Vanderbilt Hillel Alumni Newsletter

Where are they now?

Vanderbilt Hillel Alumni Updates

Rabbi Robert Friedman AS'12

Rabbi Robert Friedman at his wedding pictured with Executive Director of Vanderbilt Hillel, Ari Dubin and Vanderbilt Alumni.

Since graduating in 2012, I’ve stayed incredibly involved and passionate about the Jewish community. I initially moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree in Hebrew Bible with the desire to go for a PhD and become a professor. While there, I felt a call to shift my career path and decided to become a reform Rabbi and eventually a military chaplain – fitting considering my involvement with the reform service at Vanderbilt. In 2014, I began my studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, first in Jerusalem and then in Los Angeles. I became ordained as a Reform Rabbi in 2019 and commissioned as a Chaplain in the United States Navy. I was stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois, just north of Chicago.

While in the Navy, I met my wife, Robin, and we got married in June 2022 and then with a larger celebration in March 2023. I left the Navy in August 2022, but my wife remains in the military, and we are remaining in the Chicago area until 2025, when we will move to our next adventure. Currently, I’m working on a new project to help provide Jews not affiliated with synagogues the ability to receive rabbinic counseling, education, and cultural learning programs they may not otherwise be able to access.

It’s incredible to look back over the 10+ years it’s been since I graduated and see just how integral Vanderbilt Hillel has been to that journey. Hillel was always the place I felt most at home. Whether it was leading Shabbat and holiday services, enjoying a 'Dores for Israel event, or simply hanging out in the building with friends and the various staff members, Hillel deepened and enriched my love for Judaism and community in a way that no other place has.

If you would like to get in touch, Rob can be reached at rob.p.friedman@gmail.com.

Adam Meyer PB'12

I graduated in 2012 with a dual-degree from both Peabody (Human & Organizational Development) and A&S (Political Science). Post undergrad, I spent the early years of my career in Atlanta as a management consultant, working with college and university presidents and provosts around the country. A few years into consulting, I started a part-time MBA (every Saturday) at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. When I started going to Chicago every week, I only knew 3 people there, one of whom, a fellow Vanderbilt Hillel-er, Debra Hokin, and the rest is now history.

We got married in 2019 and took the honeymoon of all honeymoons as our mutual love for traveling the world took us around 12 countries. In 2020 we moved to Denver for a new job on the management team of a large healthcare company before eventually ending up back in Atlanta when we had our first daughter Daphne. Together with the 14 month old baby, we have 2 golden retrievers (Phoebe + Penelope) and live in Brookhaven, GA near our Atlanta family. Debra was on the Board of Hillel and we swapped out in 2020 where I've since moved to the Executive Board as Secretary and now Treasurer.

I look back on so many fond memories at Hillel - be it Birthright after my Freshmen Year with 20+ Vanderbilt friends + fraternity brothers, to knowing that every Friday night I'd have a good meal, to using Hillel as the unofficial campaign office for my VSG Student Body President run, I have so many fond memories with my fellow alumni and current/former staff. I hope that every student that comes after us has the same opportunity to find their Jewish home at Vanderbilt as it was one of the reasons I chose to attend and am thankful for that decision every day. Here's to our daughter being in the class of 2044!

Adam Meyer is the Treasurer of the Vanderbilt Hillel Board of Directors. He can be reached at amm0313@gmail.com.

Steven Greil BE'73

I graduated from Vanderbilt in May, 1973 with a B.E degree in Civil Engineering. I have lived in Nashville ever since, almost 54 years since I arrived to attend summer school in June, 1969. I was asked to work for Joe Sullivan and Sound Seventy Productions prior to graduation and started working there the day after Graduation as a Concert Promoter. I grew the company from 3 employees to over 30 in 5 years, presenting over 100 shows each year in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile, Memphis, Jackson, Louisville, New Orleans, and other cities throughout the USA. As Sound 70 grew, we added other divisions for artist management, song publishing, and club ownership. The artists I managed included: the Charlie Daniels Band, Dobey Gray, Wet Willie, Henry Paul, and Bobby Bare. In addition, I produced Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jams for its first 5 years. I managed tours for CDB and Bobby Bare and Dobey Gray’s South African Tour.

I left Sound Seventy at the end of 1980 and launched GreilWorks, artist management. Some of my clients included Bobby Bare, Pam Tillis, Suzy Boggus, and The Shooters. In addition, I conceived and produced the Television Series: Bobby Bare and Friends (Songwriter Series) for The Nashville Network – a critically acclaimed and award-winning series for three seasons. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, I served on several boards such as the Board of the Country Music Association, both Boards of the local Chapter and National Association of Recording Arts and Science (NARAS—Grammy Awards), the Nashville Music Association, and the Tennessee Special Olympics during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

I became Interim Executive Director of The Nashville Symphony Association in December 1988 and assisted the Board of Directors in restoring the Symphony to stable financial condition and reorganization after its bankruptcy in the spring of 1988 and became full-time Executive Director of The Nashville Symphony in the Summer, 1989. I left the symphony in May, 1994 to become President and CEO of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. I retired in May, 2005. My hobbies now include golf, travel, duplicate bridge, and reading. I served on the boards of one of Nashville’s local synagogues, The Temple (twice), the W O Smith Community School of Music, the Tennessee Dance Theater, and Cystic Fibrosis (Tennessee Chapter).

Steven Greil is currently a member of the Vanderbilt Hillel Board of Directors. He can be reached at sgreil@me.com

Vanderbilt Hillel End of Semester

Program Highlights

Passover Seders

Hillel Date Party

Frog Shabbat

Class of 2023 Commencement Brunch

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