Meet our Staff
Director, Hillel of San Diego, North CountyUzi Bar-Pinchas
(760) 828-7230
Uzi Bar-Pinchas grew up in Baltimore, MD, where he attended a Conservative Schechter day school and a liberal Modern Orthodox yeshiva high school. After completing a Jewish Studies minor at the American Jewish University, Uzi transferred to SUNY Stony Brook where he added a Philosophy minor and finished his BA in Religious Studies. In November of 2000 he enlisted in the Israeli Army and served in the Nachal Infantry Brigade in the West Bank during the Second Intifada. Uzi has completed a MA in Talmud, Halachah, and Midrash from Machon Schechter in Jerusalem. He is married to his beautiful wife Sarit Ashtam for four years. Uzi enjoys running, swimming, surfing, scuba diving, studying Torah, Chassidic thought, reading and writing Hebrew poetry, and walking his Dalmatian Milo on the beach in sunny San Diego.
Development Director
Lori Bolotin
(858) 550-1798Lori, a native San Diegan, remembers San Diego when Mission Valley was corn fields rather than shopping centers! Prior to joining Hillel as the Development Director, she was an active volunteer in the San Diego Jewish Community and most recently the Campaign Chair for UJF Womens' Division. Before that, her career of close to 20 years was in apparel manufacturing where she was the Vice President of Private Label for The Weekend Exercise Co. In her free time she reads, does Sudoku, plays bridge, loves to cook and looks for new donors!!!
Director, Hillel of San Diego, UCSD
Keri Copans
(858) 550-1793Originally from Boston, Keri is a UCSD Alumni and the Campus Director at UCSD Hillel. She has been with Hillel of San Diego for over nine years, and loves working with the UCSD Hillel staff, students and administration to create a vibrant Jewish Community at UCSD. She received her Masters in Non Profit Management and Leadership studies at USD. When she's not working, she loves to travel, spend time with her husband Shaun, her adorable daughter Haley, and serves as the San Diego Chapter President of the Pajama Program.
Lipinsky Engagement DirectorErica Feinman
Erica is a graduate from California State University, Northridge, and received her degree in Sociology and Jewish Studies. She attended and worked at Gindling Hilltop Camp in Malibu for 12 years and loved every moment of it.. Born and raised in Southern California she loves the sun and beaches here in San Diego. Erica is excited for the opportunity this year to plan more exciting activities for freshman, including the immersive weekend retreats, as well as an Alternative spring break trip and weekly rock climbing at the Aztec Recreation Center on campus. Her favorite things in life are laughing, karaoke, taking pictures, traveling and meeting new people.
Breanna Furlong
Originally from Northern California, Breanna graduated from UCSD in 2009 with a Bachelors in Political Science before moving to Seattle, where she completed a Masters in Public Administration with a focus in Education Policy at the University of Washington. The dreary, grey weather of Seattle was too hard on her spirits so Breanna jumped at the opportunity to come work with Jewish students back in Southern California. She loved being a Hillel student in college and cannot wait to pay it forward by spreading the love, friendship, support, and happiness that she gained from the Jewish community in San Diego. In addition to the obvious glory of Mexican food, beaches, sunshine, and old friends, Breanna loves being in San Diego because of Balboa Park, football Sundays, and endless opportunities to play golf.
Israel Program Coordinator, SDSUEli Ilan
Eli was born and raised in Jerusalem. In high school he studied Arabic and Theater, and kept his interest in Arabic and Middle East affairs in his army service, when he served in the IDF Intelligence Force for 3.5 years (he could tell you about it, but he'd have to kill you after.. :) ). After six months of traveling in South America (Hablo poco Español) he returned to Israel and moved to the desert town of Be'er Sheva, where he got his degree in Business Management and Sociology. Some of Eli's likes: ISRAEL, playing guitar (and everything that's related to music in general), the lion king, avocado, dogs, The Simpsons, hiking etc.. One major dislike: cottage cheese. His door is always open, so you're welcome to drop by!
