Alumni Spotlight: Tara Silberg, Class of 2021

One of Tara Silberg's first memories of Hillel at UD was not a Shabbat dinner, or on-campus program, but the kindness of strangers. While figuring out how to pick up a prescription transferred from her home state of New York to Delaware, Tara recalls that "I happened to be at Hillel, and an older student said 'I have a car, I can take you to get it no problem'. I thought, if these are the kind of people who hang out at Hillel, I want to be a part of this".

From then on, Hillel became a home base for Tara, where she found not only lifelong friends, but also inspiration for her future academic studies. Using what she learned as a Holocaust Education Week Intern, combined with her Human Services major and Jewish Studies minor, Tara began to research intergenerational trauma studies, and found a mentor in Jewish Studies professor Polly Zavadivker. This path led her to attend graduate school at the University of Glasgow, where she graduated with a Master of Science in Human Rights and International Politics.

Today, Tara is continuing her passion for protecting the Jewish community and human rights through her career at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where she serves as the Assistant Regional Director of the New York/New Jersey region. At ADL, Tara leads the region's Words to Action program and the Glass Leadership Institute, empowering today's students & young professionals to recognize and challenge antisemitism in their own communities. She is also a member of the ADL's team reviewing daily incidents of hate, from physical assaults to even antisemitism occurring on dating apps. Discussing her work, Tara acknowledged that when working to combat hate, "It is both very, very sad and emotionally taxing, and fulfilling in knowing that we can help."

This month, Tara was awarded UD's College of Education and Human Development Alumni Trailblazer Award, which is awarded to recent CEHD graduates who have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions or communities.

Interim CHED Dean Rena Hallam, when presenting the award to Tara, shared the following, "Since graduating, Tara has worked as a researcher in our Center for Research in Education and Social Policy, a project supports assistant for the Jewish Federation of Delaware and a lead educator at a Holocaust education nonprofit called ShadowLight....In all aspects of her career, she has shown an unwavering dedication to education, humanitarian interventions and serving vulnerable populations."

Mazel Tov Tara, and thank you for sharing your UD story with us!