The Jewish community at Brown and RISD prides itself on being pluralist and fluid; its different communities and interest groups overlap and enrich each other. Students come from a variety of backgrounds, both ideologically and in their Jewish experience. Some students had little connection with Jewish life before entering Brown; others made it a central part of their lives.
Click on the links below to meet some of the faces of Brown RISD Hillel, and to find out more about our multifaceted community!
May 19, 2013
May 04, 2013
Marshall Einhorn is a former software consultant, with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from MIT. While he took a somewhat windy career path to Hillel and Jewish communal work, his time in the for-profit world both prepared him for his role and allows him to appreciate the gift of being passionate about his work each day. Marshall brings the pluralistic passion that was sparked as a student leader at Tufts Hillel to his work at Brown RISD Hillel, where he seeks to help students forge a deep and abiding relationship to Jewish life and to one another. Marshall lives in Providence with his wife, Deborah, and their three children, who firmly believe that the foosball table is the greatest thing about the Glenn and Darcy Weiner Center. Contact: Marshall_Einhorn@brown.edu 401-863-9354
Rachel Eisen attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she was a double major in History and Jewish Studies (and deepened her love for New York sports teams). When she wasn’t holed up in the library or running Jewish programming, Rachel taught religious school and was (and still is) a figure skater and competed with a synchronized skating team (yes, that’s a real thing!). Rachel has worked at a locally-based Jewish educational organization in the Washington, DC-metro area and has taught Holocaust history and global social justice. She’s extremely excited about Brown RISD Hillel and would love to help with any and all aspects of student programming! Feel free to shoot her an email or stop by Hillel when she’s working at the front desk.
Contact: Rachel_Eisen@brown.edu 401-863-6507
Anna Gershman is responsible for running the financial aspects of the foundation and managing the building. Anna received her MBA from Bryant University. She is a CPA and worked in public accounting before joining the staff at Brown RISD Hillel. Anna emigrated to US with her husband and son in 1988. Prior to that she practiced dentistry in St. Petersburg, Russia. She received a DMD from Pavlov Dental School of Leningrad. She is interested in photography and music. Contact: Anna_Gershman@brown.edu 401-863-9353
Alisa Kotler-Berkowitz is happy to be back at Brown RISD Hillel after working here in the 1990s and then spending time in Israel and NYC. Alisa is Hillel's Director of Engagement. In this position, she coordinates projects that engage students who don't initially seek Hillel out - including an internship program and alternative break projects. She loves working with the amazing students and the incredible staff here at Brown RISD Hillel. When Alisa's not at Hillel, she's hanging out with her family, volunteering at the Jewish Community Day School of RI and working in her freelance photography business. Contact: Alisa_Kotler-Berkowitz@brown.edu 401-863-9289
Sara Miller attended Brandeis University and received a degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies with minors in Music, Religious Studies, and Hebrew: Language and Literature. While at Brandeis, Sara was active in Hillel at large (running Hillel Orientation for new students), singing and dancing onstage with the Hillel Theater Group, and coordinating the Brandeis Reform Chavurah (BaRuCH). Sara spent a semester abroad in the spring of her junior year at the University of Haifa’s International School, where she improved her Hebrew, traveled, and interned. Have any questions about Birthright or anything related to Israel on campus? Feel free to stop by and ask! Contact: Sara_Miller@brown.edu 401-863-2962
Mordechai Rackover is a Montreal native who spent nearly eight years studying in Israel. Prior to working at Brown he was a synagogue rabbi and a school teacher. Mordechai is passionate about Jewish learning and open to multiple perspectives and opinions. Nechama Lea and Mordechai have four children, and as a family they enjoy sports, cooking and crafting. Contact: rabbi@brown.edu 401-863-2733
401-863-2805
info@brownrisdhillel.org