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Staff Directory
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Michael Brooks - Executive Director |
Michael has been Executive Director of University of Michigan Hillel since 1980 (when he was 11 years old). In addition to suffocating by degrees at Brandeis, Harvard, The Hebrew University, Merkaz ha-Rav Kook in Jerusalem and U-M (where he also taught history of Judaism for several years), he and his wife Ruth were among the founders of the Havurat Shalom community in Boston. There is now a 2nd generation of Michigan students lining up at the CCRB racquetball courts to avenge the honor of their parents who Michael used to beat when they were students here. (Please email him if you would like to take a number.) In 1997 Michael received the Covenant Award in recognition of his work as one of the country's outstanding Jewish educators and he once opened for comedian Yaakov Smirnof.
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Sallie Kochin Abelson - Development Director |
 Sallie Kochin Abelson is a 1967 graduate from LSA at The University of Michigan and has a Masters Degree in Counseling from Penn State University. She has been Development Director since July, 1998. Prior to that she lived in Ames, Iowa and was CEO of Contemporary Designs of Gilbert, Iowa for 19 years. She has two sons Michael a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin, and David a film editor in New York City.
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Diane Redman Pfahler Director of Operations |
Diane Redman Pfahler has been working for U of M Hillel since 1993 under many titles: Office Manager, Comptroller and now Director of Operations. She is originally from Indiana, but now lives in Troy with her new husband, Marshall (hence the name change for those of you that are wondering where Pfahler came from). When not at Hillel you will most likely see Diane on the soccer field playing or coaching. After 17 years at Hillel she still loves her work and the students, and is looking forward to many more years here.
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Allison Sheren Senior Program Director |
 Allison is originally from Princeton, New Jersey and she is a University of Michigan and Young Judaea YearCourse alumna. Originally recruited for government intelligence, she decided Jewish communal work was much more her style. She has previously held the positions as the Program Associate for the Israel on Campus Coalition and City Guide Editor for the Ann Arbor Observer. Allison has been at UM Hillel for three years now. She loves meeting tons of great students and is always around to bounce an idea off of. Allison is the main advisor for all graduate student programming, as well as Israel groups, ways to get back to Israel, Taglit-Birthright: Israel, and a variety of other groups and programs.
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Rabbi Rod Glogower Staff Associate |
 Rabbi Glogower is a native of Hamilton, Ohio and grew up in Pittsburgh. He earned a B.A. in English Literature from Loyola University while at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Il. He received ordination with distinction from the Midrasha of Machon Harry Fischel in Jerusalem and then returned to America to pursue graduate work at Yeshiva University. He holds two masters degrees in Jewish philosophy, from Yeshiva University and Brandeis University. He, and his wife Nehama have six children: Abby, Ari, Naomi, Shira, Yoni and Johanna (Jo).
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Beth Henderson Premiums Coordinator |
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Beth Henderson has been working for UMHillel since 2005 and she loves it.
Beth is a native of Ann Arbor, MI and an alumnae of USL in Lafayette,
LA.
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Tilly Shames Associate Director |
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 Tilly Shames, a transplanted Canadian craving Tim Hortons coffee, joined the University of Michigan Hillel team in 2008. As the Berman Fellow, Tilly is gaining experience in all areas of the organization as training to become a Hillel Executive Director. She worked for the previous five years for Hillel of Greater Toronto as Associate Director and Director of Israel Affairs, developing and encouraging new access points for students to become engaged in Jewish campus life. Tilly has led numerous Israel trips for university students including Taglit-Birthright Israel, leadership trips with Jewish and non-Jewish students, and, most recently, a Tzedek Hillel mission volunteering with African refugees in South Tel Aviv. Tilly holds a Masters Degree in International Affairs and a Bachelor degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science. Other experiences include teaching Greys Anatomy lessons on Jewish values at Holy Blossom Temple, working for the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, learning at the Pardes Jewish Learning Institute in Jerusalem, and guiding youth through David Ben Gurions home in Sde Boker.
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Chris Stauffer Director of First Impressions |
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Chris is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She lives in Dexter, Michigan with her husband Ricke, and they are the proud parents of four wonderful people. Feel free to ask her about them! Chris has worked at Hillel since 2005. She has fallen in love with the students and staff at Hillel and feels very lucky to be working here.
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Michael Spitulnik Berman Intern |
Michael grew up in Evanston, Illinois. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Michigan in 2010. His thesis analyzed the integration of African-American athletes into mainstream sports and the White and Black medias’ reactions from 1936 to 1968. He is excited to be joining the Hillel staff after fours years of working with them as a student. He can’t wait to help you realize your goals both at Hillel and in the larger University community. He loves sports (GO BLUE!!!), traveling, and trying new things. While continuing his education about the Jewish not-for-profit world as a Berman Intern, Michael will be helping students find their own meaningful way to engage with Hillel, as well as assisting several students groups in continuing to accomplish their missions.
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Allie Conn Berman Intern |
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Allie is from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania (outside Philadelphia) and she is a recent graduate of Penn State University. She graduated with a degree in Public Relations, with minors in Hebrew, Psychology, and International Studies. In 2009, she studied abroad at the Tel Aviv University. Allie is excited to start her professional life as a Berman Intern and to bring a little PSU rivalry to Michigan.
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Darrel (DJ) Smith Database Analyst
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DJ Smith was born in Ann Arbor and has been working with Hillel since 2009.
In the past, DJ was an explorer in the untamed jungles of southern China
until he was crippled in a jaguar attack (the car, not the animal.) As a
result, DJ turned to a life of computer crime until he was rehabilitated by
3 Brazilian spider monkeys. After his rehabilitation, he realized his true
calling was Hillel. DJ is now enjoying working in and around the University
of Michigan and with such fantastic students.
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