Join us as we welcome Ethan Helfand to KU Hillel!
We are pleased to announce that Ethan Helfand will lead our Hillel team as the organization’s next Executive Director. Ethan’s appointment is the culmination of a competitive search process conducted in partnership with Hillel International and led by a search committee of dedicated volunteer leadership, chaired by Miriam Kaseff. At every step of the search process, Ethan impressed us with his deep passion for KU Hillel’s mission and vision and his knowledge of the greater KC Jewish community.
Ethan will begin as Executive Director on June 17. As he begins his new role, if you have questions or well-wishes for him, you can email him at Ethan@KUHillel.org.
About Ethan
Born and raised in Kansas City, Ethan is excited that his newest journey will bring him to a new home just up the hill from Allen Fieldhouse, where he serves as the Executive Director of the University of Kansas Hillel! Throughout his career, Ethan has focused on building Jewish community through intentional immersive programming, informal Jewish education, and leadership and organizational development.
Ethan’s career as a Jewish professional started at Herzl Camp in Wisconsin where he led the Ozo program, serving as Director of Staff in Training, and later as the Director of Jewish Education. Soon thereafter, Ethan took the helm of USY’s EMTZA Region, serving as Regional Director of Teen Engagement. After a few busy years on the road, he made the move to Durham, NC to become the Associate Director for Programs and Leadership at Jewish Life at Duke, the Hillel at Duke University. In his most recent role, Ethan innovated Jewish programming and educational efforts in Kansas City as the Director of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J.
Ethan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies and Philosophy from The George Washington University, and a Master of Arts in Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, with a concentration in post-Holocaust American Jewish Literature and Society. That’s a fancy way of saying he reads a lot. When he’s not reading, you can find Ethan spending Shabbat afternoons putting together his newest LEGO set or rewatching The West Wing yet again. In the lifetimes he’s lived during and in between being a Jewish professional, Ethan has worked as a bookstore manager, a sous-chef on an Israeli food truck, and a little league baseball umpire. He’s a diehard fan of the KU Jayhawks, KC Chiefs, and KC Royals, an above-average cook, and a below-average athlete.
