Bethany Slater

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dr. Bethany Slater leads with soul. A scholar of theology and a builder of brave spaces, she nurtures Jewish life at Claremont with wisdom, warmth, and unshakable care. From hosting vibrant Middle Eastern Shabbats under olive trees to guiding interfaith conversations that heal and inspire, Bethany infuses everything she does with deep purpose. She’s a strategic mind with a pastoral heart — amplifying student voices, addressing antisemitism, and reimagining community as a place where everyone belongs, questions, and grows. Her work bridges past and future, people and place — all with soulful intention.

Bethany came to Claremont to be Claremont Hillel's inaugural executive director in August 2023. She has a background in nonprofit management, leadership training, human-centered design, community building, and interfaith and religious education. Most recently, she served as a visiting professor of religion at Denison University. She has extensive experience in adult education and community organizing as well as interfaith work. She earned her PhD at Boston College in comparative theology and an MA in Jewish Studies from Oxford University. In undergrad she was a philosophy major, volunteered as a mentor and tutor for local kids, and was a leader in interfaith dialogue groups.

She has two kids ages 6 and 9, a dog named Mitzi, and is married to a Conservative Rabbi.