Center for Spiritual Life

Adele Andrews is the Campus Ministry Organizer for Sanctuary Boston, a community of worship grounded in Unitarian Universalism and open to seekers of all kinds. They run events for Unitarian Universalist students across the Greater Boston Area and mentor student organizers leading ministries at their own colleges, including Sanctuary Brandeis.

Adele is a recent Northeastern graduate. They received both a BA Political Science and Environmental Studies and an MS in Environmental Science and Policy there. During college, they co-founded and served as a hub coordinator for their school's chapter of the youth-led climate justice organization the Sunrise Movement. In the summers they work and live in an intentional community at a UU conference center in New Hampshire. These experiences taught them how young people create community together to define what future they want to move towards and find spiritual meaning. They hope to continue helping build these sacred spaces in this role and others.

Fr. Shawn Carey was ordained in 2009. Prior to his ordination, he studied at Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, mainstreamed as one of the two deaf students at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and received a BA in political science and bBusiness from Providence College.

He attended St. Patrick Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California, and then worked as parochial vicars for communities in Massachusetts and as director for the Deaf Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston. He has led many retreats and workshops for the Deaf Catholics nationwide and internationally. He is currently an administrator in Team Ministry with Fr. Jeremy St. Martin at St. Jude Parish in Waltham. He has served on the board of directors for the National Catholic Office for the Deaf since 2013.

In his spare time, Fr. Shawn enjoys CrossFit, skiing, playing soccer, reading, movies and traveling.

Donald rejoined the staff of Brandeis Asian Baptist Student Koinonia (ABSK) in 2024 after serving at MIT ABSK and overseas doing mission work in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a doctorate in Chemistry and has a great love of science and technology, but his real passion is serving and supporting college students with the love of Jesus Christ. He and his wife Jung Yoon Choi, with other staff members, can be found in the Shapiro Campus Center every Friday night, feeding students with good food, fellowship, and the Word of God.

Donald is a college pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Cambridge, and his "day job" is being the principal of a small homeschool co-op. He loves teaching children to appreciate the joys and wonders of God's Creation and helping them reach their God-given potential.

Yaakov was born and raised in Manchester, United Kingdom. He spent a few years in a Yeshiva, a talmudic college, both in England and in Israel honing his learning/teaching skills and developing his character. After marrying his wife Chavi in June 2019, Yaakov and Chavi settled in Jerusalem and joined a program named Kollel Eitz Pri. The program focuses on self-growth, learning and teaching skills, coaching and guiding, with opportunities for hands-on experience. Other than his joy for learning and teaching Yaakov is an avid football (called soccer on this side of the pond!) fan and loves playing with friends.

Yaakov joined the MEOR team of Boston in September 2022 and is responsible for MEOR programming and education at Brandeis University. It will be an exciting journey for all of us, for MEOR, for Family Frankel, for the students and their families and for Brandeis University.

What is MEOR?

Launched in 2005, MEOR’s unique brand of Jewish leadership training, sophisticated text-based study and experiential education programming highlights the importance of Jewish values, identity and community. In over 15 years, MEOR has impacted more than 18,000 undergraduate students, encouraging them to connect with Judaism on their own terms and in their own time.

Yoni is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where he majored in philosophy/neuroscience/psychology and played tennis on the team. After university, a year off to study Judaism in Israel before going to medical school became nine. He became a rabbi, receiving ordination from the Jerusalem Kollel. For the last seven years, he has been running MEOR programming at Harvard University, bringing Jewish text and philosophy to light. He looks forward to working with Brandeis students starting this year.

Launched in 2005, MEOR’s unique brand of Jewish leadership training, sophisticated text-based study and experiential education programming highlights the importance of Jewish values, identity and community. In over 15 years, MEOR has impacted more than 18,000 undergraduate students, encouraging them to connect with Judaism on their own terms and in their own time.

