Dear Friends,
I wish that you could have joined me in Israel this winter.
I was fortunate to meet with many of the 3,500 students 
who visited Israel courtesy of Hillel. It was heartwarming to see students from North America, South America, Israel and the former Soviet Union all interacting with one another and exploring their Jewish identity.
The range of programs that we offered these young people was truly mind-boggling. Our goal was to engage all Jewish students on campus, not just those with a strong Jewish background. Students who had never previously visited Israel participated on the Taglit-Birthright Israel program. Campus Jewish leaders were nominated by their Hillels to participate in our Charles Schusterman International Student Leaders Assembly. Students with a strong interest in tzedek, social justice, joined our Weinberg Tzedek Hillel Alternative Break trip. And students representing pro-Israel organizations of all ideologies traveled the country on the Israel on Campus Coalition's Israel@60 Mission. We are greatful to our many supporters and partners who have made these trips possible.
I could tell you so many wonderful stories from these trips but I would rather let the students speak for themselves. Below you will find a cross-section of student voices from our various trips.
As you read the students’ comments below, I hope you will agree that our efforts were effective, worthwhile, and helped us to advance our mission. Please feel free to share this with your friends or to receive monthly updates on Hillel's work in the United States and abroad subscribe to Hillel Campus Report.
Best Wishes,
Wayne L. Firestone
President
View additional photos from this winter in Israel
|
|
Anya Vigdorchik, Drexel University
Taglit-Birthright Israel
"Now that I have seen Israel I can explain my support for it based on my experience. I will definitely give part of my paycheck to support this program so that other students can also experience it." |
|
|
Alycia Hendricks, Syracuse Univeristy
Weinberg Tzedek Hillel Alternative Break
"It's nice to be with people who share my passion for Judaism and service. I learned that if everyone does a small thing, we will do a big thing together." |
|
|
Galit Burchak, Kiev, Ukraine
Charles Schusterman International Student Leaders Assembly
"It was really exciting to be with other Jewish students from around the world. I usually just attend gatherings from the former Soviet Union. It's great to see how other student leaders solve similar problems, like the students who just want to have fun, or how to promote informal Jewish education, or how to prevent leaders from burning out." |
|
|
Rebecca Levy, Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International
Israel On Campus Coalition Israel@60 Mission
"I grew up in Waco, Texas. I did not have the opportunity to interact with many Jewish kids who felt as strongly about the Jewish community as I did. Until now, I have never met such a diverse group of students with such depth of experience with Israel, with such a high degree of respect for one another, or who cared so much about the Jewish community." |
|
|
Ephrat Berkin, Sapir College, Sderot, Israel
Charles Schusterman International Student Leaders Assembly
"I live in the most dangerous kibbutz. It's between Sderot and Gaza. Rockets always fall in our land. I can't study, I can't go to work. I was amazed by the American students by what they had to say about Israel and Judaism. When I told them about our life in Sderot, they were so sympathetic." |
|
|
Marcelo David, Uruguay
Weinberg Tzedek Hillel Alternative Break
"I see my future in Israel. During our week in Israel we renovated a nursery school. I don’t think it our job to change the world but to change it a little bit. As we say in Spanish, we were able to put in our little grain of sand." |
|
|
Harry Baumgarten, The David Project
Israel On Campus Coalition Israel@60 Mission*
"As someone who throughout the years has worked as an advocate for Israel on campus, this mission was one of the highlights of my life -- being able to meet and hear from Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Israel's number one advocate to the world, meant so much to me, and to see how much she valued our efforts on campus as well." |
Additional Information and Stories:
Taglit-Birthright Israel: Hillel
Charles Schusterman International Leaders Assembly
Israel on Campus Coaltion Israel@60 Mission
Jerusalem Post: Hillel Students Work to Renovate Refugee Shelter
Jerusalem Post: Navigating Our Flat Earth, by Hillel President Wayne Firestone
Jerusalem Post: Firestone Calls for "Reverse Birthright"
Hillel thanks:
The partnership of federations, philanthropists and the State of Israel who support Taglit - Birthright Israel.
Hillel trips were supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; The Samuel Bronfman Foundation; The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation; Sol Goldman Charitable Trust; the Samuel and Helene Soref Charitable Foundation; Jane and Alan Cornell; Sherry and Larry Kalish; and others.
The organizations that participated in the Israel on Campus Coalition mission: Aish HaTorah/ Hasbara Fellowships; Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi); American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC); American Jewish Committee (AJC); Americans for Peace Now (APN); Anti-Defamation League (ADL); Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life; Israel Program Center; Israel University Consortium (IUC); Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA); Jewish National Fund (JNF); KESHER; Union for Reform Judiasm; KOACH - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Media Watch International (MWI); StandWithUs; The David Project; United Jewish Communities (UJC); Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU); Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ); USD; Hagshama of the World Zionist Organization; Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
For more news like this and up-to-date briefs about Jewish campus life, subscribe to our free eNewsletter Hillel Campus Report.