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Jewish Groups Join in Freshmen Search
August 17, 2007Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friendAn unprecedented coalition of Jewish organizations is helping incoming college freshmen to adjust to life on campus – and to win an iTunes gift card in the process.
For the first time, major Jewish organizations are sending information to their affiliates and members in an effort to acquire the contact information of incoming freshmen. Students who provide their contact information on Hillel’s Web site qualify to win one of more than 100 iTunes gift cards.
Kesher, the campus organization of the Reform movement, Koach, the Conservative group, and BBYO are just three of the organizations that are cooperating in this nationwide effort to ensure that Jewish college students are properly welcomed to campus. The names of incoming freshmen are provided to local Hillel directors and advisors who contact the students. Hillel has collected 5,000 names since the effort began in June.
Nathaniel Golub, the interim director of the Lehigh University Hillel Society, is using the list to engage new students on campus. “This is really helpful,” he said. “I will be sure that a student from our board gets in touch with each of these students to personally invite them to Hillel at the beginning of the school year.”
JESNA, the Jewish education organization, and the United Jewish Communities Rabbinic Cabinet also have sent information to their members. In a cooperative arrangement with the JCCA, the Jewish community center group, high school outreach materials were given to teen participants in the three Maccabia sites in North America this summer. Other organizations may join this effort by contacting Hillel Communications Associate Aviva Perlman at aperlman@hillel.org
Hillel has undertaken a major initiative to reach out to high school students to help them choose colleges and to facilitate their transition to campus. Hillel publishes its Chai Wire e-mail newsletter four times a year for high school juniors and seniors. The newsletter includes celebrity profiles, information about Jewish life on campus and college application tips. The publication received high marks from students in recent focus groups and polls.
“We want to make every Jewish student feel welcome on campus,” explains Hillel President Wayne L. Firestone. “We are pleased to work with our partner organizations to reach students even before they get to campus.”
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