Temple Hillel Strat Plan FINAL.docx.pdf

December 2022
Dear Friends:
We are proud to present you with the first ever Strategic Plan for Hillel at Temple
University. Under the leadership of a Steering Committee and broader Strategic Planning
Committee, the plan is the result of more than a year’s work.
As an organization, Hillel at Temple stands at a pivotal point in its history. This plan
presents a cogent, informed, achievable set of priorities for the coming three years that are
measurable and clearly sequenced. We are so excited and thankful for this detailed
roadmap because, once achieved, it will lay the ballast for an organization that will sustain
and grow its relevance for the Philadelphia Jewish Community. Most importantly, it will
help ensure that Hillel is a place where students can find comfort, community, tools for
growth, and the inspiration to define their Jewish identities to be the most meaningful that
they can be.
In the next few months, we hope to have the opportunity to meet with as many of you as
possible to share our vision and enthusiasm, hear your thoughts, answer your questions,
and, we hope, engage you in our mission. Together, we will be so much stronger and
better able to lift our community to new heights as we pass through this fraught and
transformational time.
Please join us in this sacred work.
Sincerely,
Jon Broder and Joy Bernstein, Co-Board Chairs
Rabbi Daniel Levitt, Executive Director
Barbara Hirsh and Andrew Cohen, Co-Chairs of the Strategic Planning Committee
Hillel at Temple University Strategic Plan 2023-2025 Page 2 of 32

Table of Contents
Executive Summary p. 4
Background, Summary, and Report p. 6
Appendices
1. Fundamental Areas of Focus: p. 14
Detailed Three-Year Work Plan
2. Strategic Planning Committee Meetings, p. 25
Resources, and Stakeholder Input
3. Strategic Planning Committee Members p. 28
4. Fall 2021 Report from the Hillel Field p. 29

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Purpose
Established in 1944, Hillel at Temple University (Temple Hillel) became a national model
for service to commuter students. Between 1972 and 2018, Temple Hillel was a program
of the regional Jewish Campus Activities Board (later renamed Hillel of Greater
Philadelphia), which included several other Philadelphia area campuses. In 2009, the
Rosen Center, a 13,000 square foot facility, was built to serve the changing needs of
Temple’s students, most of whom were now living on and around Temple’s campus. In
2018, with the dissolution of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, Temple Hillel became an
independent nonprofit organization with responsibilities for all of its needs: financial,
administrative, and governance; and with a strong focus on student empowerment and
leadership development. The mission of Hillel at Temple University is to connect with
students and inspire them to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning,
and community.
Recent and significant changes in student life, Temple
University, Jewish life, and Hillel’s organizational
structure, together with the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic, combined to make this an especially
propitious moment for strategic planning. To our
knowledge, this is the first such process in Temple
Hillel’s history. Further, the new fiduciary Board, talented
professional staff, and a formal relationship with Hillel’s
Schusterman International Center gave us the
confidence that we had the ingredients in place to
develop and carry out strategic planning.
Over approximately ten months of work, the Temple Hillel strategic planning committee,
with student, staff, parent, faculty and alumni representation, benefited from additional
input from the Temple Hillel Board, staff and students, as well as our key
organizational stakeholders: Hillel’s Schusterman International Center (SIC), Temple
University, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP). Current literature
and reports about trends and best practices further informed our work.
Key Findings and Goals
Among the significant influences shaping the landscape in which Hillel operates, we
looked at the general and Jewish characteristics of GenZ, the growth of Temple
University, and increased concern around antisemitism and combative discourse regarding
Israel. The pandemic accelerated many tendencies already underway and added grief,
loss, isolation, and serious mental health concerns to other trends. In short, the current era
in student life is difficult and, in some ways, unprecedented.

The work of the strategic planning committee surfaced three major areas that will define
Temple Hillel’s priorities for the foreseeable future. Temple Hillel will plan its work in the
coming three years by responding to these fundamental questions:
1. How can Temple Hillel best serve students, making the Rosen Center an
“oasis” where students can bring their true selves, questions, needs, and
Jewish aspirations; and find in Hillel a welcoming and enriching place
where they can grow as Jews and as leaders?
2. How can Temple Hillel become a robust organization, including taking
full responsibility for the governance, financial management and
leadership that accompany its new 501(c)(3) status?
3. How can Temple Hillel deepen its membership in the campus community
to become a more visible presence and Jewish educational resource to
Jews and non-Jews on campus, ensure a safe and respectful climate for
Jewish students, be prepared to advocate when needed, and develop a
comprehensive plan for Jewish alumni?
In the pages of our full report, you will find our goals and strategies to guide Temple
Hillel over the next three years. Recognizing that we are in a time of considerable
turbulence and transition, we will implement and monitor the plan’s progress closely,
allowing for shifts in direction when necessary. We are confident that we have built a
framework to build on Temple Hillel’s strengths and address the pressing needs of the
moment with built-in resilience. This plan will allow us to go “from strength to strength.”

