Sophie Lerer is joining the Student Life team as Program Manager! Sophie grew up just down the 405 in Long Beach, California and was actively involved in Jewish Community, especially through her Temple Youth Group. Sophie graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2022 with a B.A. in Religious Studies and Sociology. While in college, Sophie was frequently found at Hillel. She served on the Student Board in various roles, including Co-President. She spent the year following her graduation working as SB Hillel’s Operations Manager. Sophie also spent a year teaching Sunday school at a reform synagogue and loved the opportunity to infuse curiosity and love for Judaism into Jewish youth.

Now Sophie joins Hillel at UCLA and is so excited to serve the Program needs of UCLA’s Jewish Student population. Sophie loves working with students to develop their leadership skills and strengthen the soul of the Jewish community. Sophie believes strongly in the mission of Hillel and the powerful agency that students gain from choosing to live every day Jewishly. When not at Hillel, Sophie can be found reading, trying out new recipes, going for walks, or occasionally teaching herself to play the guitar.