was a Jewish Dialogue Group participant. Malka can be reached at malkafleisch@gmail.com.