Rabbi Yoni Kaiser-Blueth is leaving his position as the executive director of Hillel at the George Washington University after seven years to become the director of the Latin America Desk for Hillel International, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The announcement came in a letter to constituents of Hillel from board chairman Louis Mayberg. Kaiser-Blueth will relocate with his family to Buenos Aires this summer. (Mayberg is a member of the ownership group of Mid-Atlantic Media, which publishes Washington Jewish Week.)
Mayberg praised Kaiser-Blueth for his leadership in creating “invaluable relationships” with university partners, obtaining funding grants and bringing Jewish leadership to the university.
“From meeting with parents to leading Passover Seders, guiding Birthright trips to Israel, and connecting meaningfully with students, Yoni’s impact on GW Hillel will be felt by individuals and the institution for many years to come,” he wrote.
In a Facebook post, Kaiser-Blueth wrote that he was excited about the move but that it was bittersweet.
“Although I’m fraught with many emotions about leaving the GW family, this move is about the journey of tomorrow – a rich adventure for our family, an incredible professional opportunity, and about reconnecting with my family roots,” he wrote.
In the same letter, Mayberg announced that the board had extended an offer to Associate Director Adena Kirstein to serve as the Hillel’s new director.
“During these years, Adena has led GW Hillel in significantly increasing engagement, supervised the growth of our education and programmatic portfolio, connected with countless students over coffee, and supported them in their growth,” he wrote.