BACKGROUND, SUMMARY AND REPORT
Introduction
Hillel at Temple creates experiences that will help students develop as Jews and as future
leaders. Our goal is to facilitate a process of engagement through which each student
develops personal wisdom, connects with
the Jewish People, performs acts of social
justice, and grows spiritually. Inherent in
Hillel’s approach is an emphasis on student
empowerment and a keen awareness of
the value of social networks.
Brief History and Description
In 1928, five years after the first “Hillel” was
founded at the University of Illinois, Temple
University opened a Jewish student house.
By 1944, the Ellis Memorial House at
Temple University was established; and in
1972 the Jewish Campus Activities Board
(JCAB) was formed to provide Hillel programs at Philadelphia-area campuses, including
Temple University. Between 1989 and 1993, Temple Hillel became a national model for
serving commuter students. In 2009, we built the 13,000 square foot Edward H. Rosen
Center for Jewish Life at Temple University. In 2018, Temple Hillel became its own
IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) following the dissolution of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia
(formally JCAB).
Part of a Large Urban University
Temple is the largest public research university in Philadelphia, serving 28,600
undergraduate students and 9,200 graduate students, of whom 72% are Pennsylvania
residents. Alumni are likely to remain in the area after graduation, building careers, raising
families, and becoming leaders in their communities. The Jewish student population of
approximately 1,500 is growing, and Hillel offers a welcoming home away from home for
them. Hillel’s professional staff currently consists of an Executive Director/Campus Rabbi,
Assistant Executive Director, Development Director, Jewish Life Director, an Israel Fellow,
and a part-time rabbinical intern from the local Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. In
addition to a working relationship with Temple University, Temple Hillel works closely with
two additional stakeholders, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP) and
Hillel’s Schusterman International Center (SIC).

As an SIC beneficiary agency and
affiliate, we are committed to
measuring our excellence through
two main categories: breadth and
depth.
In the full academic year prior to the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Temple Hillel engaged more students
more deeply than ever before. At the culmination of the 2017-2018 school year, we
increased our breadth engagement from 600 students to 1,000 students, while our depth
engagement was 100 students. During the 2018-2019 school, our breadth engagement
included 867 students along with 255 students in depth engagement.
Much of our programming is based on research demonstrating Hillel’s success when
students engage their peer networks, growing as individuals while developing leadership
skills. Empowering our students imparts a sense of community, as illustrated through the
following initiatives, which are among those that have fueled our growth:
Poland Jewish Heritage Tour: In the fall of 2018, a student approached us about
planning a Polish Jewish Heritage tour. She had been rejected from a similar program
with another group on campus because her mother is not Jewish. We worked with her
and organized a trip through Hillel. She recruited a group of 15 students (mostly Jewish,
with some non-Jewish participants by design). It was an impactful experience that
helped the students explore and deepen their identities, and challenged all of the
participants to explore issues of moral leadership.
Campus Engagement Interns (CEIs): In this program, we work with student
interns who engage peers in their social networks. These student influencers have
individual meetings with uninvolved students and work to connect them to facets of Jewish
life that support their Jewish development.
The Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF): This is a ten-week conversational seminar for
students looking to deepen their understanding of Judaism on their own terms. It
intentionally poses “big” questions: Who am I? What communities am I a part of? What is
worth committing myself to, and why? JLF adds two critical components to traditional
study: (1) it builds a cohort of students within each class who befriend and support each
other in their entrance into Jewish communal life, and (2) it introduces classical Jewish
texts by connecting them with the life experience and intuition of college students,
conveying some of the building blocks of a vibrant Jewish life. We make no claims about
the “correct” way to be Jewish. We help participants explore Jewish tradition in a manner
that allows each student to find a place within Judaism’s great conversation.

Strategic Planning Background
Although an established organization, Temple
Hillel was at a major point of transition even
before the COVID-19 crisis. As a program under
the larger umbrella of Hillel of Greater
Philadelphia (HGP), Temple Hillel had never
undertaken a strategic planning process, did not
have its own fiduciary board, and did not have
responsibility for its financial management and
personnel services. The move to organizational
independence was a consequence of the
dissolution of HGP and presented Temple Hillel
with a new and substantial set of responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Temple Hillel was in the challenging position of having built a much-needed
new building at a time that unfortunately coincided with the economic downturn of 2008.
Paying down the mortgage was difficult but essential, as the cost of financing the loan
impeded funding to support student programming. Temple Hillel finally achieved its goal of
retiring the mortgage in 2021, with the help of several dedicated and generous donors. In
August 2022, the ownership of the building was transferred free and clear to Temple Hillel.
By 2019, Hillel at Temple was not only contending with the above circumstances, but was
facing numerous other challenges: student anxieties in response to increased incidents of
antisemitism; perceived negative changes in discourse involving Israel and the place of
Jewish students in social justice arenas; and overall coarseness characterizing social
media and political speech in society and on campus. These phenomena were occurring
as Temple University, Jewish life, and Jewish identity were all undergoing transformation.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and accelerated existing trends and added new
difficulties for students, staff and volunteer leaders. It was clear that the interplay of
COVID-19 and concurrent social trends needed to be examined for their short- and
long-term impact on students and on the mission and work of Temple Hillel.
The Board decided to engage in a strategic planning process that would be a systematic
review of Hillel’s work in a volatile and changed environment, and provide a blueprint for
moving forward to achieve a new level of excellence.
Strategic Planning Process
In Summer 2021, the Temple Hillel Board authorized a formal strategic planning process.
A steering committee and strategic planning committee were formed from staff, board
members, and representatives of other stakeholder groups including parents, alumni,
faculty, and students. Input was gathered during the process from additional students and
staff, and from representatives of JFGP, SIC and Temple University.

