Rachel Darling

Executive Director

Hallie (she/her) graduated from Oregon State University where she studied Human Development and Family Sciences. She actively participated in Hillel at Oregon State and worked as the Greek Life Engagement Intern. Through the support of the Hillel community, she further developed organizational and program development skills and found a second Jewish home on campus in Oregon.

Additionally, Hallie has extensive experience working with teens at B'nai Brith Camp where she developed inclusive and engaging programming. She recently spent a year in Israel with a group of high school students. Hallie is excited to bring the same level of drive and passion to this job and looks forward to facilitating and leading a diverse array of programs and initiatives that enrich the lives of Jewish students across the UC Davis and Sacramento State campuses. She currently lives in Sacramento and is excited to embark on this step in her professional journey.

Seth Browner

Development Manager

Samantha valadez

Engagement Associate

Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, Sam (she/her) moved to the Sacramento region where she earned her degree in Business Finance from California State University, Sacramento. During her time at Sacramento State, Sam was actively involved in Hillel and her sorority, serving as both a Panhellenic Delegate and AΧΩ Chapter President. During her last year of college, Hillel at Davis and Sacramento was a crucial resource for Sam to engage actively in the Jewish community. This past summer, Sam participated in Birthright Israel where she instantly felt at home and left wanting to make a significant impact in her local Jewish community. In her free time, Samantha enjoys meeting new people, hanging out with friends, and spending quality time with her family.

Orit izilov

Israel Fellow

Orit (she/her) is the Israel Fellow. She was born and raised in the south of Israel in a small town called Ofakim. Orit has a B.A in Management, Government, and Law from the Academic Center of Law and Science in Hod Hasharon. She has worked in different kibbutzim in the informal education departments as well as managed a Zofim scouts tribe. During her work in the informal education systems she studied art (sculpture, drawing, and painting) at Sapir College in Sderot.

Orit has served in the Israeli Defense Forces for two years as a logistics NCO in the Gaza Strip District Coordination and Liaison. In her free time, Orit loves to travel, hike, read books, and cook new recipes.

Dasha Pozdnikov

Springboard Fellow

Dasha (she/her) is a recent graduate of UC Davis where she earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology of Law and a minor in Public Health. She was born in San Francisco, California before moving to Moscow, Russia when she was six years old. She moved back to the United States when she was in high school. Some of you may remember her from last year when she served as our Communications Intern at Hillel. In addition to serving as the Communications Intern, she was very involved in planning other events like Israel Week, the Matzah Ball, and Russian cultural and cooking events. Her dedication to Hillel and her passion for connecting with Jewish students in the Davis and Sacramento region make her the perfect fit for the Springboard Fellow role.

One of Dash’s top priorities will be to engage and support the Jewish students at Sacramento State. When she’s not tabling at Sac State, you can find her around Davis exploring the cafes and restaurants downtown.

anja dingman

Office Assistant

Anja (she/her) was born and raised in Davis, though her passion for exploration took her across the country for college and lots of travel. She earned her B.A. in Dance Education from Columbia College in South Carolina and taught in schools in the Carolinas and the Greater Sacramento region for many years. After moving back to the West Coast in 2016, Anja spent the last eight years teaching dance and working as an administrative assistant, all while championing causes close to her heart: arts education, chronic illness and disability, neurodiversity, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Although she’s new to the Hillel team and only got hired in September 2024, she’s beyond excited to dive in and be part of this amazing community! When she’s not in the office, you can find Anja practicing her arts, diving into a good book or game, and being the proud “crazy black cat mama” to her three boys: Jasper, Jinx, and Jax.

Kugel

Hillel “Mascot”

Kugel has been part of Hillel’s team since 2020. Kugel is a rescue dog and the proud pet of our Executive Director, Rachel Darling, and her husband, Russell. Rachel and Russell adopted Kugel during the pandemic after he was found as a stray wandering on the highway in Kern County, California. He won the doggy lottery!

His main responsibilities around Hillel include helping to cheer up the staff when they need a break from work, chasing the tennis ball in Hillel’s backyard, and licking the faces of anyone who taste delicious. When Kugel’s not at Hillel, he loves spending time at home with his family, chasing lizards in his garden, and going for walks around his beautiful neighborhood in Woodland.

Charlee

Hillel “Mascot”

Charlee comes to Hillel from a life on the road. She wandered near and far and in June 2023 decided to settle down in Davis with Hillel’s Operations Director and her family. She spends her day protecting the staff from myriad threats like delivery people with a special hostility for the Amazon truck. She also thinks squirrels are a blight on the earth and does her best to rid the world of these gray balls of fur (although she has never had the pleasure of catching one). Charlee has a pretty serious belly rub and treat addiction and is not ashamed to get her fix whenever the craving arises. So be warned, you will be expected to fulfill that need when you visit Hillel!