Rabbi Stephanie Max. Courtesy: Texas Hillel

By Cheryl Hersh

Texas Hillel is delighted to announce that Rabbi Stephanie Max will join the Texas Hillel team as executive director, effective July 24, 2023.

Rabbi Max is thrilled to be joining the Texas Hillel family. Born in Dallas and raised in Rochester, New York, Rabbi Max has a love for hot summers and snowy winters, but says she’ll survive without the latter. Rabbi Max has served as the associate director at Brandeis Hillel for the past five years, working alongside students and staff to transform the organization, growing student engagement and programming, strengthening university partnerships, expanding the professional staff, and launching new program initiatives.

She recently participated in fellowships with the Avodah Institute for Social Change and the Shalom Hartman Institute. Rabbi Max previously served as associate director and director of content for Convergence on Campus, program director of the Interfaith Youth Initiative, and rabbinic fellow at Tufts Hillel. Rabbi Max received ordination in 2019 from Hebrew College.

During rabbinical school, she spent two years in Israel, studying at the Conservative Yeshiva, Pardes, the Shalom Hartman Institute, and BINA, where she also taught in their post-college program. Rabbi Max holds a BA in Sociocultural Anthropology and Hispanic Language and Literature from Boston University. Prior to attending rabbinical school, Rabbi Max was a chef in Boston, Austin and Upstate New York. She is always happy to share recipes and stories! Rabbi Max and her husband, Andrew Max, are excited to get to know the Austin Jewish community. Andrew is an avid football fan and is eager to cheer on the Longhorns and help the rabbi understand what’s happening during the game.

Rabbi Max looks forward to getting settled in Austin and working with the students, staff, lay leaders and community members. Texas Hillel expressed deep gratitude for the search committee who worked tirelessly to ensure a successful search and placement.

The committee includes Michael Abkowitz, Dia Epstein (co-chair), Merri Gebhardt (Hillel International), Benjamin Isgur, Nora Lieberman (co-chair), Amy Marcus, Larry Schoenbrun, Lauren Seltzer, Ronit Sherwin (Hillel International), Moriah Sonsino, Ian Spechler, Leah Stolar, Inbar Turjeman and Mark Weisberg.