Rabbi Pine appointed as first female Hillel Director
Rabbi Debra Pine, former director of the New Orleans Hillel, which also services Tulane University, has been appointed executive director of Hopkins Hillel and will become the first woman to hold the position at Hopkins.
Pine will take over from the recently resigned Rabbi Etan Mintz on April 6.
Hillel's board selected Pine from among a handful candidates after about two weeks of interviews with students, alumni, donors, faculty, administrators, board members and community members. "Etan resigned, so we were eager to move forward in accepting her into our community," President of the Jewish Students Association and Hillel board member Lauren Fluger said.
Pine's gender did not play into the Hillel board's decision to hire, according to Executive Director for Hillel of Greater Baltimore Beth Gansky.
"Rabbi Pine is incredibly qualified. Her recruitment is entirely based on her outstanding qualifications for the position," she said. "She is a seasoned professional who has a vast background working with the Jewish community and having experience as the director at the Tulane Hillel."
The Reform rabbi was ordained from the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati after she attended Oberlin College. She also served as the associate Rabbi at Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh.
"I think my biggest challenge, and what is exciting and interesting about Hopkins, is that we have a large Orthodox population and there are gender issues that are more of a concern in the Orthodox community than in the liberal Jewish community," Pine said.
Pine said she is not worried about any gender issues because Jewish law is flexible and creates ways to work around problems.
"For this generation, more than our parents, I don't think that the gender issue is as big of a problem," Pine said.
Students involved with Hillel, from all sects of Judaism, are excited to welcome a female Rabbi and are more interested in her credentials than her gender.
Pine will take over from the recently resigned Rabbi Etan Mintz on April 6.
Hillel's board selected Pine from among a handful candidates after about two weeks of interviews with students, alumni, donors, faculty, administrators, board members and community members. "Etan resigned, so we were eager to move forward in accepting her into our community," President of the Jewish Students Association and Hillel board member Lauren Fluger said.
Pine's gender did not play into the Hillel board's decision to hire, according to Executive Director for Hillel of Greater Baltimore Beth Gansky.
"Rabbi Pine is incredibly qualified. Her recruitment is entirely based on her outstanding qualifications for the position," she said. "She is a seasoned professional who has a vast background working with the Jewish community and having experience as the director at the Tulane Hillel."
The Reform rabbi was ordained from the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati after she attended Oberlin College. She also served as the associate Rabbi at Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh.
"I think my biggest challenge, and what is exciting and interesting about Hopkins, is that we have a large Orthodox population and there are gender issues that are more of a concern in the Orthodox community than in the liberal Jewish community," Pine said.
Pine said she is not worried about any gender issues because Jewish law is flexible and creates ways to work around problems.
"For this generation, more than our parents, I don't think that the gender issue is as big of a problem," Pine said.
Students involved with Hillel, from all sects of Judaism, are excited to welcome a female Rabbi and are more interested in her credentials than her gender.
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