Rabbi Heather Paul

Director of Studies

Rabbi Heather Paul (she/her/hers) is the Senior Jewish Educator at Illini Hillel. She has 16 years of experience in Jewish communal service, previously working at Hillel International as the Springboard Assistant Director, and in engagement roles at Hillel at Stanford and Santa Cruz Hillel. Rabbi Heather also volunteers as the assistant director for Milton Marks Family Camp, which serves families coping with brain cancer. She has 12 years of experience supporting children and young adults who are coping with grief and long-term illness. Rabbi Heather received rabbinic smicha from ALEPH in 2023 and a graduate certificate in Jewish experiential education from HUC-JIR in 2012. Her capstone was a book of original liturgy and rituals, and she has taught clergy, university students, and Hillel professionals about ritual design. An experienced educator, writer, liturgist and ritual designer, Rabbi Heather’s writing has appeared in Ritualwell, the Forward, eJewishPhilanthropy, and HuffPost Religion. Rabbi Heather lives in Urbana, Illinois with her husband, Joseph, their daughter, Ella, and their labradoodle, Gulliver. You can read more about Rabbi Heather’s work on her website, www.scatteredleaves.net