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Meet The Staff Rabbi Julie Roth, Executive Director Rabbi Julie Roth, Executive Director Marni Blitz, Assistant Director Marni Blitz joins us as the new Assistant Director of the Princeton Center for Jewish Life/Hillel. She is looking forward to working closely with the board members of all the student organizations, and is very excited to get to know the students, faculty and alumni. She joyfully adheres to an "open door" policy, so please feel free to stop in at any time and say hello! Marni is originally from the Washington, DC area, and has lived in Atlanta, Israel and New York. She holds a BA in International Relations from Emory University and an MA in Middle East Studies from New York University. She has spent the past nine years working at Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, most recently as the Director of Education. Marni is resettling in the Princeton area with her husband, Neil, and her two daughters, Daniella and Rebecca. In her spare time, she loves puzzles, reading, and taking long walks. 
Keren Leiby, Director of New Initiatives and Strategic Communications Keren Leiby joins our staff as the Director of New Initiatives and Strategic Communications. After completing a BS in Sports Information and Communication from Ithaca College, and an MS in Sport Management from the University of Illinois, Keren decided to apply for a Hillel Jewish Campus Service Corps (JCSC) Fellowship, and she's been working in the Jewish community ever since. A fluent Hebrew speaker with Israeli roots, Keren spent her first year as a JCSC Fellow at Tel Aviv University in Israel. She then returned to her native New York to do a Senior JCSC Fellowship at the Queens College Hillel, and stayed on as the Director of Student Programs, and finally, as the Associate Director. For the last two years, Keren has been teaching Hebrew and Judaica to children of all ages in Long Island, NY. She looks forward to returning to the Hillel world and developing new and innovative programming for graduate students and young professionals in Princeton. Among other things, Keren is also responsible for publicity and travel programs. Feel free to stop by her office if you would like more information on how to get involved (or just want to say hello!). Rabbi Josh Ross, JLI Educational Director Susan Waskow, Administrator Polly Strauss, Development Associate Rebecca Young , Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow Rebecca Young is our new Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow (JCSC). She is excited to get to know and work with new and returning students. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rebecca left the mid-west to pursue a degree in Political Science at Binghamton University in Upstate New York. While in college Rebecca worked as a resident advisor, volunteered as an emergency medical technician with her campus ambulance service, and hosted a weekly radio program. If you ever want a free cup of coffee (or ice cream), stop by the CJL between classes and she will treat you. Cindy Treves, Administrative Assistant Eliza Gouverner, Librarian Karen Kane, Development/Bookkeeping Assistant
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Rabbi Julie Roth is the Executive Director of the Princeton Center for Jewish Life/Hillel. She enjoys nothing more than meeting with students, faculty, and alumni so please take advantage of her office hours: Mondays 4-5:30 PM at the CJL, Thursdays 4-5:30 PM at Café Viv, or join her for a friendly lunch in the CJL Dining Hall. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Rabbi Julie has lived in New York City, Boston, and Washington where she worked for Hillel on the local and international levels. She and her husband Justus were married last summer and they love living in Princeton. Rabbi Julie was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2005. She is a recipient of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and holds a BA in Comparative Religion from Brown University. Her passion for pluralism, Jewish life, and multi-culturalism make campus work an ideal match. When she's not building a framework for a vibrant Jewish campus life, Julie enjoys ballroom dancing, swimming, movies, and cooking vegetarian food.
Rabbi Ross studied and taught in Israel for over eight years before he joined JLI (Jewish Learning Initiative) and left for Cornell University. After three wonderful years at Cornell, Rabbi Ross moved to Princeton to work as the JLI Rabbi/Jewish Educator for Princeton Hillel. Now in his third year at Princeton University, Rabbi Ross is looking forward to continuing to learn with Jewish students of all backgrounds and offering classes that appeal to a broad audience. When he has some free time you can find the Rabbi in the gym, or doing some serious "studying" at Triumph Brewery.
Rivky Ross has been working in the field of informal Jewish education for almost 15 years (don’t let that youthful countenance fool you), working for organizations such as Lights In Action, Pardes and Melitz-Centers for Jewish Zionist Education. After three years serving as half of the JLI couple at Cornell, she was dubbed the Queen of "Everything is Torah," meaning that no subject or pop culture reference is off-limits when learning. She enjoys using drama, art and physical activity as methods of enhancing text study, though she can also sit down and pore over a traditional text in the classical style. Rivky is a die-hard fan of musical theater. Her two daughters, Chana and Atira, can be heard tromping about the house, belting out Sondheim lyrics, leaving Rabbi Ross fiercely outnumbered.
Susan's responsibilites include building, operations, finances and budgetary oversight. She coordinates logistics for major events including High Holidays and Passover. Susan joined CJL in 2000 and is a staff member of the Office of Religious Life. She has served as a trustee for the Hopewell Public Library and University-Now Day Nursery. She volunteers as a 8th /9th grade teacher at Kehilat Shalom in Belle Mead and is a regular blood donor at the Medical Center of Princeton. She enjoys sailing and canoeing with her family. Her office has a collection of toys for kids (of all ages) to entertain anyone who stops in to borrow videos or get checks cut.
Polly is happy to be back at Old Nassau. Her connection with Princeton began sixteen years ago when she married Rick Strauss ’85. She spent three years in Princeton Annual Giving helping alumni classes to achieve Reunion campaign goals. Polly also worked for over ten years at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, in a range of roles, from leadership giving to annual giving and corporate fundraising. Most recently, she served as Director of the Jewish Community Foundation in Princeton. Polly and Rick have two children, Benjamin and Sophie.
Cindy welcomes visitors to the CJL, answers questions over the phone, and supports the work of the CJL staff in a myriad of ways. She enjoys sewing quilts, blankets, and costumes and is always busy with some new project or attending a quilt show to get new ideas. In the summer she spends time with her family at their home in New Hampshire swimming, reading, and relaxing. Cindy has two sons who attend schools in Princeton.
Eliza has been the CJL librarian since 2000. A graduate of the University of Rochester, she has also attended classes at University of Delaware, Gratz College and The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Before moving to Princeton she was the librarian at the Albert Einstein Academy, a Jewish day school in Wilmington Delaware. She is also a poet, a quilter and is working on a novel. Eliza and her husband Richard Cohen have four children. She is happy to help with any library question.
Karen Kane is very pleased to join the administrative staff as a Development/Bookkeeping Assistant. She brings to CJL a wide variety of work experience, including financial/administrative positions at the University of Vermont, Educational Testing Service, and other organizations. Additionally, she has owned several small businesses including a home daycare, a retail store and a pet sitting service. She enjoys outdoor activities, volunteering at her library and doing animal rescue. Karen and her husband have two grown children and live in Plainsboro.
