Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller Recognized at Hillel International’s Staff Conference In Advance of His Retirement from Hillel

by Drew Kaplan · Published December 18, 2014 · Updated December 21, 2015

Tilly Shames addressing Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller at Hillel International Global Assembly prior to his retirement from Hillel

Last week, at Hillel International‘s inaugural Global Assembly, Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, the Executive Director of Hillel at UCLA, was recognized for his 39 years of service with Hillel in advance of his upcoming retirement from Hillel this summer. “It is so bittersweet to say “להתראות” to a professional who has made Hillel their life’s work,” began Tilly Shames, the Executive Director at University of Michigan Hillel, in her farewell remarks to Rabbi Seidler-Feller. “As he approaches his retirement,” Shames continued, “Chaim celebrates his 39th year of Hillel professional service, working with students and faculty at UCLA and two years at The Ohio State University.”

Shames continued to describe Rabbi Seidler-Feller and what he has done:

Rabbi Chaim is beloved for blending the love of Jewish tradition with the modern intellectual approach of the university, Chaim has created a warm, welcoming and multi-faceted community on the UCLA campus in support of a broader vision of Jewish education and expression. He has enabled thousands of Jewish students to learn from and connect with Jewish life because he deeply believes that working with students is the most effective way we can transform our future.

Before exiting the stage, Rabbi Seidler-Feller was able to squeeze in a few wise words: “This should be emblazoned in all of us: ‘הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן – much have I learned from my teachers, from my colleagues, even more, and, from my students, even more than all of them’* – that’s my motto and that’s what Hillel needs to be.”

The full remarks are viewable below:

* – Quoting Rabbi Hanina (bTa’anit 7a)