Campus News

BY RAN BEN SHABAT, DIRECTOR OF HILLEL AND NEXT GENERATION ENGAGEMENT

Hi Atlantic Canada! I am so excited to be joining you as the AJC’s new Hillel Director.

I was born and raised in Israel where I also did all of my schooling. I attended the Beit Berl Academic College for fi ve years and earned a Bachelor of Education Degrees and a Teaching Certifi cate.

Education is a big part of my adult life. I have been a member of the Dror Israel Movement for 15 years. “Dror Israel” was founded by graduates of the Israeli Youth Movement, “Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed”, who served together in the IDF, and shared a belief in the founding principles of Zionism. They recognized the power of education to change society and aimed to create a just and equal society through education.

Later I joined the Yigal Allon Center of Education at Kibbutz Ginosar located on the majestic Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret). I started as the Manager of the children’s and youth department, and, after a year, become the Content Director and Pedagogical Consultant for all the educational activities of the center.

Last but not the least, I had the honor of working for the Jordan River Village, a unique overnight camp for children living with chronic, genetic, or life-threatening diseases and children with special needs. I was the Gap year Program Coordinator there for two years.

Recently, I moved from Israel to Halifax Nova Scotia. As you can probably guess, everything is very new for me and I am thrilled to be a part of both the Hillel and Atlantic Canadian communities. I am excited to discover and learn all about Jewish life in Atlantic Canada!

Looking forward to meeting you all! Want to get in touch with me? Reach out at hillel@theajc.ca