she/her ~ Born in Louisiana, Ashley has also lived in Arkansas; London, England; and Washington, D.C. She is excited to be in the Pacific Northwest for the first time. Ashley completed her undergraduate degree at Arkansas State University and her graduate studies in International Relations at King’s College London. She has previously worked in open source research and at a tech startup. She loves hiking and camping, concerts, reading, and traveling. She also loves Talmud study, reserving a week every summer for Queer Talmud Camp. Her favorite holiday is Shavuot and she is currently on the hunt for the best bagel spot in Seattle. Babka is one of her favorite foods and she bakes her own challah for Shabbat every week. Her favorite sports are dog sled racing and hockey - she’s very excited for the debut of the Kraken and will definitely be attending a game this season. Ashley is excited to meet the Jconnect community and get to know Seattle!

she/her ~ Rabbi Lauren Kurland most recently served as director of student engagement at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the UW, where she was nominated for a James D. Clowes Award for her work connecting cohorts of students with one another and with faculty members to advance learning. She previously worked at American Jewish World Service in New York City, where she supervised the creation and expansion of materials used on immersive Jewish volunteer programs in the developing world. She treasures Judaism because its wisdom can be applied across time and place; it charges us to take care of one another and our planet; and it invites questions, dialogue and respectful disagreement. Rabbi Kurland is enthralled by life in the PNW. An avid walker, she tries to get outside every day, no matter the weather. She is a fan of fair-trade dark chocolate (75% or bust!), PB&J, and Shabbat naps. She has her famous hummus recipe memorized (ask her for it!), and thanks to her days as a former high school trombonist, can blow a mean shofar.

she/her ~ Amee Huppin Sherer has been working as a Jewish Educator in the Seattle area for over 30years. She has taught almost every age group from first grade to adults, and most recently was on the faculty at the Seattle Jewish Community School for thirteen years. She has her BA in Jewish Studies and her Masters in Education, both from UW. She is delighted to have returned to Hillel at the University of Washington, where she was the program director for three years in the early nineties, and the Acting Director when Rabbi Dan Bridge took a sabbatical in 1995. Amee is married to Michael Sherer and they have two college-age children. She is a fan of all things purple (Go Huskies!) and has been known to find the best deals in town because she loves coupons and sales. She always has a good stash of chocolate in her office so stop by and say hello!

she/her ~ Terri is an established leader in the field of advancement where she has dedicated her energies for over 25 years. Her professional focus has been on supporting non-profit organizations with successful grassroots, community building and major donor campaigns. Since 2015, Terri has served on Hillel UW’s Leadership Team and has been instrumental in building Hillel’s community focused fundraising events, High Holiday Services and Passover Programs. She also mentors interns and enjoys sharing her approach to efficient, outcomes based project management. When not at work, you can find her out with her four fantastic daughters and husband swimming, skiing, hiking and just loving the Pacific Northwest.  She is always available for a good, strong cup of coffee or a walk through campus with Manny, her golden retriever.

she/her ~ Born and raised in sunny Tucson, Arizona, Audrey recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest after graduating from Northern Arizona University with a double bachelors’ in Communication Studies and Modern Languages (Parlez-vous français?). Her most formative experiences to-date include volunteering with various NGOs aiding refugees in Greece, and working at Flagstaff Shelter Services to bring services to unsheltered neighbors. She is looking forward to living near the ocean for the first time, and to exploring the coffee shops, bookstores, and museums of Seattle.

Jonathan is a lifelong resident of NE Seattle and has been active in Jewish communal affairs his entire adult life. A graduate of Colby College in Waterville, ME, (where he was president of Hillel during his senior year!), a student at the WUJS Institute in Arad, Israel, and a camper at Camp Solomon Schechter in Tumwater, WA, he spent 27 years working in medical group administration in the Seattle area. Jonathan loves to travel –  to Israel, France and all around Washington State – and takes great pride in the growing number of Jews, synagogues, and Jewish communal institutions in the Puget Sound area. In addition to his two grown sons and his 30 year marriage to his wife Catherine, he is most proud to have guided the opening of the Seattle Jewish Primary School in 1992. Jonathan is passionate about Jewish community, education, identity, observance, and continuity and is excited to help promote these values through Hillel at UW!

she/her ~ Sheri is a licensed clinical social worker with over 18 years of experience as a counselor working with adolescents, undergraduate and graduate students. For the past 8 years she has been a counselor at the UW School of Medicine providing counseling and wellness programming for medical students and Rehab Medicine graduate students. She has her BA in Psychology from the University of Southern California and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington. As a native Seattleite, she is both a Husky fan and a Trojan fan – although it is a bit difficult when the two schools play each other. Sheri has many connections with the Jewish community in the Seattle area and has enjoyed coming to Hillel over the past few years for Passover lunches, B’nai mitzvah services, and other community events. Sheri is the proud mom of two college age daughters and enjoys time with her family, getting outside in the beautiful PNW, exploring independent bookstores, and going to outdoor music festivals.  If you are a graduate student, feel free to reach out to her to set up an appointment.  Young adults with our Jconnect program are welcome to reach out to Sheri for a referral.

Rabbi Dan served as Rabbi and Executive Director of Hillel UW from 1988-2007. He continues to serve as a mentor and leader in the Seattle Jewish and non-profit community.