New Hillel Head Meets Chabad

By COLlive reporter

Where some say competition, others think cooperation.

Eric Fingerhut, the newly installed President of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, met this week with the heads of what some consider their competitor – Chabad on Campus International Foundation.

The luncheon meeting took place this week at American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) in Washington, DC, and was facilitated by its Executive Vice President, Rabbi Levi Shemtov.

Fingerhut has been a friend of Chabad since he served as a U.S. Congressman and leader of Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges.

Participating were Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, a pioneer of campus shlichus and President of Chabad on Campus, as well as its Executive Vice President, Rabbi Yossi Gordon and Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Director of Administration.

The meeting offered a unique opportunity for the two organizations active across the United States to enhance their channels of communication and interaction, COLlive.com was told.

“I am delighted we had this meeting,” said Gordon. “We work independently when necessary and in concert with others as much as possible when appropriate. This will help us even further realize our goals on behalf of Jewish students on campus and thus Jewish life generally.”