Strategic planning committee meetings were held via Zoom approximately every three
weeks from December 2021 through June 2022. In June and July 2022, three working
groups, each focused on one of three strategic areas, created detailed three-year work
plans for their areas.
Throughout the process, the steering committee met every two weeks to plan meetings,
follow-up from prior meetings and assess progress. The steering committee was a key
group of thought-partners, planners and facilitators who worked well together and
shared leadership.
With the steering committee’s guidance, the strategic planning process was conceived
and carried out as a model for collaboration, openness, relationship-building, and
planning. As all meetings were conducted on Zoom, they were recorded. Following each
committee meeting, the recording was shared with the group. Individuals
who had been absent received personal outreach from a steering committee member
to discuss the meeting and encourage viewing of the recording. Meetings were opened
with carefully conceived “ice-breakers” intended to promote greater familiarity even in the
virtual setting. We believe this attention to relational detail helped to set a tone and a
model that accounts for good attendance and excellent participation (as evidenced, for
example, by familiarity with preparatory material circulated in advance of meetings).
In terms of process, the strategic planning committee members were engaged in a number
of structured conversations, exercises, and presentations in addition to some reading
between meetings.
Results
The work of the strategic planning committee generated three focus areas directed at
Hillel’s most pressing needs and opportunities:
1. Students: How can we best serve students in
a post-pandemic and anxiety ridden era?
A primary concern of the strategic planning
committee was how Hillel can best work
with students in this exceptional time. COVID-19’s
impact on higher education and on students’
learning and development is still being analyzed.
Staff reporting, student testimony, universities'
experiences, and reports out of SIC’s work across
the country point to a complex web of challenges for
students in general and Jewish students in particular. We are still in the midst of this
environment as we navigate its import. Isolation, loneliness, grief, loss of developmental
milestones, greater reliance on increasingly dubious social media, greater awareness of
societal challenges involving racial and economic justice, political polarization and

volatility, and looming climate crises have created a web of concerns and anxieties leading
to increased need for psychological support well
beyond available resources. Emerging adulthood is
already a time of change, experimentation, and
identity formation which can be difficult for some
under the best of circumstances. What emerging
adulthood looks like under the conditions of a
pandemic, and what impact all of this has for Hillel on
a large urban campus, were urgent questions for us.
This strategic focus area is summarized in four
major objectives:
A. Students feel that Hillel cares about them and
know that Hillel is a resource to support their
wellness.
B. Students feel welcome at Hillel and feel
comfortable bringing their full selves to Hillel.
C. Hillel thrives as a student-driven organization.
D. Hillel students graduate knowing what it means to create their own Jewish future.
Achieving these objectives involves a shift in the way our professionals have been working
with students – recalibrating the balance between group leadership and individual
attention. Particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the concerns over student
wellbeing, our plan calls for ensuring that staff, as well as student leaders, are trained to
recognize signs of distress and know how to respond. In addition to creating an
environment in which all may express their identities, staff will make it a priority to
provide wellness check-ins with students, and programming on wellness themes.
Leadership development will focus more on individual capacities than was the
case pre-pandemic due to the loss of developmental milestones.
2. Organizational robustness: How can we ensure that Hillel is an excellent
and resilient organization in the wake of 501(c)(3) status, ongoing change and
economic uncertainty?
A major impetus for strategic planning at this moment is related to the change in the
status of Temple Hillel from a program area under a regional office to an independent
Hillel foundation. This change had implications for Hillel’s governance model, financial
management, and fundraising. Until 2018, Temple Hillel was under the administrative
oversight of HGP. Following HGP’s dissolution, back-office functions were managed
through Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania, until Temple Hillel could complete its
separation and handle all functions internally. Going forward, it is vital that the

organization function optimally and with the resilience necessary to meet unforeseen
challenges.
This strategic focus area is summarized in three major objectives:
A. Develop and implement effective organizational governance, oversight and
compliance functions.
B. Strengthen existing budgeting and fundraising functions while enhancing financial
controls and reserves.
C. Maintain building and organizational assets while addressing the safety of
Hillel students, staff and property.
Achievements in this area will include comprehensive
plans to create board committees; audit internal
procedures, policies, and systems; and tie
assessment of governance to the best models in the
Hillel field. Financial management will include the
introduction of a three-year budgeting process,
creation of reserve funds, and developing a
comprehensive fundraising plan. Focus on the Rosen
Center will include the use of the building as an event
space for generating good will and income, security
and engineering assessments to plan for
maintenance and upgrades, and enhancing existing
relationships with university police and other partners to strengthen ties.
3. Hillel’s value to the university and to alumni: How can Temple Hillel add
value as a visible and influential hub for Jewish resources and education, a
partner in civic engagement, and a wellspring of engaged young Jews?
This strategic focus area is summarized in three major objectives:
A. Establish Temple Hillel as a visible and influential hub for Jewish resources
and education aimed at Jewish and general audiences.
B. Strengthen ties with Temple University’s civic and educational life and aim to
foster a campus climate in which Jewish and pro-Israel students feel safe
expressing their identity and values, free of harassment, hostility, or
marginalization.
C. Create a comprehensive approach to alumni engagement.

This third focus area, while falling within Temple Hillel’s mission, inspires the organization
to move beyond its current status within the university, expanding its prominence and
influence at a time when some Jewish students feel embattled by difficult political
discourse, and to move toward greater breadth of engagement and promote deeper and
more sustained connection to Jewish alumni.
Achieving these aims calls upon Temple Hillel
to develop and implement a marketing and
community relations strategy aimed at
cultivating key contacts and relationships
across the university, positioning Hillel as a
more visible and valued partner in civil
discourse, while crafting and collaborating on
relevant programming. Further, to involve Hillel
more deeply in the life of the university, we will
create a university relations task force with the
aims of utilizing the Rosen Center as a
welcoming space for civic engagement, and
engaging Jewish and non-Jewish students and
faculty in inter-cohort community organizing.
Finally, an alumni engagement task force will
consider the scope, objectives, outreach and
programming related to alumni, and coordinate
efforts with Temple University and existing SIC initiatives. Ultimately, alumni engagement
will be aimed to assist with fundraising while realizing Temple Hillel’s mission to enable
students to achieve an enduring commitment to Jewish life.
Implementation
Our strategic plan includes a three-year outline to work toward and accomplish the
above objectives. The plan identifies the people responsible for the work in each focus
area, the resources needed, and the indicators of success. To ensure that the plan’s
potential impact is maximized, we will create a committee of the board and staff to oversee
implementation and track progress. We will reconvene the strategic planning committee
annually to review progress and consider any needed changes so that the plan remains
flexible and relevant even in uncertain and volatile times.
A detailed chart of the three-year plan in each focus area, along with responsible parties
and indicators of success, is included with this report as Appendix 1.
Conclusion
The past few years have seen especially notable developments for Temple Hillel. It has
become an independent foundation and its advisory board has become an effective
governing body with full fiduciary responsibilities. It has seen the retirement of its mortgage
and has benefitted from Temple University’s attraction to a more diverse and increasingly

