After four and a half years at St. Louis Hillel, the largest Jewish organization at Washington University, Executive Director Margo Hamburger-Fox resigned following a January decision by the organization’s board to replace her. Hamburger-Fox will remain in her position until June 30.
“The executive committee made the decision that they wanted to move forward with an executive director that had a different set of skills than mine,” said Hamburger-Fox. “What I’ve done has been great for the organization, and I have a great set of skills, but they want to move in a different direction.”
Although she said that the decision was “a little bit of a surprise,” Hamburger-Fox added that she understood the board’s need to “look towards the future.” She plans to use the remainder of her time at St. Louis Hillel to explore other opportunities.
“For me this is a great opportunity to look at all my skills and look at what I love and to tailor my next career move to that,” said Hamburger-Fox. “That could be a lot of things, because I have a lot of things that I love to do. My Master’s degree is in College Student Personnel, and that’s what brought me into Hillel in the first place. So I’m looking at continuing to work with college students.”
For junior Rachel Kaplan, president of the Jewish Student Union (JSU), the board’s decision was a surprise. As JSU president, she sits on Hillel’s board.
“I was surprised,” said Kaplan. “I didn’t see it coming at all, and I was really confused by it.At the same time, I understood that it was a board decision, which I respect, and there had to be some reason for it. I’m still disappointed, because I really like working with Margo.”
Like Hamburger-Fox, Kaplan is optimistic about Hillel’s future.
“While we’re very disappointed that we’re losing her because she’s a good asset, any change can be good. I’ll be on the search committee to find a replacement, and this is a great opportunity to think about what direction [Hillel wants] to go in,” said Kaplan.
The search committee has met once so far and will continue to meet weekly throughout the semester.
“I would want to look for someone like Margo, who is passionate about working with college students, dynamic, energetic, is a good manager, relates well with a variety of people, is a confident and strong presence in working with students, and is passionate about outreach,” said Kaplan.
Rabbi Hershey Novack, Director of the University’s chapter of Chabad, the other main Jewish organization on campus, has worked with Hamburger-Fox since Chabad came to campus.
“She welcomed us three and a half years ago, and she helped create a collegial, professional relationship,” said Novack. “She’s in a uniquely challenging position. It’s sad to see her go, and I wish her well in the future. I hope that whoever follows her will work to continue that relationship.”
During her time at Hillel, Hamburger-Fox has seen programming expand to include a greater variety of students. A greater number of more traditional Jewish students has led to daily minyans (a traditional Jewish morning service). In addition, Keshet, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Jews, has become more of a presence on campus.
“On any campus it’s a struggle to reach out to as many students as you can,” said Hamburber-Fox. “Students have a lot of things to do, and their Jewish identity might be something that’s there, but they want to do something else. But we’re there for them when they do want to express their Jewish identity.I think just providing a safe space for students is really something that I’ve been proud of and helping students realize that they can express Judaism on their own terms.”
This supportive environment is something that senior Maura Linzer, who serves on Hillel’s Student Advisory Board, will remember about Hamburger-Fox’s involvement with Hillel.
“Margo has done a lot to make Hillel a warm and inclusive environment that meets the changing needs of students,” said Linzer. “She’s always reached out to make students welcome, and there’s been individualized programming so that students can find out what they’re looking for in Hillel.”
Over the past year, Linzer’s personal interactions with Hamburger-Fox helped her decide to pursue a career in Hillel.
“Earlier in the semester when I was trying to decide on a career path, she literally took hours out of her schedule to discuss my future and was up-front about the responsibilities and realities of Hillel,” said Linzer. “She made me want to do this for a living.”
Hamburger-Fox reported that working with college students has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of her position with Hillel.
“One of the things that’s been really rewarding for me is to watch and participate in the students’ growth professionally and as leaders and to see them continuing on either working in the Jewish community or volunteering in the Jewish community,” said Hamburger-Fox. “Being able to participate in the process.has been wonderful. I’ve learned so much from students here.”