Hillel International’s New Professionals Institute Sets New Pros Up for Success
Attracting, developing, and retaining top talent is at the heart of Hillel International’s strategy for shaping the future of Jewish campus life. That commitment was on full display at the 2025 New Professionals Institute (NPI), which brought nearly 200 professionals to Washington University in St. Louis for two days of immersive onboarding, relationship-building, and learning.
NPI is a cornerstone of Hillel’s talent development strategy, providing new professionals with the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to lead meaningful Jewish campus experiences. The program emphasizes not just role readiness, but long-term growth and connection across the Hillel movement.
“We as a Hillel movement are committed to you,” said Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman in opening remarks at the conference. “Your professional life at Hillel will be the best part of your professional career within your lifetime. That’s my commitment to you, we are going to do everything in our power to achieve that.”
Sessions focused on building the skills, confidence, and clarity professionals need to engage students and lead with purpose from day one. Key topics included:
- “Building Real Relationships,” which provided concrete practices for fostering deep connection, belonging, and purpose through student engagement.
- “Growing Your Student Leadership Pipeline,” where professionals explored leadership development strategies and tools for empowering students as co-creators of Jewish life.
- “Managing this Moment,” where professionals learned to respond to challenging campus dynamics with clarity, confidence, and care.
- “Flourish at Hillel,” which introduced a well-being framework rooted in Jewish values.
- “Leading Authentically,” which guided managers through reflection on leadership style and its impact on team culture and outcomes.
This targeted content was designed to ensure that new professionals are equipped to succeed in their current roles, and are supported to grow into leadership positions over time.
“I’ve met so many other new professionals with similar backgrounds to me and have loved connecting with them before I head to campus for the new school year,” said Kennesaw State Hillel Springboard Fellow Jordan Bennett, citing the spent building relationships with the Springboard cohort. Key topics included:
- Defining success in their roles
- Navigating student life and campus culture
- Identifying key support structures and resources
- Working within higher education institutions
NPI is designed to do more than orient professionals to their roles—it’s an investment in their leadership, engagement capacity, and long-term career trajectory within Hillel. By providing vision, connection, and skills, NPI helps professionals begin their Hillel journeys with confidence and a strong sense of purpose.
For Cayla Schreier, Hillel for Utah’s director of student and community engagement, NPI was a valuable place to learn about engagement strategies that will give students a sense of belonging on her campus. “Hillel has a place for everyone,” she said.
As the academic year begins, these professionals return to campus with expanded skill sets, meaningful peer networks, and a clear vision for their role in shaping vibrant Jewish student life.