“Keep the students always at the center of the conversation,” said Whitney Fisch, the executive director of Hillel at Miami University, “it has to be about the students and community.”
Whitney Fisch has been at Hillel at Miami University since 2020 and, this November, she will say farewell to the organization.
In 2020, Fisch, with her husband and three children, moved from Los Angeles to live in Cincinnati after being hired as executive director at Hillel. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in social work and community organization, specializing in children and youth.
Previously, right out of graduate school, Fisch had leadership roles in the Anti-Defamation League and Milken Community School, where she was director of health and wellness.
Fisch has always done Jewish communal work, which led her to work with Jewish day schools. During her time with Milken Community School, Fisch said she was able to focus her strengths on children and segued into working as a school counselor for 10 years.
While beginning her role with Hillel at Miami University in 2020, the organization and staff opportunities were not fully developed. The organization struggled financially before she started, said Fisch.
However, since joining Hillel, Fisch said she made the organization more involved with Miami student life and community engagement.
“We also have a full staff now with an operation manager, assistant director, Israel Fellow, engagement associate and marketing manager,” said Fisch. “(They are) really [just] incredible human beings and I am so proud to have been able to work with them.”
Community engagement and fundraising opportunities have increased since Fisch’s involvement at Hillel.
“Last year we were able to fundraise around 175% more than what the organization was fundraising for when I started,” said Fisch. “It was a huge accomplishment.”
Although the organization has seen improvement under Fisch’s leadership every organization is bound to have challenges.
“It’s a leadership role in a diverse community,” said Fisch. “I’ve certainly had vocal folks disagree with decisions I’ve made and the only thing you can do is listen and thank them for their time, then make the best decision you think to be true for the organization.”
An important area that still needs improvement in the Oxford/Miami community is understanding the Jewish community according to Fisch.
“Miami is still struggling with understanding who Jewish students are; in terms of being a diverse peoplehood, culture, ethnicity and nationality,” said Fisch.
Fisch’s mission at Hillel was to create a space where students and the community, Jewish or not, can gather, learn, engage and connect to further explore their identity. And Fisch said she has reached that goal.
Devra Sadler, assistant director of Hillel at Miami University, has worked with Fisch for over a year.
“She is incredibly focused on the mission of the organization and living it through everything we do, of connecting people to each other,” said Sadler.
“As a leader for staff, she is one of the best supervisors I’ve ever had,” said Sadler. “She is super caring, fights and advocates for her staff.”
The process to find a new executive director has begun. The hiring committee dedicated to finding a new executive director is composed of Miami professors, board members, current students and members of the funding organization at Hillel.
“Hillel International makes sure that the transition is smooth and that the right leader is in place to take over,” said Fisch, “It’s truly a well-rounded [diverse] group of people..there’s a lot of perspectives.”
Fisch has accepted the role of chief executive officer (CEO) at a Jewish non-profit organization called BaMidbar. The national organization works to provide education, clinical care and resources for Jewish teens, young adults and adults.
“I’m really excited to start that work to support Jewish young adults and teens through another lens,” said Fisch, “it’s really next level.”
As Fisch prepares to move on to a new chapter of her life, she leaves behind a legacy full of community, engagement, inclusivity and empowerment at Hillel.
