U.S. government policy analyst Hilary Miller remembers her time growing up in Jewish Milwaukee fondly, from her days attending Milwaukee Jewish Day School to serving as president of the Wisconsin region of BBYO. She draws on her life experience while advocating for people experiencing religious oppression on the other side of the world.
Miller works for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington D.C, covering the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. She makes policy recommendations to arms of the U.S. government, speaking out against religious persecution and human rights violations.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Kate: It’s wonderful to connect with you, Hilary, especially for people in Milwaukee who have followed your journey. What was your experience growing up in the Jewish Milwaukee area?
Hilary: Such a great question to start off with. The first word that comes to mind is charmed, just absolutely charmed. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my upbringing in Jewish Milwaukee felt like. Whether it was Kabbalat Shabbat at Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Purim festivals at my synagogue, Beth Israel, and running across the parking lot from Milwaukee Jewish Day School to the JCC every single Friday afternoon to play basketball in the gym. All of these very minuscule details added up into what was a very charmed childhood that laid a foundation for feeling tremendous pride, not only as a Jew, but also as a Milwaukee Jew.
Kate: What was your experience as the president of the Wisconsin region of BBYO? How did that help shape your purpose and influence what you do today?
Hilary: I look back on those years in my involvement with BBYO as being an affirmation of positive Jewish experience. It was one of those foundational early experiences that gave me leadership experience generally, and a lot of tools and skills that I now use today. In BBYO, you learn how to write a speech, how to put yourself out there in front of your peers, and how to put together a cohesive set of ideas to advance the organization.
Kate: How does your experience as a Jew help you navigate your work with people in other countries who are religiously oppressed?
Hilary: I think first and foremost, it gives you an understanding of what it means to be a minority and a sense of sympathy for those who are voiceless. A big part of Jewish history is persecution, and so it has allowed me to have an instinctual empathy and sympathy for people in parts of the world that are defamed and powerless.
Kate: So what exactly is your role as a policy analyst?
Hilary: I’m an analyst at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which is also known as USCIRF. We’re an independent, bipartisan government agency that monitors religious freedom conditions around the world and then makes policy recommendations to the US government. Day to day, I monitor the situation of religious freedom in various countries, including many where religious minorities are oppressed. I look at legal frameworks being passed that are rooted in religion and oppressing people. Then, I develop targeted policy recommendations that inform U.S. government officials at the State Department, White House, and Congress to advance that cause in our foreign policy.
Kate: How does your work with women in these regions make an impact on their lives?
Hilary: That’s a really important question. The implementation measure is different based on circumstance and country. One very direct and clear case of implementation is that I will follow the cases of women’s rights activists in Iran who protest their government’s mandatory hijab policies. These women are not necessarily of a minority faith background, but just Iranians protesting a policy that’s rooted in the state’s interpretation of Islam. They’re jailed and sentenced to incredibly long prison sentences, as well as sexual and gender-based violence while in detention. And what we do actively is work with partners such as like-minded countries and partners within our U.S. government to advocate for their release. This morning, I found out that a group of religious prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia who had been detained there for four years, were released. Ever since I got to USCIRF, we’ve been calling for their release, both in our public reporting and also privately with the Foreign Ministry in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Embassy here in D.C. And so, this is a real example where you realize that you can meaningfully move the needle and impact somebody’s life in a direct way with a consistent policy of elevating their case.
Kate: How would you describe your experience working with UN Watch?
Hilary: My experience with UN Watch was instrumental to where I am today. Having the opportunity to work with and learn from Hillel Neuer, who’s a champion, not only for human rights, but also for the Jewish people and for Israel, was an experience that I will never forget. It informs a lot of the work that I do today. Living and working in Geneva was also an incredible experience at the young age of 22, being able to live in the epicenter of the international human rights system in this post-World War II era where many of these institutions were created. I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to ensure that those institutions remain intact.
Kate: How do Jewish values, like tikkun olam or the pursuit of justice show up in your work?
Hilary: It’s very much embedded in my soul as a Jewish value to do work on behalf of others. That Jewish value absolutely motivates me to continue advocating for people that have no voice and who are systematically persecuted.
Kate: What would you say to young people navigating their identities as Jews and Zionists while pursuing a career in human rights?
Hilary: To be a Jew of conscience and a Zionist in a post Oct. 7 world looking to pursue a career in the human rights professional space is tremendously hard. In many cases, you have to sanitize your identity or renounce your Zionism to access certain jobs. This behavior, historically, has always portended poorly for Jews. If you’re going to work for an organization where at the outset you have to do that, then maybe that organization isn’t the best fit for you. Second, I’d encourage young Jews to think deeply and ask themselves, “Where can I wake up every day and feel like I can totally be myself?” Can you wake up every day and feel good about who you are, personally and professionally?
Kate: What would you say to Americans right now who are worried about the state of human rights nationally and internationally?
Hilary: Well, I would say one, that it’s a really fraught time for human rights, for democracy, and for fundamental freedoms globally. At the same time, there are glimmers. There are governments and agencies like USCIRF that are undeterred, committed to carrying out our mission. We still have these global, multilateral organizations that are still in place and operating. They’re creating a bulwark against a lot of the ugly stuff that we are seeing. If there’s anything that we’ve learned from Jewish history, a lesson that we can take, it’s that of Jewish endurance and persistence. I think it’s a part of our DNA to fight back and to do so in a way that aligns with our values and our history. I don’t think that 2025 should be any different.
Kate: Okay, just jumping back to Milwaukee really quickly. Do you have any traditions or places that you like to go to stay connected to your Milwaukee roots?
Hilary: Yes, Sendik’s. Every time I’m home, I have to get a bunch of red Sendik’s bags to take back with me to D.C. I hoard them because they’re the best plastic bags in the business, and you can mark my words on that. But how do I stay connected? Every single time I’m home, I go for a run. It’s my own Jewish tour. I always make sure I’m running past the JCC, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, my grandparents’ house where they hosted all the Jewish High Holidays, and the houses of friends I went to Milwaukee Jewish Day School with. It’s very nourishing, and it’s intentional. I feel the most connected and affirmed in my Jewish self running past the places I grew up.
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Q&A
Your Chronicle journalism intern, Kate Alter, chats with a U.S. policy analyst from Wisconsin, Hilary Miller.
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