College and university campuses have been a breeding ground for rampant antisemitism, especially since October 7. Jewish students, parents, and faculty have all experienced this rise in hate with horror and concern and continue to work tirelessly to defend one another amid the toxicity of this environment.

To strengthen its support for students, Hillel Ottawa has welcomed a new face: Alexa Barett-Taller, who will serve as Hillel’s first-ever Springboard Fellow — one of only two in Canada, alongside a counterpart at York University.

This unique role is part of Hillel International’s Springboard Fellowship, a program that places recent graduates on campuses across North America to support Jewish student life, provide mentorship, and serve as advocates for their peers.

“I am so excited to welcome Alexa to the Hillel Ottawa team as our very first Springboard Fellow,” said Hillel Ottawa Director Jamie Sweigman. “This is a significant step forward for our organization and a meaningful investment in the students we support.”

“Bringing this position to life wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of key donors in our community and a key push from my contacts at Hillel International,” said Sweigman. “We’re proud to be expanding our capacity to serve Jewish students on campus in such an impactful way.”

Barett-Taller brings a unique and personal perspective to the role. Having grown up in the Dominican Republic, she was not surrounded by a large Jewish community, but she has deep roots in Ottawa through her grandparents, who were born and raised in the city.

She recently completed her studies at Carleton University, where she focused on advocacy and international studies.
“I actually experienced a lot of antisemitism on campus,” she said. “I also was involved with student governance at Carleton … I hope to use what I have learned to further support the strategic plans that Hillel Ottawa has put in place, especially after October 7 where students were craving connection and a safer space.”

In addition to advocating for students, she also spoke about being a mentor, being an empathetic voice as someone who has been through these challenges before.

“Something I want to keep doing is helping students on campus, regardless of what’s going on, especially with mental health,” said Barett-Taller. “Just having that support system of being a former student, knowing what’s going on, leaving the door open to talk to students and helping them to the best of my ability.”

Some of Barett-Taller’s work has already involved fostering connections between student unions and Hillel, as well as with students from different backgrounds, and ‘demystifying’ Judaism.  

“I am excited to continue to foster relationships with other groups on campuses and hopefully beyond,” she said. 
She also feels very passionate about highlighting Jews with intersectional identities.

“I'm both Jewish and Dominican, so having the opportunity to show other students that are not necessarily Jewish … that there are different voices and experiences within the Jewish community and that Judaism is not black and white is important,” she said.

As she learns more about her new role, Barett-Taller is eager to connect with students and parents who have questions about Jewish life on campus or anything else related to the Jewish experience in a post-secondary setting.

She can be reached at [email protected]