Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

WINTER PARK-Rollins College, in partnership with Central Florida Hillel (CFH), announces the creation of a new Hillel, making Rollins the only small, liberal arts college in the state of Florida to have a full-time Hillel professional.

To lead this new program, Emily M. Block, formerly the assistant director of Hillel at The University of Connecticut, has been hired as the inaugural associate director of Jewish Student Life.

"I am so excited to be joining the Rollins College and the Central Florida Hillel family," said Block. "I'm looking forward to working with the students, faculty and administration at Rollins College to grow and enhance the Jewish student experience both on and off campus."

Reporting to the dean of religious life and working as part of the team of CFH, Block will be responsible for working with Jewish student leaders at Rollins to empower them to create a vibrant, dynamic and inclusive Jewish community at the College. In this role, Block will guide Jewish students to better understand their personal Jewish journey, while advancing diversity and inclusion efforts at Rollins in partnership with faculty and Student Affairs colleagues. 

"Emily emerged from our search as a dynamic and passionate leader capable of building relationships with Jewish students and Rollins and engaging them in meaningful conversations," said Dean of Religious Life Katrina Jenkins. "We look forward to developing new opportunities for our Jewish students."

Block's role will also encompass a unique partnership, working with Central Florida Hillel to craft an educational vision and strategy for Rollins Hillel that will not only serve current students but also attract others around the nation. The partnership will create innovative opportunities for formal, informal, and experiential Jewish learning for students with diverse back grounds and interests that include a multiplicity of Jewish perspectives that span the spectrum from spiritual to secular. The new Rollins Hillel will also be an important part of the Rollins campus culture working in partnership with a wide array of student organizations on issues ranging from social justice to diversity, faith and civics, and will also work with her colleagues to support an inclusive and accepting community at Rollins College. As a part of Central Florida Hillel, Block will also be a full part of the CFH team and able to access all the necessary resources to help advance her portfolio at Rollins College. 

"Rollins College is the perfect partner for this kind of relationship, and we are proud to be a part of this historic evolution in Rollins' 132-year history of training students to embrace the world," said Aaron Weil, executive director and CEO of Central Florida Hillel.