Former Executive Director Larry Sternberg's M.A. '78 tenure officially ended this past week, and Hillel at Brandeis' Board of Directors appointed Samuel Mendales to take over as the interim executive director for Hillel, according to a Nov. 9 email to Hillel student leaders from student president of Hillel Rachel Mayo '14.

This decision comes after Sternberg announced on Oct. 18 that he would be leaving the University after over 30 years at Brandeis as a student, faculty member and staff member.

Mendales wrote in an email to the Justice that he plans to start in his position as the interim executive director this week with a few "stealth" visits.

Mendales said that he plans to be on campus twice a week and "as needed in the future." According to Mayo's email, more specific details of Mendales' schedule and tasks are still in development.

"My major goal is to support the terrific staff and students through this transition and work with all of you to find the best possible candidate for Brandeis Hillel." Mendales explained that the new executive director will not be him, as he has a full-time job at Hillel Council.

According to Mendales, he has worked with Brandeis students over the years on Hillel Council regional events and has helped to send Brandeis students on Israel programs. 
"I even attended services at Brandeis when I first moved to Boston before joining a synagogue," Mendales wrote.

He added that he is excited to work with Brandeis students.
"I feel proud and humbled that ... the Board and the [Schusterman] International Center [through Hillel] asked me to join the Brandeis community for this transitional period," wrote Mendales.

Mendales has been the executive director of Hillel Council of New England since 1985, according to a biography attached to Mayo's email.

Mendales transformed Hillel Council into a regional agency, which promotes advocacy and supplies regional services and programming for Hillel staff and students, as well fiscal management for the larger Hillels in the Greater Boston area, according to the biography.

Mendales is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and the School of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College, according to the biography.

Mendales is a board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, a member of the Combined Jewish Philanthropy's Board of Governors, a founding board member of the Jewish Organizers Initiative, a member of Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Mass. and a member of the Bedford Center for The Arts.

Mayo declined to comment on Mendales' appointment.

-Marissa Ditkowsky