residential student body. Its talented professional staff achieved new levels of
engagement. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Hillel was on a path to deepen its impact
significantly. The pandemic’s effects on higher education, the lives of individual
students, the economy, the workplace, and the political climate of the country
upended life in a myriad of ways and challenged the essence of Hillel’s relationship-based
approach to student engagement. In many ways it was a propitious time to undertake a
strategic planning process and to examine Hillel’s operation in view of all that was
changing; knowing that the professional and volunteer leadership would follow through,
making the most of this opportunity.
While the future continues to hold many uncertainties, and the pandemic has made the
lives of many young adults more difficult, Temple Hillel has developed a strategic
roadmap to guide our organization-building, our place within the university and our
approach to serving students. We have the ability to address tough questions so that we
can continue to be strategic, planful and flexible over the course of the coming three years.
We know that with our talented leadership, diversity of students, and committed
stakeholders Temple Hillel is ready to go ‫מחיל‬
‫אל‬
‫חיל‬ / mekhayil el khayil, from
strength to strength. We are confident that Temple Hillel’s best days are ahead of it.

APPENDIX 1: Work Plan
FUNDAMENTAL AREAS OF FOCUS
Focus Area 1: Students
How can we best serve students in a post-pandemic and anxiety-ridden era?
Goal A: Students feel that Hillel cares about them and know that Hillel is a resource to support
their wellness.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Ensure all staff receive appropriate training in psychological awareness and first aid.
● Create a tracking process and accountability structure for staff.
● Aim for 45% of known students to get a “check-in” (i.e. are asked about well-being and
referred as needed).
● Ensure Hillel staff understand ALL university resources available - health, mental health,
career services, etc. - as well as students’ experiences with these resources.
● Offer "wellness chats" for ANY Temple student, and encourage Hillel students to bring
friends for weekly group sessions. Use group spaces to promote discussions such as time
management, and wellness from a Jewish perspective.
● Train students to recognize signs of distress in their peers and how to respond.
Year 2
● Aim for 70% of known students to get a check-in.
● Develop partnership opportunities with Temple career services, mental health center, and
other university resources.
● Continue to educate students to recognize signs of distress in their peers and how to
respond.
● Assess the shift in approach to serving students to rebalance individual wellness with
leadership development.
Year 3
● Aim for 90% of known students to get a check-in.
● Hire first MSW to manage wellness portfolio and serve as liaison to university resources.
● Assess partnerships with university resources.
Responsible Party
● Professional staff
● Board oversight and fundraising

Measurable Results
● Percentage of students receiving check-ins
● Staff training
● Number of referrals to and from university partners
● Number and type of collaborations with university resources
● Wellness program offerings
● Staff time recalibrated for a new balance between group and individual engagement
Resources Needed
● More staff time dedicated to wellness monitoring and pastoral support
● Funds for engagement incentives
● Data collection methods
● Professional development resources
● Funding for a wellness professional
Goal B: Students feel welcome at Hillel and feel comfortable bringing their full selves to Hillel.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Ensure Hillel staff and leadership deeply understand Gen Z students' needs and
sensitivities, and are able to welcome and respond to them.
● Conduct deeper one-on-one conversations aimed to best understand students' needs
today.
● Reduce group programming and focus on one-on-one engagement to really get to know
students individually.
● Create a Jewish educational vision and program plan based on research findings.
Year 2
● Position Hillel’s Rosen Center as an “oasis” for students.
● Draw engaged students from diverse backgrounds.
● Foster a culture of "welcoming" among students via training of leaders and modeling by
students and staff.
Year 3
● Nurture niche entry points/micro-communities so a diverse range of student groups (e.g.
JOC, LGBTQ+) can thrive .
Responsible Party
● Professional staff
● Board oversight and fundraising

Measurable Results
● Students report feeling personally seen and invited in
● Updated programming checklist with welcoming as priority
● Ready menu of responses to student’s wants/needs
Resources Needed
● More staff time dedicated to wellness monitoring and pastoral support
● Funds for engagement incentives
● Data collection methods
Goal C: Hillel thrives as a student-driven organization.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Create a task force with students to develop a leadership model that responds to student
needs/interests/capacity; and pilot opportunities.
● Adjust student leadership models to respond to students’ desire for leadership experience,
building on their existing individual strengths.
Year 2
● Learn from and coordinate with leadership models across campus and think of leadership
within and beyond Hillel.
● Launch new models, evaluate for Year 3.
Year 3
● Increase in number of student leaders/connected students and leadership opportunities.
Responsible Party
● Staff
● Student leaders
Measurable Results
● Number of students engaged in leadership roles
● Number and variety of leadership roles
● Leadership training established
Resources Needed
● Staff time
● Training expertise
● Funding for training

