Please be in touch! We cannot wait to meet you!

Debbie Yunker Kail (She/Her)
Executive Director

Debbie Yunker Kail has proudly spent 17 years in the Hillel movement, including 9 as Executive Director for Hillel at Arizona State University. By prioritizing pluralism, innovation, collaboration, and leadership development she is overseeing a revitalization of Jewish life on campus. The Covenant Foundation recognized Debbie’s leadership and ambitions with the Pomegranate Prize award in 2015. Debbie is passionate about the Hillel International movement, holding several volunteer positions including member of the Hillel International Board of Directors and Chair of the Hillel Directors’ Cabinet.

Debbie has also served as co-chair for the Hillel International Global Assembly in 2017 and volunteered for two years on the core team for Hillel International’s Measuring Excellence Program, a group of professionals that redefined metrics of excellence for the entire Hillel movement.  Locally, she also serves on the board of FruitfulAZ and is a graduate of the ADL Glass Leadership Institute. In December 2020, Debbie was recognized with Hillel International’s highest honor, the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence. Debbie holds a B.A. in psychology from Emory University and an M. A. in Higher Education Administration from New York University. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Ben, son Gabe and daughter Emma.

debbie@hillelasu.org

Presentations
Anti-Semitism at ASU? Being Jewish on Campus | FEB 16 2021
ADL's Never Is Now 2021 | Confronting Antisemitism on Campus: A How-To Guide

Taylor M Silverman (She/Her)
​Assistant Director

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Taylor is a proud California native. For her undergraduate studies, Taylor attended Sonoma State University where she received a B.A. in Psychology and held numerous leadership roles in residential and campus life, as well as Sonoma State Hillel. Upon graduation, Taylor decided to take her passion for student life full-time and served as the Director of Engagement at Santa Barbara Hillel. Building meaningful micro communities for a diverse student population, Taylor strived to bring intention to all of her engagement efforts.

After three years in sunny Santa Barbara, Taylor decided to trade in her beach bag for a backpack as she pursued a dual-degree master’s program in Los Angeles. She received a Master of Social Work from USC and a Master of Jewish Nonprofit Management from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. During her time in graduate school, Taylor focused her research efforts on stress and wellness management, studying best practices in mitigating burnout and integrating effective wellness initiatives into the workplace. 

Taylor is a recipient of The Rosalind Ellenson Prize for Commitment to Social Concerns at HUC and The Order of Arete at USC for her leadership efforts on and off campus. 

When Taylor is not at Hillel, she is most likely exploring a new coffee shop, hiking one of Arizona’s trails, or perusing the local farmer’s market with her husband, Zach. While Taylor will always be a beach bum at heart, she is so excited to be exploring all of the beauty the desert has to offer! Forks Up (and Fight On!) ​

​taylor@hillelasu.org

​Rabbi Suzy Stone (She/Her)
Senior Jewish Educator/Campus Rabbi

Born and raised in Minnesota, Suzy is proud to be among the “frozen chosen” (along with Alaskan Jews of course) who have endured real winters and enjoyed summer days under 100 degrees. When she isn’t busy unpacking Jewish texts or reinventing Jewish tradition, she enjoys cycling, cooking, and comedy.  Having lived in Boston, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and D.C., she is happy to be in the Phoenix area where her family now lives part-time.
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After graduating from Brandeis University in 2002, with a B.A. in History and Art History, she worked as a community organizer. She set out to become a rabbi as a way to balance her passion for Tikkun Olam (healing the world) with her belief in the need for Tikkun HaNefesh (healing one’s self).
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Most recently, Suzy served as a Senior Organizer at the Religious Action Center where she worked with Reform synagogues to restore the vote 1.5 million Floridians. As part of the inaugural cohort of the Jewish Emergent Network, Suzy served as rabbinic fellow at Sixth & I where she created innovative shabbat, holiday, and interfaith programmings for young professionals in the D.C. area.
 
Before moving to D.C., Rabbi Suzy enjoyed running on the beach and hiking in the mountains of Santa Barbara, where she served for four years as an Associate Rabbi at Congregation B’nai B’rith. She was ordained by the Reform Movement at HUC-JIR in 2012 and is a proud alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship

​rabbisuzy@hillelasu.org

Rafi Abramowitz (he/him)
Community Engagement Manager

Rafi’s intense love for Judaism was cultivated at a delightfully young age. The son of an international businessman, Rafi was born in Mexico, lived in London, and was raised between New Jersey and Jerusalem. Although his family ranges from Reform through shtark Dati Leumi, he was raised Modern Orthodox and studied in Yeshivot with matching pedagogies. Over the years, as his interest in pluralism grew, Rafi also studied in the Rabbinical programs at JTS in Manhattan, and Hebrew College in Newton, Massachussettes. 

