Jewish Life at Georgetown

Rabbi Ilana Zietman (she/her) is the Director of Jewish Life and serves as chaplain to Jewish students across Georgetown University. Rabbi Ilana loves to create Jewish experiences and foster communities that are caring, thought-provoking, and — most importantly — welcoming.  As Director of Jewish Life, Rabbi Ilana provides pastoral care, Torah study and Jewish learning, Shabbat and holiday prayer services, meals and other programs throughout the academic year. She is committed to helping each student foster a Jewish life that is rich in meaning, relevance, mutual support and joy. She is also committed to representing and integrating Jewish Life in the wider Georgetown community through interfaith and intercultural dialogue and collaboration.  Rabbi Ilana comes to Georgetown with a wealth of experience serving young Jewish communities through her work at GatherDC, Avodah and Tufts University Hillel.  Rabbi Ilana received her rabbinic ordination and a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from the pluralistic Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in 2019. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Barnard College with a BA in Religion and a second BA in Hebrew Bible from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2011.  Rabbi Ilana lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Jack, their sons, Jesse and Gabriel, and their sweet dog, Ella.

Deb Silver is the Associate Director of Jewish Life. In this role, she oversees the depth, breadth, and success of Jewish Life programs and coaches students to create meaningful connections across campus. Deb previously served as the campus director at the College of Charleston Hillel in South Carolina where she also worked with Jewish cadets and students from the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel. In Charleston, she created and strengthened relationships with campus and community partners and introduced new student engagement and leadership opportunities. Deb’s love of community building and appreciation for the many ways individuals connect with spirituality blossomed at Capital Camps, a Jewish overnight camp where she was a camper, summer staff member, and later a year-round team member. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Salisbury University. A DMV area native, Deb loves spending time with family and friends and trying new restaurants. You can also find her taking tap dancing classes and checking out the latest book releases at the library in her free time.

Chantal Sanchez is the Interreligious Coordinator. In this role, she supports the chaplains and student teams in coordinating services and events for the Dharmic, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. Originally from Southern California, Chantal moved to the East Coast in 2016 to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Boston College. Influenced by the Jesuit values of BC, she developed a deep appreciation for Theology and International Studies. This academic interest took Chantal abroad to Nepal and India, where she strengthened her commitment to the study of South Asian religions and deepened her Buddhist faith. Chantal continued her exploration of religion at Harvard Divinity School, where she discovered a passion for community organizing, social and racial justice activism, and interfaith coalition building. Her volunteer work, with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, put theory and her MDiv into practice through hands-on, grassroots efforts. In her free time, Chantal enjoys arts and culture, visiting new coffee shops, watching sci-fi and fantasy films, and spending time outdoors.