Dear Mr.

Nasatir, President of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, The signatories of this letter are among the most active, involved Jewish students at the University of Chicago. Together, we have traveled to Israel, performed community service abroad, received specialized trained as leadership interns, learned from the most fascinating contemporary thinkers and contributors to the future of the Jewish people at Mega-Shabbat Dinners. No students on this campus believe that Hillel is more vital to the vibrancy and strength of student life on campus than we do. We came to the University of Chicago because we believed that this is the best University in the world. Likewise, we expect that our Hillel experience at the University of Chicago will be the best Hillel experience in the world. We are neither interested in an ordinary education nor are we interested in an ordinary Hillel experience. Indeed, the distinctive and cutting edge nature of the University of Chicago has in fact earned it a reputation for being uncommon. We are very interested in the management changes youve elected to make at the University of Chicago Hillel recently, namely because we believe that Dan Libenson was the driving force who provided the vision and leadership for the extraordinary and uncommon experience weve enjoyed. To our knowledge, there was nothing extraordinary, uncommon, or innovative about Hillel in the years before his arrival as Executive Director and that he provided the fresh vision for the growth experienced. Our point is that by dismissing the Executive Director and Board of Hillel you have accepted a tremendous burden and responsibility to serve the expectations and needs of Jewish students at a level that meets or exceeds the superior level of service we experienced under Dan Libensons leadership. Dan Libenson was an AVI CHAI Fellow and an International Hillel Exemplar of Excellence, the top award bestowed upon any Hillel staff professional. The Hillel Board of Directors was comprised of University of Chicago alumni, faculty members, administrators, and students elected for their considerable expertise acquired over many years on campus with respect to servicing student needs. We would like to know more about your plans moving forward. We request prompt replies to a series of questions that we have. Please be clear, precise, and provide corroborating data and evidence where appropriate. We are University of Chicago students and we will evaluate your responses critically. (1) Has the Jewish Federation of Chicago ever performed a professional analysis of the programming needs of Jewish students at the University of Chicago? This is important because we know the Jewish Federation determines and prioritizes Jewish communal needs by recommendation of the Jewish Federations Planning and Allocations Department. When was the date of this departments most recent study of the needs of University of Chicago students? When was the last time department personnel visited the University of Chicago campus? Did department personnel speak with students and with how many? Would you be willing to release the findings and recommendations of this report and make it public? (2) Has the Jewish Federation of Chicago ever performed an analysis of the funding need to provide adequate working capital for the University of Chicago Hillel program at a level appropriate to meet the programming needs of Jewish students at the University of Chicago? This is important because we know donations to the Jewish Federation from participants in its Annual Campaign are unrestricted, meaning they cannot be directed to this Hillel. Can you guarantee that our funding needs will be serviced if your Annual Campaign performs below its target? Would you provide us with a full break down of how you determine your Annual Campaign target as a form of assurance that Hillels full funding need is satisfied if the campaign succeeds and a form of assurance that these funds wont be redirected elsewhere after the fact?

(3) Has the Jewish Federation performed a professional feasibility study to determine whether it has adequate capabilities and the prospect pool to meet this actual funding need? Can you demonstrate successful cases in which the Jewish Federation raised money for a Hillel program from parents and alumni outside the Chicago metropolitan area, which is where the majority of students reside and will relocate to after completing their studies? We are extremely concerned about your fundraising performance because it is our understanding that the Jewish Federation took responsibility for leading the Capital Campaign effort for the renovation of the Hillel building at the University of Chicago about ten years ago yet did not succeed in raising even half the money required to finance these renovations and none of the money required to maintain an operating reserve fund for maintaining the facilities. This unsatisfactory performance is material to our consideration of your qualifications to raise our annual funding need. We are eager to study your responses to these questions we raise. We cannot emphasize how important it is that you reply quickly. We read a great deal about the Jewish Federation fretting over Jewish continuity and the next generation. On your website you state one of your central tenets in your mission is the importance of passing traditions and teachings from generation to generation. JUF has a deep commitment to engaging our community's youth and inspiring their Jewish journeys. We want to tell you that in this situation you risk doing precisely the opposite. Many on the campus are extremely disappointed in the disrespect shown for those relieved of their position swiftly and without due notice, and remain frustrated with the lack of transparency so far in the transition. There is a formidable effort on campus to secure the signatures of students who are appalled by the undignified way in which the Jewish Federation conducted itself in the course of these affairs and are willing to publicly state they will not financially support the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago or the local federation in any city they later reside in both now and in the future. This would be unfortunate if only because the Federation system has done so much good for the Jewish community in the past and is missing an opportunity to earn the trust of the next generation who will re-define Jewish life in the futurewith or without the involvement of the federation system. Sincerely,

Eliza Brown, AB13 (Highland Park, IL) Founder of Chicago Independent Minyan, Former CEI Intern Michael Lipkowitz, AB12 (Buffalo Grove, IL) Preschool Lead Teacher at Jewish Enrichment Center, Former CEI Intern Stephen Lurie, AB13 (Denver, CO) Founder of Jewish Students Association, Former CEI Intern Michelle Bentsman, AB12 (Buffalo Grove, IL) Teacher at the Family Institute for Jewish Living & Learning, Former CEI Intern