Goal D:
Hillel students graduate knowing what it means to create their own Jewish future.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Develop model(s) for a student's four-year trajectory.
Year 2
● Develop a Jewish alumni network, in coordination with related goal in Focus Area 3.
● Implement and track student’s trajectories.
● Provide more exposure/visibility of post-college programming via the presence of their
marketing, their use of Hillel building, and their incorporation into alumni strategic
planning.
Year 3
● Assist self-identifying Jews at Temple Hillel to find Jewish community when they graduate.
● Aim for 1,200 students to be engaged at least once per year.
Responsible Party
● Staff
Measurable Results
● Development and use of trajectory planning
● Visibility of post-college options
● Number of conversations regarding post-college Jewish engagement
Resources Needed
● Staff time

Focus Area 2: Organizational Robustness
How can we ensure that Hillel is an excellent and resilient organization in the wake of 501(c)(3)
status, ongoing change, and economic uncertainty?
Goal A: Develop and implement effective organizational governance, oversight, and compliance
functions.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Develop a comprehensive plan to populate the Board and create committees including
Strategic Planning Implementation, Personnel, Board Development, Fundraising, and other
areas of expertise.
● Audit internal procedures, policies, and systems.
● Identify best practices and standards in the Hillel field and identify areas needing
improvement.
● Review COI policy and Bylaws.
● Prioritize areas and develop remedial plans for implementation.
● Begin to implement improvements/remediation plans.
● Ensure full severance from UPenn Hillel administrative support.
Year 2
● Ensure follow-through in all governance areas requiring remedial action.
● Assess compliance with employee manual and other policies.
● Benchmark Temple Hillel’s governance policies and practices to those of best-in-class
organizations.
● Implementation and review of new committees’ work, including succession planning, staff
and board development.
● Ensure student representation on the Board.
Year 3
● Develop and implement a continuous improvement process to ensure ongoing review of
governance functions.
● Ensure that committees are fully operating and populated with needed expertise.
● Track that committees have fully developed succession planning, staff and board
development program, recruitment and retention practices.
● Ensure that student programming and participation are highlighted at Board meetings.
Responsible Party
● Governance Committee with direction and support of the full Board
● Implementation plans will need staff partnership

Measurable Results
● Board and committees are structured and functioning as intended
● Successful resolution of any gaps identified in Year 1
Resources Needed
● Experienced and skilled members to comprise Governance Committee
● Staff resources as required for implementation of changes
Goal B: Strengthen existing budgeting and fundraising functions while enhancing financial
controls and reserves.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Create and implement a three-year budgeting process with coordinated fundraising targets.
● Establish a plan to fund reserve accounts for building, furnishings, equipment, and major
operating systems and begin implementation.
● Ensure adequate audit processes, including compliance reviews.
● Create a standard board reporting package with details related to balance sheet, income
statement and fundraising activities.
● Develop and begin implementing a comprehensive, multi-stream fundraising plan.
Year 2
● Track fundraising plan and modify as needed.
● Improve institutional advancement including assessment of need for additional personnel
or consultants.
Year 3
● Provide continuous review and improvement of financial policies and controls.
● Provide continuous review and improvement of fundraising plans.
● Provide continuous funding of building reserves.
● Improve institutional advancement and address the need for additional personnel or
consultants.
Responsible Party
● Board of Directors
● Finance Committee
● Auditor/accountant
● Staff
Measurable Results
● More robust, transparent budgeting process with strong controls and oversight
● Financial stability of the organization with adequate resources to support our mission

● Fundraising consistent with building, programmatic growth, personnel, and students;
growth in numbers of donors and dollars raised
Resources Required
● Finance Committee leadership
● Auditor, accountant and staff for execution
● Additional fundraising personnel
Goal C: Maintain building and organizational assets while addressing safety of students, staff
and property.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Complete security assessment and implement changes to enhance safety and security of
our people and building.
● Evaluate and build upon coordination with university police and take necessary action to
strengthen ties and support.
● Assess opportunities to use building as event space for generating good will and potential
income.
● Fund reserves for maintenance and replacement of physical plant, systems, furnishings,
and equipment (per Goal B).
● Engage engineer or architect to assess timeline for future needs.
● Create a Building Committee of the Board.
Year 2
● Conduct ongoing security safety and reviews to protect our people and building, and make
changes and improvements as needed.
● Further ties to university police and other campus organizations (e.g. Newman, Chabad) to
strengthen connections and enhance communications.
● Explore joint programming for better use of building.
● Establish fees and protocols for outside use of the building.
Year 3
● Continue building on success, identify best practices, modify practices as appropriate.
● Hold at least two outside events.
● Ensure fundraising, reserves, security, and maintenance align with assessments.
● Where possible, secure additional university resources (e.g. IT support, custodial services,
security) to support Hillel.
Responsible Party
● Staff, including maintenance supervisor
● Board and Building Committee

Measurable Results
● Successful remediation of all safety and security issues identified by expert assessment
● Stronger ties and communication between Hillel, university police, and other campus
organizations
● Fund reserve aligns with need and maintenance projections
● Building used for outside events; protocols for outside use in place and followed
● Appropriate staffing for building
Resources Required
● Appropriate funding for safety and security improvements
● Additional staff to coordinate outside groups
● Disciplined calendar coordination within Temple Hillel to schedule time and place of events

