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Jewish Students Discuss Israel at National Leadership Conference
August 03, 2001Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend The Schusterman Hillel International Student Leaders Assembly Includes Students from Israel, Australia, Uruguay, Former Soviet Union and North America
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Over 350 Jewish college activists from around the world will devote an entire day to studying Israel at the August 21-26, Schusterman Hillel International Student Leaders Assembly at Camp Moshava in Honesdale, Penn. The young people will explore Israel's role in Jewish tradition, its political history, and current challenges, as well as ways to pro-actively communicate about Israel on campus. Among the participants will be 13 Israeli college students, the first delegation of Israelis to attend the conference, who will share their first-hand experience of the Middle East with fellow students.
"Hillel offers opportunities for Jewish students who support Israel of all backgrounds to deepen their understanding of the many issues that confront the Jewish state today and to learn the leadership skills they will need when they return to campus this fall," explains Hillel President and International Director Richard M. Joel. "Jewish student leaders should be well versed in the central role Israel plays in their Jewish story. These students are the next generation of world Jewish leaders."
Participants in the conference come from over 140 campuses around the globe, including a delegation of 10 students from Uruguay, 12 from the former Soviet Union (FSU), and two from Australia. Hillel dedicated its first Foundation in Latin America in April and will open the Casa Hillel Montevideo, the Uruguay Hillel house, in August. The students from the FSU, representing thousands of Jewish students in the region, will visit 10 North American communities following the Schusterman Hillel International Student Leaders Assembly, including Seattle, Baltimore, Tucson, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Palm Beach, Cleveland, New York City, Boston, and Bergen County, N.J.
The 13 Israeli students participating in the conference attend all of Israel's universities. Hillel has Foundations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University where Israeli students have the opportunity to explore historical, religious and cultural aspects of their Jewish identity in a non-denominational, non-judgmental environment.
The annual Schusterman Hillel International Student Leaders Assembly, made possible by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, brings together renowned experts in Judaics, Jewish communal leadership and student affairs from around the world. Among the educators attending this year's conference will be Rabbi Norman Cohen, the provost of Hebrew Union College; Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat; and Hannah Rosenthal, the executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Faculty will offer dozens of lectures and seminars on a variety of topics, including campus leadership skills, Jewish text study, Jewish holiday observance, and community service.
Hillel will also sponsor the annual Renaissance Institute at the conference, an opportunity for Hillel's adult lay leadership and supporters to interact with student leaders and to experience the Jewish renaissance on campuses across the country. At the same time, 90 Hillel Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellows, the largest group ever, will undergo training for their assignment to engage Jewish students.
The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, is committed to creatively empowering and engaging Jewish students through its network of over 500 regional centers, campus Foundations and affiliates. Its long-standing dedication to building Jewish identity, while nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth in a pluralistic community, positions Hillel as a leader in building a stronger Jewish people and stronger Jewish future.
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