Before joining Hillel in the summer of 2023, Rafi wrote a play (one festival admission), a pilot for a TV show (five festival submissions and two awards), and performed improv comedy for six years. 

Rafi graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brandeis in 2014 with a major in Business and a minor in Theater, and was the Gabbai (religious leader) of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization for two years. While in college, he also started a transportation company that catered exclusively to his fellow students.  

Rafi is so excited to join Hillel, and is always available to shmooze about Judaism, comedy, theater, baseball, hiking, Harry Potter, Marvel and more!

Devin Davidson (She/Her)
Community Engagement Specialist: Birthright & Greek

​Devin was born and raised in Highland Park, IL, about 25 minutes from downtown Chicago. She graduated from Michigan State University (go Green!) in May of 2022, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Media and Information with a concentration in film production and a minor in Religious Studies. Whether she was active within her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, or busy studying at Hillel, she was very involved at MSU.

Devin held numerous positions in Sigma Delta Tau including internal and external social chair, PR chair, and standards board representative. Aside from her time spent within the Greek community, she was very active in Hillel. Within MSU Hillel, she held multiple roles including Birthright intern, Multimedia intern, a member of the Jewish Student Union, and more. Since Hillel was such a pivotal part of her college career, she wanted to continue on by working professionally for another one!

If you are interested in going on Birthright, learning more about Jewish Greek life on campus, or just want to hang out and chat, her door is always open! Devin is looking forward to meeting you all this upcoming school year! 

​devin@hillelasu.org

Shira Khotim (She/Her)
Community Engagement Specialist: Multi-Campus & First Year Students

Shira is a Phoenix native who studied Rehabilitative Services and Special Education at the University of Arizona where she graduated in Spring 2021. At UA, Shira worked as a resident assistant, volunteered with Project Sunshine (a global organization that works with children's hospitals), and interned with adults who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 
 
Post graduation she moved to Netanya, Israel for a year to help teach English in an elementary school to third through sixth graders. During the second half of her year in Israel, Shira participated in a Masa- Hillel Fellowship where she realized that she wanted to pursue Hillel opportunities upon completion of the program. 
 
Shira is passionate about the Jewish community as she grew up going to Camp Stein in Prescott, AZ. During her free time, you can find her hiking, learning more about photography and traveling. As a Community Engagement Specialist, Shira focuses on first year and Honors College students, ensuring each and every student is warmly welcomed to ASU and Hillel.

​shira@hillelasu.org

Arielle Schwartz (She/Her)
​Campus Marketing/Development Manager

Arielle is a native New Orleanian and passionate member of the Jewish community. She graduated from Tulane in 2012 with a BS in Psychology with a French minor and has since worked in the non-profit world including the Creative Alliance of New Orleans, National WWII Museum, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and most recently, Tulane Hillel.

During her 5 years at Tulane Hillel, Arielle expanded her skills in fundraising, marketing, design, and brand management. Now, she is excited to bring her experience to and be a part of ASU Hillel’s community to help tell our Hillel story to incredible supporters, families, and alumni.​

Outside of work, Arielle is passionate in the arts, and she enjoys reading, writing, and dabbling in cooking, baking, and crafting. She loves spending time with her family and friends, especially while taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of New Orleans!

aschwartz@hillel.org

Barton Lee, Rabbi Emeritus Z"L

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Rabbi Barton Lee came to Hillel at ASU in 1972 and served as Executive Director for 42 years. He studied at Stanford, Hebrew University, and the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati where he earned a doctorate. A native of Texas who celebrated Texas Independence day with students, he loved the desert, the Grand Canyon, ASU students, classical concerts, Israel, politics and sports. But most of all, Rabbi Lee loved ASU students, schmoozing with them, helping with problems, or studying Torah as it relates to our lives.

Rabbi Lee ​impacted countless students in his 42 years at ASU Hillel. We miss him greatly. If you would like to submit a tribute to be shared with his family, please click here to do so.