Focus Area 3: Hillel’s value to the university and to alumni
How can Temple Hillel add value as a visible and influential hub for Jewish resources and
education, a partner in university-wide civic engagement, and a wellspring of engaged young
Jews?
Goal A: Establish Temple Hillel as a visible and influential hub for Jewish resources and education
aimed at Jewish and general audiences.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Create a strategy for community relations to develop key contacts and relationships at
Temple University and with other partners.
● Identify key outreach participants (e.g Board members, community partners).
● Develop a training plan for the Temple Hillel Board focused on outreach and advocacy.
● Craft relevant programming (e.g. speaker series) that can be deployed in the following year.
● Share and refine the plan with Board members and other stakeholders.
Year 2
● Roll out community relations, and training plans.
● Pilot relevant programming.
● Track, evaluate, and refine.
Year 3
● Execute plans and programming to make initiatives replicable and sustainable.
Responsible Party
● Board members
● Executive Director
Resources Needed
● Experienced and skilled members of the Board
● Staff and training resources as required
● Funds for outreach to new demographics
● Funds for programming
Measurable Results
● Fully developed communications strategy
● Board members receive training in outreach and advocacy
● Jewish programming beyond Hillel’s core student audience

Goal B: Strengthen ties with Temple University’s civic and educational life and aim to foster a
campus climate in which Jewish and pro-Israel students feel safe expressing their identity and
values, free of harassment, hostility, or marginalization.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Create a university relations task force.
● Develop a prioritized list of strategic campus partners and initiate or nurture relationships
(campus mapping).
● Continue work with Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative and Temple University’s
Blue Ribbon Commission on Antisemitism and University Responses.
● Analyze our building as a welcoming space for civic engagement.
● Engage Jewish and non-Jewish students and faculty; and train Jewish student leaders in
inter-cohort community organizing.
Year 2
● In partnership with students, collaborate with relevant university departments, offices and
student groups on programming. Focus on partnerships with other student organizations
and peer-to-peer initiatives.
● Pilot cross-programming among the university, Hillel, and other stakeholders.
Year 3
● Nurture and expand relationships, Hillel’s visibility, and involvement with civic engagement.
● Increase relationships and program/event partnerships from previous year.
Responsible Party
● Strategic Planning Implementation Committee
● Staff
● Students
● Representatives from Temple University’s Feinstein Center, provost’s office, DEI, and other
partners
Resources Needed
● Staff time
● Training as required
Measurable Results
● Campus mapping
● Tracking of outreach, relationships created, and initiatives developed
● Tracking when Hillel is sought out by Temple departments as a resource and/or for
program/event/thought partnerships

Goal C: Create a comprehensive approach to alumni engagement.
Accomplishments
Year 1
● Establish an Alumni Engagement Task Force. Coordinate with goals in Focus Area 1.
● Develop an alumni engagement strategy that considers scope, objectives, outreach, and
programming.
● Explore similar programs at other Hillels and set benchmarks.
● Coordinate efforts with SIC alumni initiatives.
Year 2
● Pilot engagement strategies.
● Share and refine plan with Board members and other stakeholders.
Year 3
● Execute refined engagement strategies.
● Share engagement model so that it may be replicated across the Hillel movement.
Responsible Party
● Development and Marketing Director
● Temple University student life and alumni affairs professionals
● Philadelphia-area Jewish young leader groups (e.g. NextGen, Tribe 12, Moishe House)
● Temple Hillel student leaders
● Alumni volunteers
Resources Needed
● Experienced and skilled members of the Board
● Staff resources as required
Measurable results
● Development and execution of plans as outlined above

APPENDIX 2:
Strategic Planning Committee Meetings, Resources and Stakeholder Input
Strategic Planning Committee meetings were held from December 2021 through August
2022, most at three-week intervals. The six-member Steering Committee met every two
weeks during this time to determine the processes being used, assess each meeting
and to plan upcoming meetings. All sessions except for the student meeting in August
were conducted over Zoom and recorded. The recordings were shared with the
Committee allowing any member who missed a meeting to view it. Written and
recorded materials were shared prior to each meeting along with questions to think
about and, in some cases, assignments designed to prepare members to make the best
use of meeting time. Materials included the committee’s work-in-progress as we
developed a full SWOT analysis and generated major focus areas. Meetings opened
with icebreakers to help members transition their attention to the meeting space and get
to know one another. Breakout rooms, polls and the JamBoard app proved especially
useful tools during Zoom meetings.
Following is a summary of the meetings of the Strategic Planning Committee
December 1, 2021
Materials shared prior to the meeting:
● Hillel International’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan
● “Q1 Snapshot,” prepared by Jennifer Zwilling, Hillel International’s Chief Strategy and
Campus Success Officer, offers a field-wide overview of the impact of Covid on Jewish
student life [See appendix 4]
Major meeting components:
● Introductions
● Strategic Planning Committee: Purpose, Timeline, Expectations
● Discussion of shared documents
January 4, 2022
● “Awesome Mission Statements”
● “Elements of a Vision Statement”
● “What’s a SWOT?”
● “What’s a PEST? “
● “PE(EE)ST Worksheet” (customized version of a PEST exercise for Temple Hillel)
● Discussion of Temple Hillel’s mission and vision statements
● Hillel’s assumptions and methodologies: An overview of emerging adulthood,
characteristics of GenZ, and the importance of relationships in Hillel’s work with students
● Overview of the Hillel movement in the areas of talent acquisition, professional
development, tracking and assessment
● Brief PEST analysis exercise
● Introduction to SWOT analysis

