Staff
Rabbi Josh Bolton, Executive Director
Rabbi Josh has spent a decade working with university students and comes to Brown RISD Hillel from the University of Pennsylvania Hillel where he spent eight years as the Director and Senior Jewish Educator for the Jewish Renaissance Project. A celebrated educator and innovator in the Hillel movement, he is the recipient of a Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award for “pushing the boundaries of social media and articulating a rabbinate for the 21st century.”
“Brown RISD Hillel is a leading center for Jewish innovation and creativity. I’m honored to begin a collaborative partnership with student leaders, alumni, Hillel staff, and trustees on behalf of a vibrant and exciting future for Jewish student life in Providence,” says Rabbi Josh. Rabbi Josh is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His collection, One Hundred Suggestions for Seekers and Spiritual Activists, was published in 2018 by Alternadox Press. He is married to
Natalie Lyalin, and has two children, Oren and Boaz.
Contact: joshua_bolton@brown.edu
401-863-9354
“Brown RISD Hillel is a leading center for Jewish innovation and creativity. I’m honored to begin a collaborative partnership with student leaders, alumni, Hillel staff, and trustees on behalf of a vibrant and exciting future for Jewish student life in Providence,” says Rabbi Josh. Rabbi Josh is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His collection, One Hundred Suggestions for Seekers and Spiritual Activists, was published in 2018 by Alternadox Press. He is married to
Natalie Lyalin, and has two children, Oren and Boaz.
Contact: joshua_bolton@brown.edu
401-863-9354
Rabbi Michelle Dardashti, Rabbi / Associate University Chaplain for the Jewish Community at Brown University
The daughter of a secular American folk-singer/teacher and a traditional Iranian-born cantor, Rabbi Michelle Dardashti was raised on a brand of Judaism which is multicultural, meta-denominational, musical and global – she became a rabbi to share the gifts her parents’ eclectic Judaism afforded her: passion, hope, wonder, gratitude, empathy, responsibility and joy. Rabbi Dardashti hails from Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York – with stops in Uruguay, Connecticut, and four years in Jerusalem along the way. She views Jewish learning and living as rich and winding journeys and is eager to travel the road with students of all walks of life. After being ordained and receiving a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), she served as Marshall T. Meyer Rabbinic Fellow at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in Manhattan and Director of Community Engagement at Temple Beth El in Stamford, both positions in which her mandate included connecting with those on the fringes of the community. Rabbi Dardashti brings her varied experiences and trainings (including in the realms of interfaith engagement, hospital chaplaincy, dialogue, facilitation and congregation-based community organizing) to bear in the campus context; she loves chatting, organizing, praying, singing, eating and walking (simultaneously, optional) with the incredible students on College Hill. RMD (as she’s fondly known on campus) is married to Nathan Sher; their three children--Eden, Miya, and Lavi--look forward to meeting you and hopefully hosting you at their home as well.
Contact: rabbi@brown.edu
401-863-2733
Click here for Rabbi Dardashti's bio on the OCRL website
Contact: rabbi@brown.edu
401-863-2733
Click here for Rabbi Dardashti's bio on the OCRL website
Jordan Mann, Program Associate
Jordan graduated from Brown University in 2015. While at Brown, he competed as a member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams while pursuing degrees in Applied Math-Economics and Education Policy. He first came to Brown RISD Hillel as a student in 2011 with a fellow Jewish teammate and joined the staff in 2017 as a Program Associate. In his role at Hillel, Jordan supports student leaders on campus, assisting them in the creation of Jewish-inspired programming designed to engage broad and diverse segments of the community. When he's not at Hillel, Jordan is most likely running, eating or sleeping because he's hungry or tired from running, or watching Japanese cartoons. He also runs professionally for New Balance as part of the Ocean State Athletic Club.
Contact: Jordan_Mann@brown.edu
401-863-6507
Contact: Jordan_Mann@brown.edu
401-863-6507
Alyssa Marton, Director of Operations
Prior to joining Hillel in January 2019, Alyssa worked in the area of faculty development for the Office of Academic Affairs at Providence College for over a decade. Bringing strong organizational and project management skills, Alyssa is excited to learn and grow with Hillel's wonderful staff and engaging students. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Alyssa received an MBA and BA (Public & Community Service Studies) from PC. She is passionate about all things food related, and loves reading, baking, walking, and traveling. Alyssa and her wife Racheal are raising two young children in Barrington, RI. She serves on the board of trustees at Temple Habonim in Barrington, and teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Providence College.
Contact: alyssa_marton@brown.edu
401.863.9353
Contact: alyssa_marton@brown.edu
401.863.9353
Gina Mazza
Office Manager
Gina joined Hillel in 2012 after many years of working in the entertainment industry in New York City. As office manager, Gina is there to greet all Hillel visitors, support the daily activities of the office, and schedule the many events that take place in the Glenn and Darcy Weiner Center. Gina enjoys getting to know Brown and RISD students visiting Hillel.
Outside of work, Gina and her husband keep busy attending their kids soccer games and actively volunteering at their children's local public school.
Contact: Jeanne_Mazza@brown.edu
401-863-2805
Outside of work, Gina and her husband keep busy attending their kids soccer games and actively volunteering at their children's local public school.
Contact: Jeanne_Mazza@brown.edu
401-863-2805
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Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz
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Ruchel Playe
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Rabbi Alex Weissman
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Jo Ann Laliberte
Development Assistant
Jo Ann is a yoga teacher and joined Hillel part time in 2019 to support and manage input and integrity for donor and student engagement data bases. She brings skills to Hillel from many years in the Human Resources field. Jo Ann is delighted to be part of a dynamic and dedicated team.
When she is not at her Hillel desk, she can be found teaching yoga, working in the garden, playing with her grandkids, taking her dog Belle on a hike or relaxing in Franklin with her husband.
Contact: Jo_Ann_Laliberte@brown.edu
401-863-6726
When she is not at her Hillel desk, she can be found teaching yoga, working in the garden, playing with her grandkids, taking her dog Belle on a hike or relaxing in Franklin with her husband.
Contact: Jo_Ann_Laliberte@brown.edu
401-863-6726
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