Meet the Hillel Professional Staff

Hillel's staff is here to help you! Don't be a stranger; if you'd like to talk with a staff person call 612.379.4026.

Sarah Routman, Executive Director
Kevin Watson, Public Relations Specialist
David Gusaas, Office Manager
Alison Bream, Engagement Associate
David Hein, TAG (Twenty-Somethings & Grads) Coordinator

Sarah Routman, the Executive Director at Hillel, has spent years exploring what she calls the ‘blue thread’ that connects Jewish people to one another.  She recognizes that as Jews we often feel linked to one another despite each person’s unique relationship to the culture and religion.  Asked what Judaism means to us, most will have a hard time coming up with a clear answer. Sarah believes that through dialogue, shared experiences, and learning, we can understand the blue thread, and the many shades of blue that bind together to unite us all.

Sarah has a BFA in Photography and a BA in English/Creative Writing from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.  She taught high school English and drama for 10 years in Florida and Georgia and then received her Masters in Adult Education from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.  Her inexplicable attraction to places named Athens is even more serious than it appears above as she also announced her engagement to Brent, (her husband of almost 30 years) while in Athens, Greece.

While working with teens for 10 years as the BBYO Director, Sarah developed quite a penguin collection.  She has traveled extensively throughout Bulgaria and visited over 15 countries.  She loves travel, reading, knitting, and anything in the arts.   Chocolate chip cookies are a definite favorite, and she is happy for anyone to join her for a cooking adventure in the Hillel kitchen at any time!

sroutman@umn.edu

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Kevin Watson is the Public Relations Specialist at Hillel. He is responsible for Hillel's event promotions, graphic and web-design, and brand development, among other things. A graduate of Hamline University, he serves on the board of Rainbow Rumpus, an online web-magazine for youth of LGBTQ parents, and owns Aidan Web Services. He loves penguins, knitting, robotic seagulls, and reading almost anything.

kevin@ujews.com

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David Gusaas is the Office Manager at Hillel. He studied Political Science and English at the U of M, and previously worked for the Academic Health Center and the College of Education and Human Development. He likes sports, art, reading, and MPR. He also enjoys cooking simple dishes such as chili, burgers, or Pappardelle alla Boscaiola with roquefort.

david@ujews.com

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Alison Bream is the Engagement Associate at Hillel. As a recent graduate of the University of Iowa (go Hawkeyes!), she is committed to making the University of Minnesota Hillel a warm and welcoming place for people who frequent the building, and for people who haven’t checked it out yet. She is responsible for the Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, in addition to JET (Jews Eating Together) and working with Hillel newbies and the regulars. Alison loves watching sports, Hello Kitty and Mexican food, among other things.

If you want to chat or have coffee with Alison (don’t worry, we’ll pay) shoot her an email at alison@ujews.com

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David Hein is the TAG (Twenty-Somethings & Grads) Coordinator at Hillel. David comes from Appleton, WI and moved to the Twin Cities to work on his Doctorate in Clarinet Performance. Prior to that, he did his BM at Lawrence University and his MM at the University of Cincinnati. As a student, David believes being part of a community is essential when graduate studies threaten to consume your life. As a professional, he believes networking is essential to career success. When he is doing neither of those things, David believes in learning, AC Milan soccer, and naps.

david@tagmn.org

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