KU Grads Enriching the Jewish People and the World
Hillel's mission is: Enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.
As we say goodbye to another class of students, we are proud of what they have accomplished at KU and are confident that they are leaving KU ready to enrich the Jewish people and the world.
This year's Jewish KU grads are doing everything from pursuing masters degrees in social welfare to studying medicine in Tel Aviv to marketing for the Chicago Bulls. We are proud of all of them!
Please read the grad highlights below to learn more about the amazing plans some of our brand new KU alums have to directly impact the Jewish people and the world.
Melissa Horen
Melissa will be working as a Legislative Fellow for the Institute for Public Affairs in Washington, DC. The IPA is the public policy arm of the Orthodox Union, the nation's largest representative Orthodox Jewish organization.
Melissa was KU Hillel President her sophomore year and was extremely involved in Israel programming and advocacy at KU, including an AIPAC Internship in Washington, DC. In addition, Melissa served as Vice- President of KU Student Senate and was named a KU Woman of Distinction and received the presigious Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award from the Chancellor at graduation.
Melissa's leadership and vision led the transition form KU Hillel being a small organization that no one on campus knew to one of the largest, well-known, and most respected organizations at KU.
Andrew Terkel
Andrew will be working as an Education Fellow for the The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, He will spend the next two years traveing through Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas working to infuse Jewish life into small Southern Jewish communities by providing educational services and expertise for both children and adults.
Andrew led Shabbat services at KU Hillel from his freshman to his senior year. He also designed and led services at two Rock Chalk Shabbat programs. In addition, Andrew served for a year on the KU Hillel board and sang in Sharim Netzim, KU Hillel's a capela group. He also taught music and songled at Temple B'nai Jehuda in Kansas City.
Andrew's talent and his passion for Jewish music left an immeasurable impact on the KU Jewish community.
Casey Topol
Casey will be working as the Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow at the University of Florida Hillel. In that role, Casey will strive to engage students in Jewish life on campus and help connect them to Jewish opportunities at the University of Florida.
After spending four years as a varsity diver at KU, Casey dedicated most of her final 15 months at KU to impacting the KU Jewish community. After participating on KU Hillel's Alternative Spring Break trip to Mississippi last year, Casey joined the KU Hillel board. In that role, she significantly enhanced KU Hillel's profile throughout the university through on- campus publicity and her role as a studnet senator.
Casey's passion and dedication for Jewish life is unmatched and we are thrilled she will continue to bring that enthusiasm to Jewish campus life through her work at Florida's Hillel.
Emily Caulfield
Emily will join the staff of Temple Chai in Long Grove, IL as the Director of Youth and Informal Programs. Temple Chai is a large Reform congregation in suburban Chicago.
Emily served as both President and Program Vice- President on the KU Hillel board. In addition, she spent numerous hours per week teaching at Congregation Beth Torah throughout her college career.
Emily truly has a lifetime committment to Jewish education and the Jewish community. Her passion for Jewish life and willingness to do whatever it takes to make a program successful will be a huge asset to Temple Chai and the Jewish community as a whole.
Shana Beach
After completing the Air Force ROTC program at KU, Shana was recently commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. She will be working in intelligence.
Shana was very involved in KU Hillel as an undregrad, including participating on Hillel's Birthright Israel trip and singing in Sharim Netzim, KU Hillel's a capela group. During the past two years while she was pursuing her masters degree, Shana worked for KU Hillel as our Communications Associate. In that role, she transformed KU Hillel's website and streamlined our weekly student email. In addition, Shana taught religious school at the New Reform Temple in Kansas City.
Shana's creativity, leadership, and technical knowledge significantly enhanced KU Hillel's web and email presence. We are very proud of the commttment that she is making to our country.
Dana Silverman
Dana will be moving to Phoenix, AZ to work at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC). She is going to be on a team of teachers in the SARRC Community School. The school is an integrated preschool with both typically developing kids and kids with autism.
Dana served on both the KU Hillel board and the Senior Leadership Advisory committee. In addition to her connection to the KU Jewish community, Dana worked at Greene Family Camp (a Reform camp in Texas) and with autistic children throughout her four years at KU.
With her passion for children with special needs and her committment to helping others, Dana embodies everything we want our graduates to be.
Brian Altman
Brian will pursue his medical degree at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. His degree will permit him to practice medicine in both the United States and in Israel.
Brian was one of the founding members of the KU Jewish acapella group Sharim Netzim. During his final semester, the group was able to record its first studio album. His vision for the group, leadership and dedication to the success of the group ensured that Sharim Netzim will grow in the years to come.
Brian also served on the Senior Leadership Advisory committee and was a longtime staff member at Herzl Camp in Webster, WI.
