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Local community leader Joe Hollander of Holmdel has been tapped as the new president of the board of trustees of the Hillel of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Hollander, also the incoming president of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, is no stranger to the Rhode Island Ivy League institution, having graduated from there in 1981 with majors in psychology and music.

The Hillel, in Providence, R.I, is a shared by students from Brown University and the prestigious art school next door, RISD. Between the two institutions are approximately 1,500 Jewish undergraduates or roughly a quarter of the 6,000-person student bodies, according to the national organization's annual directory.

Despite the differences between campus life and the "real world environment" that the federation occupies, Hollander said the two organizations share a common interest in building community in "diverse and heterogeneous" Jewish populations.

"I think community is a central concept in Judaism and Hillel is a place where Jews of all different backgrounds can come together," Hollander told The Jewish State.

Hollander, who was raised in Newton in Sussex County, described his upbringing as one immersed in the local federation. Consequently, when he arrived at Brown as an undergraduate, his involvement with Hillel was minimal since he considered Hillel a place for students without such a background -- a belief he has come to realize was mistaken.

"It is the one place on campus where the confluence of Jewish concerns -- social, cultural, or even political can be realized," he said, adding that in this day and age Hillel serves as an essential bulwark against anti-Israel bias on campus.

At an elite university like Brown, Hillel serves an important role in nurturing "the future leaders in the Jewish community," he added.

About eight years ago, Hollander was asked to join the Hillel board of trustees, a position he said he gladly accepted.

Hollander starts his new role several months after the Hillel hired a new executive director, Marshall Einhorn, who came to Brown after over a decade working in business, marketing, and consulting.

"He has a head start on me," Hollander said of Einhorn. "I've already been working with him and I think he has the background in Jewish life and business to do a tremendous job."

Since joining Hillel last January, Einhorn described working with Hollander -- first as a board member and now as the president -- as a positive experience.

"I've enjoyed seeing Joe's energy and enthusiasm for Jewish life here in Providence and the importance of having young adults committed to the Jewish community and Israel," Einhorn said.

As a Hillel professional and a lay leader, the "two of us are really charged not only with sustaining the work that has been done before, but growing and helping students build their own Jewish communities," Einhorn said.

Hollander, who works as an independent technology consultant, is married to Barbara Levy and is the father of two daughters, 21-year-old Rachel, a junior at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. and 18-year-old Alyssa, who will also attend Lafayette starting in the fall.