Becca Carter has a degree in art history and has spent years around Kent. She started a women’s group on campus where women knit, practice yoga and generally enjoy each other’s company.

Amir Miron has a degree from Ben-Gurion University in Israel and served as part of the armored cavalry with the Israeli Defense Force as a tank operator. He’s been in America for just over a week and went to see “The Expendables” last weekend.

What do these two people possibly have in common? More than you probably think. Miron and Carter share a faith, a love of Israel and a workplace.

Hillel hired four new professional staff members in time for the fall semester. The Jewish student organization is located in the new Cohn Jewish Student Center on East Summit Street and serves Kent State and University of Akron students. Hillel is an international campus group that provides opportunities for Jewish students on over 500 college campuses, according to their website.

Char Rapoport Nance, development director for Hillel at Kent State, said the new staff “will allow the organization to offer more programming and study opportunities for the 1,500 Jewish students who attend Kent State and the University of Akron.”

Becca Carter

Becca Carter is the new administrative coordinator and engagement associate for the University of Akron. As a student she founded Achoti, the Jewish sisterhood on campus. They have socials, knitting circles and yoga at the Cohn center. On Tuesday nights they got together and made caramel apples. She also spent 14 days this summer staffing a Birthright trip to Israel.

“There is no Jewish sorority on campus. We wanted to have something like that, the sisterhood, with a more religious slant,” Becca said.

Ricky Marcus

The new director of Jewish student life is Ricky Marcus. Marcus comes to Kent State from the Cleveland Hillel Association, where he served as program director for the last four years. For Ricky, this semester may be busier than most; his wife had a baby on Sunday.

Amir Miron

Amir Miron is the new part-time Israel Fellow. He was born and raised in Tel Aviv and splits his time between Kent State and the Cleveland Hillel Foundation. Amir’s job interview with Hillel coincided with exam week at Ben-Gurian, amounting to a very stressful month of June. After three years in the IDF driving a tank and an interview over SKYPE while worrying about finals this man deserved to see a movie –probably a better one than “The Expendables.”

Rabbi Lee Moore

Later this semester, Hillel will welcome Rabbi Lee Moore in her role as the part-time senior Jewish educator. In June, Moore, a Kent native, received her Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew College in Boston.

“We’re very excited to have these four talented staff members joining our team,” said Executive Director Jennifer Chestnut. “The education and experience they bring to Hillel will allow us to offer even more meaningful Jewish experiences to our students. We’re really looking forward to introducing them to our students and to the community.”

Contact Mark Haymond at [email protected].