Hillel Concordia will be holding elections for president and vice president on Wednesday at the Loyola Campus and Thursday at the Downtown campus.

Wednesday, Jan. 10 - Loyola Campus: A polling station will be present at the CSU front desk SC room 115 from 11 a.m. - 4 pm. Thursday, Jan. 11 - Downtown Campus: A polling station will be present in the MEZZ from 11 a.m. - 5pm.

The following are the candidates and their platforms, according to Hillel Concordia:

Candidates for President: Daniel Blumer and Daniel Smajovits

Daniel and Daniel believe that this year is vital for the future of Concordia Hillel. The past academic year saw many successful events such as Paul Rusesabagina speaking in the Hall Building, multiple dialogue groups between Jews and Muslims, as well as the largest Hillel event ever at Loyola campus. It is our goal to continue this trend and lead Concordia’s Jewish population in the right direction. Having been at the forefront of the major controversy last year with the SPHR and their appalling display in the Mezzanine, we have experience in dealing with both the CSU and administration in a time that Hillel was vulnerable and in desperate need for strong leadership. With Daniel Smajovits stationed full time at Loyola Campus as well as Daniel Blumer on the Downtown Campus, it is our primary goal to make both Hillel and the respective rooms accessible to all students. Additionally, it is clear that Concordia Hillel is lacking a constitution; we plan on working with the current executive in order to finalize and adopt a charter. As presidents, we will continue the example that was set in the previous year and lead Concordia Hillel for the rest of this scholastic year and beyond.

Candidate for President: Ryan Schwartz

Ryan Schwartz is a political science student at Concordia. Having recently completed the advocacy and activism program Hasbara Fellowships this past summer, Ryan has gained an in-depth knowledge of the workings of Jewish life on campus. He has worked this past semester with Hillel as the official spokesperson and in dealings with the administration and other official engagements. A prominent advocate for Israel, Ryan believes most objectives can be accomplished by promoting Israel rather then entering into tit-for-tat defenses. Ryan plans to make Hillel the center for all aspects of Jewish life at Concordia, including social, religious and cultural. He understands the various needs of the student population and plans to make sure no one is left behind. Together we can make a difference, and work with other clubs to bring Hillel and Judaism to the forefront of student life on Concordia campuses.

Candidate for Vice-President: Simon Samson

I am applying for the position of vice president for Concordia Hillel. I came to this decision after a lot of thought, due to the fact that when I had volunteered my time in the past, Hillel didn’t show initiative and nothing became of it. I am running for the position of vice president as I believe that I can keep the members on their toes. In addition, I have the necessary qualifications as I have experience in student organizations such as having been the past president of Vanier College Students’ Association.

Candidates for Vice President: Allison Friedman and Ben Hadid

Allison and Ben’s dedication to Hillel is second to none. Beginning with the event that Allison organized and ran at Maimonides Geriatric Center for the holiday of Succot, it is clear that she is dedicated to the organization. As Social Action co-chair, Allison was able to organize and recruit volunteers by herself as well as ensure the successful running of the event. There is no greater example of Allison’s ability to recruit members then her running mate, Ben Hadid, who before the semester was not a member of Hillel; however, after attending various events, now is willing to give of his time along with Allison and be a part of the executive. Between Allison and Ben, the two can reach out to Jews throughout campus, especially the Sephardic community in which Ben has strong ties too, and who are normally not as involved in Hillel when compared to Ashkenazi Jews. Both Allison and Ben have spent time as students before their involvement with Hillel, and after joining, they realized the great impact that the organization has on the Jewish students, and how important Hillel truly is on campus. As a result, it is their main goal as Vice Presidents to work alongside the executive in order to encourage new membership by showing students how exciting and how memorable Hillel truly is.