Hillel President Obliquely References Open Hillel at Hillel Conference
Eric Fingerhut Obliquely Addressing Open Hillel at Hillel Global Assembly 2014
At last week’s annual Hillel International staff conference, its president obliquely referenced Open Hillel. Speaking in Orlando at Hillel’s Global Assembly, Eric Fingerhut, having spoken about Hillel and Israel, also seemed to have referenced some challenges that Open Hillel, which recently held its first conference, presents (video below).
“As you all know personally and deeply,” Fingerhut expressed, “Hillel is an open, pluralistic organization that works hard every day to make as many people as possible feel welcome and appreciated.” Then, he pointed out that “some who claim Hillel is not open do not really mean that. Their real agenda is to have another platform for anti-Israel agitation.”
Fingerhut also pointed out that “Jewish arguments are not only accepted, they are the very basis on which our tradition moves itself forward. Hillel, no less than any other Jewish organization at any time in Jewish history, knows and appreciates the value of dissent and disagreement.” However, inasmuch as Hillel welcomes a diversity of opinions, beliefs, and practices, it “also has a special role in setting boundaries around appropriate arguments.”
For the full text of Eric Fingerhut’s Presidential Plenary, Hillel International has posted them.
