Vanderbilt Hillel is excited to welcome three new staff members this month. Carly Payne, Bar Segev, and Malka Desale. The new additions bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the Hillel team. “I cannot wait to see how our campus communities are impacted by our new staff. They bring a brightness and energy to the team that I know will inspire students to connect with Hillel in unique and innovative ways,” says Ari Dubin, Executive Director of Vanderbilt Hillel.
Below, meet the new staff.
Carly Payne grew up in Fairport, New York, a small village in Upstate New York, attended the University of Miami (UM) and completed a degree in Political Science and Journalism. While in school, Payne connected with her faith and embraced her Jewish identity. After participating in Birthright she continued with Onward, an immersive internship program offering valuable experience in a variety of placements in Tel Aviv. Upon her return she continued to attend Hillel events and worked in the department of Student Activities and Student Organizations as the Chair of the Committee on Student Organizations to help students find their community on campus. From her experience in the Student Activities department, Payne decided she would like to pursue a career in higher education administration and joined the Springboard Fellowship Program through Hillel International. She will start her career as a Springboard Intrapreneurship Fellow at Vanderbilt Hillel for the upcoming school year. Veronica Grady, Assistant Director of Vanderbilt Hillel, says, “From her impressive campus involvement at Miami to her charm and charisma with student leaders, Carly is sure to make a ‘splash’ amongst our FYSH (First Year Students of Hillel). I’m already eager to hear her program ideas and the ways she connects our students to Jewish life on campus.”
Bar Segev is originally from Central Israel. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Ariel University in Education, Sociology, and Anthropology. Segev served two years in the Israeli Navy in the Special Operation Unit and as a guide in the National Memorial Hall. Her work experience includes a stint as a Youth Coordinator in the Telem Youth Movement where she was responsible for the education curriculum, management, and logistics operation of the branch and as a counselor at Heller High High School in Tzuba , Nifty Israel-The Movement for Progressive Judaism in North America. In her counselor role, she taught Jewish and Israeli content to high school students from the United States and Canada who came to study in Israel. These diverse experiences gave her an opportunity to become more engaged in the informal aspect of Jewish education and Segev came to the realization that she wanted to facilitate strong connections to Judaism and the land of Israel. She sees her role at Vanderbilt Hillel as an opportunity to nurture relationships with Israel and educate young people about the nuances impacting the next generation of Jewish leaders. Segev is excited to start at Vanderbilt Hillel as the Jewish Agency and Escoll Family Israel Fellow to Hillel for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Grady says, “Bar has brought an unparalleled enthusiasm since our very first conversation-I can’t imagine a student who connects with her and isn’t vying for a seat on her Birthright bus.”
Malka Desale is from Central Israel. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy from Reichman University, and spent two years of her IDF service as a class commander and platoon sergeant. As a class commander, she designed and implemented training programs for newly enlisted soldiers in the IDF and as a platoon sergeant she supervised field days and ranges, the department's logistics, and actively promoted the "Nitsanim" sergeant forum. Desale’s work experience includes two years as a store manager at the Nally Market and one year in a law office where she managed the customer debt claims department against bankrupt companies and handled legal issues related to migrant workers, asylum seekers and disadvantaged populations. Desale views her new role at Vanderbilt Hillel as an opportunity to engage with diverse Jewish communities worldwide, to learn from them, and share her own Israeli story. As the daughter of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants, she comes from a small yet significant community within the country. She feels an obligation to share her family's unique Israeli Jewish narrative. Desale is looking forward to starting at Vanderbilt Hillel as the Jewish Agency for Israel Fellow for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Dubin says, “Malka’s background and education have prepared her so well for campus work. Building relationships with non-Jewish communities at Vanderbilt and beyond is vital, and I can’t imagine someone better suited for this challenging role.”
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