One of Elyssa Ronik’s favorite aspects of Hillel is that the Jewish campus organization is pluralistic, meaning that there are many different ways to be Jewish.
A product of Florida State University Hillel, Ronik is now Hillel International’s associate director of field recruiting. The Washington, D.C., resident works closely with Hillels across the country to match professionals to campuses nationwide.
Before that, she worked for The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in New York for six years, coordinating teen travel and international engagement. Ronik is also a 2024 Double Chai United Synagogue Youth Alumni Honoree, a board member of FSU’s Jewish Alumni Network and a Wexner Davidson fellow for emerging professional leaders.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I grew up in South Florida in a very warm and welcoming Jewish community. I spent every Shabbat at synagogue with my mom and grandfather in a community that was bustling with people who were excited to be in Jewish community at every age and stage of life.
I went to Hebrew school at the synagogue. I was really participatory in our youth group and USY; USY was probably the biggest driver of me being able to develop my own Jewish identity. I was involved at the synagogue, then got more involved on the regional and international level. I went to college at Florida State University and got really involved in the Hillel there. When I was at synagogue growing up, it often felt like there was one way to be Jewish, but at Hillel, as a pluralistic organization, I got to meet all different kinds of people with all sorts of Jewish backgrounds, and that was really exciting to me and a meaningful part of my Jewish identity. It was ultimately what led me to start working at Hillel.
Have you always wanted to be a Jewish professional?
It’s so interesting; I don’t know. I think I saw a lot of really excellent mentors as a young person in the Jewish community and certainly wanted to emulate their ability to drive change and build community in my work. I don’t know if I wanted that to be in the Jewish world or not. After graduation, I worked at USY for about six years, then went to grad school for nonprofit leadership, where I realized that everything I love to do — like [my involvement with] the Jewish community — needs strong leadership, and I wanted to continue growing my leadership in the Jewish world. I loved my work at USY. Now, I’ve been working at Hillel for a little over two years, hiring professionals across the movement to support Jewish communities all over. It’s really exciting and meaningful work.
What are your responsibilities as the associate director of field recruiting for Hillel International?
I focus on hiring Hillel professionals who work on campuses across the movement. My portfolio is mostly mid-career professionals who are hiring [within Hillel]. I also support some of our early career hiring with the Springboard fellowship. I work very closely with our campus professionals, who are mostly executive directors and other hiring managers who are ultimately going to be hiring these people to their teams and serve as their partner, to understand what they need on campus, what makes their Hillel unique, who the professionals are that are going to thrive. I spend a lot of time having career conversations with folks who are interested in working in the Hillel movement and ultimately understanding what they want to be doing, where they want to be, where their passions are and connecting them to the right roles. I encourage them to apply, support fair and equitable hiring processes, and ultimately provide Hillels with top talent to create safe spaces where students can experience Jewish joy.
Why do you do what you do?
Hillel was such a meaningful part of my undergrad experience, and that was due in large part to the staff who were on the ground. To play even a small part in building teams like that across Hillel is so meaningful to me, and I love all the people I get to meet. Everyone who works at Hillel is so passionate. They hold themselves to such a high standard, and they really want to create space for students to feel like they can belong, deepen their Jewish identity and leadership skills and connect in a way that feels right to them.
I love that no two people’s Jewish identity is exactly the same, and the way they connect to Jewish life is going to be different from person to person. The way they connect then informs what the larger Jewish community looks like. It’s a melting pot, and I love being able to be a part of that.
What are your upcoming goals?
Certainly, to continue to hire excellent staff at our Hillels to support Jewish students. Also, to continue to get more involved in the D.C. Jewish community; it’s such a lovely place to be Jewish. There are so many different communities that are warm and welcoming and exciting and doing different things. I want to explore that more while also continuing to build Jewish community with my friends — hosting Shabbat dinners and celebrating holidays together.
