Uri was appointed Executive Director of the Slifka Center in July 2018. Since then he has overseen a significant increase in student engagement with Jewish life on campus, a major renovation of its 19,000 square foot building, the modernization and expansion of organizational systems, a strengthening of organizational and community culture, a branding and communications renewal project, and more. He is also a resource to the Yale administration and the community more broadly in its efforts to educate about antisemitism and to proactively increase Jewish belonging at Yale.
Prior to coming to Yale, Uri served as the Executive Director of Queens College Hillel in the City University of New York. Highlights of that work include supporting the campus’ historic Bukharian and Orthodox communities while making Hillel a welcoming place for all students; completing a major renovation of the Hillel space, tripling the operating budget and quadrupling the size of the staff, and helping to restart the Hillel at City College. During his tenure, Queens College Hillel won Hillel International’s Outstanding Campus Award.
Prior to coming to Hillel, Uri held leadership positions with major fundraising responsibility at the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan and Hillel International, among others.
Uri has been studying, practicing, and teaching leadership for the last 30 years, and has spent two decades working for the Jewish community. He comes to Slifka with strong experience in fundraising, administration, management, community relations, and financial management.
Outside his time at Slifka Center, Uri is involved in his local synagogue, is an Eagle Scout and active Cub Scout leader, loves camping and the outdoors, and is a big Mets fan.