January 26, 2022
● Discussion of PEST exercise
● Beginning SWOT analysis by listing Opportunities and Threats
February 15, 2022
● SWOT prompts
● notes from 1/26 Opportunities and Threats discussion
● Interview: Susan Becker interviewing Jen Zwilling from Hillel’s Schusterman
International Center (SIC)
● Continue SWOT focus on Opportunities and Threats
● Begin identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
March 9, 2022
● Rabbi Daniel Levitt interviewing Chris Carey from Temple University
● Discussion of the interview in terms of the SWOT analysis
● Sorting SWOT lists into clusters
March 29, 2022
● Audio podcast of Jon Broder’s interview with Mitch Morgan for Temple 10-Q Business
Law Review
● Zoom recording of Rabbi Daniel Levitt’s interview of Jeff Lasday and Kelly
Romirowsky from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
● Discussion of interviews and their influences on the SWOT
● Clusters of Strengths and Weaknesses with the addition of Board, staff and student
input based on their own SWOT exercises
● Clustering items in the categories of Opportunities and Threats
April 20, 2022
● Spreadsheet of full SWOT with input from all sources
● Spreadsheet with SWOT items clustered into 12 groupings
● Completion of categories generated during SWOT analysis
● Beginning of development of overarching strategic focus areas
● Interview of Temple Hillel’s senior leadership: Rabbi Daniel Levitt, Susan Becker and
Jon Broder

May 10, 2022
● Spreadsheet with SWOT clusters organized into major focus areas
● Worksheet for “homework exercise” on imagining Temple Hillel in three years and how
that vision compares with the emerging strategic focus areas
● Student panel
● Consensus on three to four key focus areas
● Discuss the use of working groups to drill down in each focus area
June 1, 2022
● Spreadsheet with proposed focus areas, including an updated focus area 3 and
prompt questions to assist with discussion and decision-making
● Reaching consensus on focus area 3
● Working group instructions, sample working group discussion, review of
supporting documents (group member lists, group instructions, SMART goals, excel
sheet for focus areas)
June and July
Working groups met and produced detailed work plans for each of three key focus
areas. The Steering Committee reviewed, edited and consolidated these into an overall
plan. The Steering Committee also developed this narrative report.
August 12, 2022
● Full work plan: Google document including all three focus areas and, in each area, the
three-year set of goals including responsible parties, necessary resources, and indicators of success.
● Discussion and feedback for all three focus areas based on the full combined work plan
Strategic Planning Committee members who were unable to attend the 8/12 meeting were invited
prior to that date, and after the meeting, to offer feedback.
August 18, 2022
In-person meeting: Rabbi Daniel Levitt and Jon Broder met with students to review the
plan and get their input.

APPENDIX 3: Strategic Planning Committee Members
*Temple Hillel Board
^ Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Michael Allen*
2016 Temple graduate
Susan Becker^
Temple Hillel Assistant Director (through
June 2022)
Strategic Planning Steering Committee
(through June 2022)
Lila Corwin Berman
Murray Friedman Chair of American Jewish
History
Jon Broder* ^
Temple Hillel Board co-chair
Temple graduate
Adjunct faculty, Beasley School of Law
Adam Bershad
Temple graduate
Hillel professional
Chris Carey
Senior Associate Dean of Students
Jennifer Chestnut^
Campus Support Director, Hillel
International
Andrew Cohen^
Strategic Planning Committee co-chair
Parent of a current Temple University
undergraduate
Vice President for Technology Strategy and
Operations, Hillel International
Barbara Hirsh* ^
Strategic Planning Committee co-chair
Temple graduate
Steve Kelsen*
Faculty, Katz School of Medicine
Rabbi Daniel Levitt^
Executive Director of Temple Hillel
Ann Lebowitz*
Former chair, Hillel of Greater Philadelphia
Board
Zach Oppenheimer*
Adjunct faculty, Fox School of Business
Marc Prine*
Jeff Wilson
Former chair, Hillel of Greater Philadelphia
Board
Samantha Wolstromer
Temple Hillel student leader
Rabbi Eric Yanoff*
Rabbi at Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA

APPENDIX 4: Hillel Field Report
This report from Hillel’s Schusterman International Center was shared as background with the
Strategic Planning Committee.
Hillel Q1 Snapshot -- Reflections on Engagement in Fall 2021
As college students returned to campuses this fall, Hillels have both eagerly and cautiously resumed in-
person student engagement. While many long for a return to “normal” there is also widespread
recognition that the pandemic has changed us all -- students, Hillel professionals and the college
experience. As everyone leans into the first months of the new year, we’re doing our best at Hillel
International to zoom out to glean a bird's eye observation of emerging trends and to invite a collective
conversation about what we’re learning and how might inform Hillels’ work in the months ahead.
Taking an aggregate sample from Hillel’s CRM (HEaRT) used by over 138 Hillels, Hillel can now
extrapolate out from this data sample to take a pulse on organizational trends and compare to prior
years at this time. So what are we seeing?
As of September 30, as a movement, Hillel has engaged over 49,000 students at least once, a 21%
increase over where Hillels were a year ago, when efforts focused on connecting to students who
commonly were studying from their childhood bedrooms. And yet, it is still one third fewer students
than the number Hillel engaged in the fall of 2019 when more than 73,000 Jewish students had already
been engaged in the same time period. Interestingly,
By the end of September, Hillel had engaged more than 10,000 students in ongoing or high impact
meaningful Jewish experiences. This number is still lagging Fall 2020 by 11% and is 50% of pre-pandemic
“depth” engagement. (It’s important to note that one reason this data is down and continues to be so is
because of the absence of Birthright Israel and other immersive Israel travel that often comprises around
50% of Hillel’s high impact work.) Frequency of engagement (6+) is still lagging in comparison to this time
last year, presumably because students who were stuck at home were eager for the ongoing connection
Hillel provided.
In many respects, engagement is returning, but it hasn’t immediately bounced back to pre-pandemic
levels. So what is happening? Should Hillels expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of engagement this
year? And can they do so by doing what has worked in the past? As we pulled this early engagement
data, we also asked the Hillel International Campus Support Director team who has visited over 80 Hillels
since July, and who talk with dozens of Hillel professionals weekly, to reflect on trends and themes they
are seeing across their portfolios. While this isn’t a formal study, and rather an attempt to get a pulse of
what’s happening, a variety of relatively consistent themes emerged that are worth highlighting.
Students in general are feeling overwhelmed. Most students have not simply returned to “normal” as if
it was Fall 2019 again. Some feel cheated out of 18 months of college (or high school), they are tired and
stressed as they adapt to in-person life again, and are less optimistic about life in general. After living in a
bubble over the past year, socializing itself can be overwhelming. And some report that academics are
more demanding and are requiring greater time and attention.

