Hillel Elects Tucker As Chair, Migdal Associate Chair

Ethan M. Tucker '97 was yesterday elected chair of the Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel, pledging a new stress on Jewish education and emphasizing the importance of good relations between Hillel and other campus groups.

"I am thrilled and honored that the Hillel community has given me this opportunity," Tucker said. "I hope that with the new steering committee I can try to meet some of the challenges that face Hillel over the next year."

Tucker, a Crimson editor living in Eliot House, was elected on the second ballot of the evening. Ariela M. Migdal '97 was voted associate chair.

Tucker defeated a slate of four other candidates for the position.

He said his primary goals would be both to encourage a variety of Jewish experiences and foster good relations with other minority groups on campus.

The chair-elect said he is optimistic that tensions with the Harvard-Radcliffe Black Students Association (BSA) over the group's choice of controversial Wellesley professor Tony Martin as a speaker will be short-lived.

"We had a very productive dialogue Wednesday night [with the BSA], and it was very good to see the two communities talking," Tucker said.

The new leaders also won the endorsement of outgoing chair Elie G. Kaunfer '95

"Both of them are going to do a great job, and both are committed to make Hillel an accepting place for everyone," said Kaunfer, who is also a senior editor of The Crimson.

Tucker and four other candidates for the position of chair, David J. Andorsky '97, David A. Ganz '96, Alberto Simpser '95-'96, and Leah J. Solomon '97, gave speeches and answered questions before the Hillel Coordinating Council.

Because no candidate won a majority on the first ballot, the top three vote-getters, Tucker, Ganz and Solomon, went to a run-off.

Tucker won more than half the votes on the second ballot.