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Staff
Michelle Maer, Executive Director
Nick Liebman, Program Director
Yuri Shetkin, Engagement Associate
Erin Jones, Program Director
Evgenia (Genia) Solovyova, Program Director
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Michelle Maer, Executive Director
Michelle Maer became Executive Director of Hillels Around Chicago in July 2005 and she loves it! Having worked in the Jewish community in Chicago for the past 10 years, she most definitely feels, "Jewish life in Chicago is awesome!” Michelle graduated Michigan State University with a Bachelors degree in Social Relations. During her undergraduate degree she spent a year studying at Tel Aviv University in Israel as part of her academic program. In Israel, Michelle not only had the time of her life, but also became very involved in Israel advocacy and Middle-East affairs. Her past work experience in Chicago includes working for The American Jewish Committee, The New Israel Fund, and Steppin’ Out.
Michelle also loves the outdoors where her adventures have taken her moutain biking, kayaking and hiking across the globe -- one of her biggest accomplishments has been climbing to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro where she froze her bottom off just to take a picture from the top. And lastly, one of Michelle’s many talents is to do most anything while eating ice cream. If you DON’T find her hanging around your campus with an ice cream then go out and buy her one! | | Nick Liebman, Program Director
Nicholas Liebman is originally from Evanston, Illinois. At Grinnell College, where he earned a BA in Music, Nick was active in the independent Jewish students’ group there: Chalutzim. After college, Nick worked for a music booking agency and taught music at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston. He was a founding staff member of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs’ summer social justice institute for teens, Or Tzedek. Nick continued to be involved with Or Tzedek and the JCUA while in graduate school at Butler University, where he earned a masters degree in music composition. In his position as Teen Initiatives Organizer for the JCUA, Nick planned and ran programming for high school aged participants, as well as worked on revising the summer curriculum, and redesigning the Or Tzedek program’s promotional material. Nick recently presented at the CAJE Midwest regional conference, where educators learned engaging ways to teach their students about environmental justice in the Jewish context. He is excited to be a part of the Hillels Around Chicago team. | | Yuri Shetkin, Engagement Associate
Yuri Shetkin was born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and then moved with his family in to a town in Russia called Taganrog. After living in Russia for 11 years Yuri made Ailyah to Israel and settled in Haifa where he had a formal Jewish education for the first time. Yuri recently completed his army service with the IDF in 2008 and has moved to Chicago to work with Russian Hillel. | | Erin Jones, Program Director
| | Evgenia (Genia) Solovyova, Program Director
Genia was born in Ukraine in 1983. She was very active in the Jewish Community and has been serving as a professional at Kyiv Hillel for five years. She graduated in 2005 from International Solomon University in Kiev with an MA in World History and Jewish Studies and decided to continue her studies in Israel. She completed a one year program at Pardes Institute in Jerusalem and then moved to Sweden for a year to do projects at Stockholm Jewish Community and Paideia Institute. In 2007 Genia was back in Israel and made Aliya. Since September 2008 Genia has lived in Chicago and is excited to join the Russian Hillel team! |
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