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Leaders in Any Language
March 13, 2006Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend
 How should Jewish student leaders respond to anti-Semitism, assimilation and economic instability? How should they foster meaningful Jewish experiences and religious pluralism? In the former Soviet Union, Latin America and Israel, Hillel is teaching students how to respond to threats and to promote vibrant Jewish communities.
Former Soviet Union
The frigid Moscow winter didn't keep 200 students away from the seventh annual Hillel in the Former Soviet Union Winter Congress. Despite temperatures as low as 25 degrees below zero, students representing the 27 Hillels in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia enjoyed four days of Jewish-learning workshops and seminars on the burning issues among young adults in the FSU today, such as HIV/AIDS and drug and alcohol abuse. Together with Shabbat services, a partner-agency fair and a rousing talent show, the conference allowed participants to celebrate a reinvigorated Jewish life in the FSU and strategize how to strengthen their communities.
"For so long Jews in the FSU were cut off. No one in their world had the opportunity to make these connections. Now there's a lot of hunger for it," said Avi Rubel, the assistant director of Hillel's international division. "There is a major need to provide students with the ability to see themselves as part of the Jewish community and to take on leadership roles."
South America
In South America, students from Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile have united for the past three years for the Latin American Convention for Israel, organized by Hillel and the Jewish Agency for Israel. This unique conference allows students to choose from three specialized tracks – tzedek (social justice), Israel advocacy and Israeli business and economy – in which they developed ideas for new projects and learned to integrate Israel into their Jewish lives. Hillel professionals were thrilled to have the participants return from the convention with renewed energy and enthusiasm for their work with Hillel.
"This seminar has given me the opportunity to make new friendships, contacts, projects and a new trip. I feel that Hillel has opened many doors for me, and I feel that the sky is the limit," said Paloma Azulay, a Hillel student leader from Rio de Janeiro.
The South American students will soon be able to share their excitement with North American Hillel student leaders who will be the first class of Neuman Fellows. Thanks to the generosity of New York businessman and philanthropist Herbert Neuman, 10 Spanish-speaking students from the United States and Canada will be selected to attend the "Latin American General Assembly" of Jewish communities in Argentina this May.
Israel
Collaboration between North American and international students continues to increase as Hillel instills in these young adults the responsibility to serve not only their own Jewish communities, but Jews worldwide as well. This winter, for example, six students from the Hillels at Baruch and Hunter Colleges traveled to Israel to meet with six students from the Hillel at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, their partners in an Israeli-Diaspora leadership-development program. The American and Israeli students have formed a joint committee that grants funds provided by the United Jewish Communities' Partnership 2000 and Hillel's Edgar M. Bronfman Global Exchange Fund to projects on both sides of the ocean that focus on tzedek, arts and culture and Jewish learning. The trip allowed participants to meet face to face and assess their ongoing projects and discuss the program's future.
Learn more about Hillel's important work in the FSU, South America and Israel by visiting the Global Hillels Web page.
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