Meet the Staff
Josh Levine
Rabbi Madeline Anderson
Josh Levine, Executive Director of Santa Barbara Hillel, has extensive experience managing across the nonprofit, legal, and education sectors. He most recently served as Executive Director of Herzl Camp, a pluralistic Jewish overnight camp based in Minnesota. Previously, he was Vice President for the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University and Executive Director of Camp Alonim in Southern California. Josh was selected for the first class of the Wexner Foundation’s Field Fellowship, is a graduate of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Executive Leadership Institute, and has received training in creating meaningful and memorable Jewish experiences from the JCC Association and M2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education.
Josh received his A.B. from Brown University, where he was commencement speaker, and his J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law, where he was Articles Editor of the law review. He was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and served as a federal law clerk at the trial and appellate levels. Josh enjoys the Dodgers, spinning, mockumentaries, design, and exploring new neighborhoods and trails.
Rabbi Maddy Anderson is entering her second year on our staff. She serves as the Assistant Director and Senior Jewish Educator, and as assisted with the IACT, operations, and Executive director portfolios in times of staff transition. She has enjoyed brushing up on her administrative skills but is most looking forward to rejoining the students for a year filled with community-building and experiential learning opportunities. She also implements pastoral care into her work, offer support for students during exams, breakups, grieving, and more.
Rabbi Maddy was ordained in 2022 at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the University of Indianapolis, where she received a BS in Global Leadership. Before rabbinical school, Rabbi Maddy served as an AmeriCorps member for one year, building homes in Indianapolis with Habitat for Humanity. She then worked in various nonprofit administration roles at Habitat for Humanity and Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. As a rabbinical student, she served the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) as a fellow and then the Interim Assistant Director. Rabbi Maddy also worked in two midwestern student pulpits in Petoskey, MI, and Kokomo, IN. She taught in multiple religious schools and served as a hospital chaplain in Cincinnati. In her free time, she likes to read, hike, kickbox, listen to podcasts, and spend time with her 16-year-old dog Chase.
Allison Granet
Allison Granet, our Director of Engagement, is entering her third year at Santa Barbara Hillel and has really loved building meaningful relationships with the students over the past few years. A huge part of the reason why she wanted to go into Hillel work was because of the positive impact that the Hillel staff at the University of Oregon had on her when she was in college. Getting to help connect students with their Jewish identity and community is one of the most fulfilling feelings for her. Allison is very excited to continue to connect with the returning and new students this year, and inspire students to build a relationship with the incredible Jewish community here at UCSB.
In the summer of 2023, Allison began studying at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. She is studying to receive a degree in Jewish nonprofit management. Allison is excited to incorporate what she is learning into her work at Santa Barbara Hillel. This year, she plans to assist in a development project to better engage parents of our current students.
Alexandra Bull
Alexandra Bull is our Associate Director of Development. Originating from Atlanta, Georgia, she went to Jewish day school and Jewish summer camp and was raised by very active Jewish leaders in the community. Living in Colorado for 7 years after that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Colorado State University. During her undergraduate years, she was Founding President of the first Jewish sorority on campus, SAEPi, and served on the Hillel Student Board. She then moved to the southern California region with her husband, David, where she received her Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management from USC. Alexandra also serves as the treasurer on the National Board of Directors for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi.
Before Hillel, she was at the Santa Barbara and Denver Zoos. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys hiking, skiing, and snow shoeing to alpine lakes with her dog. You can almost always find her with Jazmine, her 100-pound Alaskan Malamute/Golden Retriever mix. She also loves to read fantasy novels, eat at the best restaurants, and host dinner parties. Judaism and nonprofit work have been a huge part of her life, and she is excited to connect the community with Hillel’s mission and values.
Daniel Benisty-Harris
Daniel Benisty-Harris is excited to join the Santa Barbara Hillel team this year as the new Israel Engagement Specialist: IACT. Daniel grew up in Redondo Beach, CA, in an Israeli-American family. He has extensive experience living both as an American Jew, being involved in numerous Jewish movements, such as BBYO and Hillel, and as an Israeli Jew, having lived in Israel for numerous years while serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Having recently returned to the United States following the completion of his military service, Daniel is delighted to be working in a role that will allow him to utilize his life experiences and apply them here at Hillel to truly make an impact on students’ Jewish lives.