The Mental Health Crisis is Ever-Present: The mental health crisis of this generation, exacerbated over
the last year due to isolation and anxiety is palpable on campus, and several universities have already
had to deal with student suicides or attempted suicides. Our teams hear daily from field pros navigating
Hillel is engaging a lot of upperclassmen this year for the first time ever. 46% of those engaged in the first two
months of the school year who had not been engaged with Hillel before were not first-year students.
mental health challenges on campus. Campus systems, from counseling centers to Dean’s offices, are
overwhelmed with need. Students’ inability to access resources is leading to increased discontent and
disillusionment and is impacting students’ ability to engage fully in traditional campus life. And, while
some of the immediate dangers of the pandemic are abating, we’ll need to continue the collective
conversation around the impact of the pandemic in terms of trauma, social skills, identity development,
and more. We’re simultaneously excitedly living our lives while still living in a world plagued by plague.
The Initial Rush: Many Hillels reported initial student excitement about being back on campus. Many
Hillels enjoyed a very high turnout over the first month for“Welcome Week” activities, High Holiday and
Sukkot programs, and first Shabbats.
As one director shared, “... student engagement is higher than ever before. It is clear that students are
craving social interaction. It's great to have a fresh start. Students who were not coming as much to Hillel
before the pandemic are back in action and eager. New students are super eager and are coming to
events in large numbers. It feels great to be able to "re-brand" ourselves in a way.”
.... And then a slow down: After the initial rush, some Hillels began to report that students were more
non-committal than in past years. Case in point - while the Jewish Learning Fellowship continues to be
popular and fully subscribed on some campuses, others Hillels found that students were not ready to
make an 8-10 week commitment. The reasons for this seem to vary. In contrast to last year's boredom,
students are busier than ever with classes and extracurricular activities. Hillels report that students are
trying to make the most of college, and committing themselves to everything - or precisely the opposite -
not committing themselves too much at all in order to stay available for the next “big thing”. Others are
fearful that commitment could lead to more loss (e.g. signing up for a trip that could get canceled again),
and still others note that students are overwhelmed by coursework and managing day to day life.
It’s important to note that this slow down is not occurring across the board -- for some Hillels, the
intensity has continued unabated. Students are hungry to be connected to each other, and perhaps by
being one of the few organizations who maintained presence with calls and online programs throughout
the last year, Hillel is seen as a caring and accessible place to connect with a community. As we continue
through the fall months, it will be helpful for us to explore if there are particular things that Hillels are
doing that make the difference in the volume of student activity.
Some Hillels have fewer student leaders to rely upon. After 1.5 years of students not on campus, many
student leaders have graduated. For those who remain, some Hillels are reporting trends that indicate a
need to reinvigorate or rethink student leadership models. Like all students noted above, some student
leaders are overwhelmed and less able to give their attention deeply to particular interests. Some are
expressing a desire to have things done for them instead of wanting to lead. And, new student leaders
don’t have the history of watching veterans lead the way. Additionally, we often look to student leaders
and engagement interns to activate their student networks. After being away from campus for a long
period of time, most students’ networks are significantly smaller than in the past.

Loss of Culture: Older students often set the tone on campus for “how things are done around here”
that models the way for newer students. As one professional shared, they’re finding that freshmen might
not know it’s OK to skip services and show up for Shabbat dinner. This can on the one hand be
viewed as a loss, but also presents a moment in time for Hillels to consider what new rituals or culture
they might want to create.
Implications for Staff: The loss of student leadership means that Hillel professionals both need to rebuild
what was lost, and that some professionals are feeling a responsibility to generate programming and
engage students that would have traditionally been done by student leaders. The intensity of back to
school activities, followed immediately by the high holidays, changes in student engagement behavior as
well as the return to full in person work days has some professionals on the ground feeling tired and
stressed. Hillels are balancing a desire to push to increase student engagement with a need to give space
for the staff to rest and recharge.
The Opportunity of this Moment: With so much in flux, we are also seeing Hillels get “back to the
basics”. While relationship building has always been the hallmark of Hillels work, some Hillels are
investing even more energy right now in relationship building and deep listening to understand where
students are and what they most need at this moment. Some are opting to dial back programming,
putting fewer planned activities onto the calendar, and allowing things to emerge from the relationship
building work. Perhaps this is a model for the start to the school year worth keeping every year.
A great pride of the Hillel movement is being attuned to student needs. And the last year has proven that
as an organization, we can pivot quickly to meet the moment. We hope this summary provides a useful
tool to catalyze reflection and conversation. And we look forward to continuing to learn and experiment
together for the benefit of students and the Jewish people.
This brief was compiled by Jennifer Zwilling, Jay Lewis and Sarah Cohn with input from the Campus
Support Directors, Student Engagement and Measurement teams

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