Rabbi Miriam was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2023. At the University of Arizona, where she received her BA in Family Studies and Human Development, Rabbi Miriam was heavily involved in Hillel University of Arizona.
After graduation, she spent a year in New York as an Avodah Jewish Service Corps member, before heading to Jerusalem to kick off her rabbinic studies. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Rabbi Miriam served as the rabbinic intern for Hillel at USC for two years, where her excitement for Hillel work was reignited.
She believes that college students deserve spiritual leadership and mentors who will help guide them along their journeys. She is proud to be a part of this movement and to be a part of the Brandeis team!
When not working, you can find Rabbi Miriam doing various arts and crafts, hitting the gym, or talking Torah with friends and family.

Dalia Mabrouk is originally from Egypt, where she practiced as a medical doctor. She now lives in Boston with her husband and three children. She is pursuing a Masters in Islamic Religious Leadership at the Boston Islamic Seminary. She loves being in nature and at the sea shore, and enjoys cooking and handcrafts, especially sewing, knitting and crochet.

Dr. Pickette is excited to join Brandeis Hillel as the new Assistant Director this fall!

As the Assistant Director of the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Texas she created UT’s first Jewish Studies undergraduate students association, built a study abroad program in Jewish studies, and led partnerships with the local film festival and Hillel. She coordinated the Gilda Slifka Summer Internship at the Hadassah Brandeis Institute for three years, mentoring students and facilitating their learning about Jewish Boston in a collegial and pluralistic setting. Samantha has a master’s in Journalism and a doctorate in American Studies, both from Boston University. She is also a published author (Peak TV’s Unapologetic Jewish Woman: Exploring Jewish Female Representation in Contemporary Television Comedy).

Anjelo is the Team Director for Campus Boston with FOCUS, which stands for the Fellowship Of Catholic University Students. The organization leads Bible studies and helps students to grow in their faith, walk with others, and live a life of discipleship. He is entering his eighth year with FOCUS and has served in many capacities on a variety of college campuses, including directing mission trips, leading retreats for college students, and mentoring students and missionaries. Please reach out to him about Bible study or learning more about the Catholic faith. Anjelo is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA with a degree in Neuroscience and Psychology. He loves the city life and is able to find the best places to eat, drink coffee, and hang out in any city.

Marianne is a graduate of Connecticut College with a liberal arts bachelor's degree in environmental biology and holds a master's degree in missional church movements from Wheaton Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois. For the last 10 years, she has served Brandeis, specifically \graduate students and faculty. She particularly enjoys encouraging students to think through the integration of their faith and profession in ways that cause flourishing and common good.

She is in her 14th-year serving with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a vibrant campus ministry that establishes and advances communities of students and faculty who witness to Jesus as Savior within the vocational context of the campus. It supports students to engage in discipleship around Scripture.

Quang D. Tran, S.J., is a Jesuit priest of the Central Southern Province. He is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at Boston College. He recently began an internship as a clinical fellow of Harvard University.

Fr. Joseph E. Weiss, a member of the Society of Jesus, was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas he was an elementary and middle school teacher before entering the Jesuits. Following ordination to the priesthood he served as the associate pastor for Sacred Heart Parish on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota before pursuing graduate studies in theology. Fr. Weiss received his Doctorate in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame where he also taught undergraduate and graduate students in theology. Having been the pastor of Saint Thomas More Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota for 12 years, he joined the faculty of the School of theology and Ministry at Boston college as Professor of Liturgy in 2016 and has served the Catholic Community at Brandeis University since 2022.

Tony is a Cru Brandeis alum who fell in love with campus ministry during his time of study at the International Business School. A native of Beijing, Tony brings professional experiences from Higher Education and Consulting, and has called both Tennessee and Illinois home before moving to Massachusetts. He is excited about partnering with Cru to encourage students in practicing the Way of Jesus and living out God's mission on campus and onwards.

Yuegang Zhang is a pastor at the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston in Lexington, MA. Pastor Yuegang grew up in China. He became a Christian in 2001. He is passionate about both science and Christian faith. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from SUNY Buffalo and a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Yuegang is affiliate chaplain of the Mandarin fellowship at Brandeis, which welcomes all the Mandarin speaking members of the Brandeis community to know about the Holy Bible and the Christian faith.