North County Program Associate
Glenda Jaffe
Glenda is originally from Cape Town, South Africa - which you can tell as soon as she starts speaking - and has lived in glorious San Diego since 1987. She has been happily involved in Jewish Communal work for most of this time. She is passionate about Israeli dancing and going on long walks and talks (always looking for walking buddies to join her - "ten miles today - anyone"). She is an avid reader of good, long novels. Her pride and joy - her 2 teenage daughters, Liora and Atara who are college students in Northern California.
Office Manager at SDSU
Yvonne Lawrence
(619) 583-6080Yvonne Lawrence has been the office manager for Hillel of San Diego for over 16 years. She enjoys her job and finds it to be very rewarding, especially when she has a lasting impact on students' lives. When Yvonne is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, and watching football and soap operas.
Israel Program Coordinator, UCSDAmir Lev
(858) 550-1797
Amir has just finished his BA in finance and marketing in Israel. He grew up in Rishon Le zion, his greatest passion as a teenager was soccer and he even played for the Israeli national team under 18. At the age of 18 he joined the IDF, after finishing his service he traveled the world for 2 years – and then he moved to Tel Aviv. His first meeting with the American jewish world was at taglit birthright as a soldier and then in a jewish summer camp in new jersey. For the past 2 years he worked as a stock broker and recently decided to follow his heart and to be part of the world of Jewish educators. Amir is very excited to be in San Diego for the first time and to have the opportunity to bring Israel to campus. In his spare time he likes to go to the beach, travel, play guitar, and watch movies.
UCSD Program DirectorLeah Newman
Originally from the Bay Area, Leah graduated from UCSD in 2007 and then moved to Washington, D.C. to work for Hillel at the University of Maryland. She is so happy to be back in San Diego as the Program Director at UCSD. She loves working with students and looks forward to being a resource to the already amazing Jewish community on campus. She also cannot wait to staff the AJWS trip to Central America during Spring Break! Leah's love of San Diego is especially due to the following: Croutons, Golden Spoon, sunsets, and real Mexican food.
Genevieve Oakada
gokada@ucsd.edu (858) 550-1793
Executive Director, Hillel of San Diego
Michael Rabkin
(858) 550-2210A native of Cincinnati, Michael has lived in Colorado, Israel, San Diego, Washington DC, and New York and now lives in San Diego, California with his wife and two children.
Michael earned his B.A. at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he first got turned onto Hillel and the joy of building Jewish community on campus. Michael went to New York University to earn a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis on nonprofit management and coursework in Jewish studies. He was a member of a Brandeis University research team that published The Jewish Sector’s Workforce: Report of a Six-Community Study.
Michael served as Director of Hillel at Emory from 2005 to 2011 and helped lead the construction of the Marcus Hillel Center at Emory, which opened in February 2010. He joined Hillel of San Diego as Executive Director in January 2011.
Michael is married to Naomi, founder of the Jewish Food Alliance, and has two wonderful daughters. A musician, Michael enjoys playing guitar and jazz piano.
Director, Hillel of San Diego, SDSU
Jackie Tolley
(619) 583-6080Jackie, Director of Hillel at SDSU, was born in Washington, D.C. but San Diego is definitely her home now, having lived here longer than she lived in her own hometown. A graduate of the University of Maryland, she majored in Education and was a public school teacher before finding her passion for working on campus. She loves her job because she helps young Jewish adults connect to their Judaism, works with terrific students and staff to create a welcoming Jewish community at SDSU, and can have coffee with students and talk about life, the world and everything in between! She loves hanging out with her family and friends, cheering enthusiastically for the San Diego Padres, reading fiction and non-fiction (loved all 7 Harry Potters, The Tipping Point, The Kite Runner etc.), snorkeling on vacation, listening to music and just enjoying life.