College Guide

I’ve often felt like Judaism exists in an unforgiving dichotomy: you’re too Jewish or not Jewish enough. When you’re stuck in the middle, you always feel like a “bad” Jew. Rationally, I know that is not the case, but there was a time when the many ways a person can be Jewish intimidated me.

On Sunday, November 14, the Hillel International Student Cabinet had the privilege of meeting with the Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Nachman Shai to discuss the needs of the Hillel student movement with him and to learn how we can help each other in building bridges between Israel and the Jewish student community in the diaspora

At UCSB, organizations like Hillel and Students Supporting Israel were critical in galvanizing support from the Jewish community. The support is increasingly necessary given the number of times BDS legislation has been brought to the Senate. The proposal of May 2021 was UCSB’s 7th attempt at passing discriminatory legislation directed at Jews, with the last effort occurring in 2019.

I didn’t know where Hillel fit into my life. My parents fell in love at Hillel, but that wasn’t my focus. As I embarked on my college years, I wanted to spend time on campus taking advantage of new, exciting experiences. Perfect love stories and Judaism could wait.

Hillel International and American Jewish Committee (AJC), in collaboration with the American Council on Education (ACE), will bring together college and university leaders from across the United States for a two-day summit in February on the unprecedented increase in antisemitic activity and the marginalization of Jewish students on campus.

The Hillel International LGBTQIA2S+ Student Cohort invites queer Jewish students to come together once a month for social and educational programming, to build relationships across campuses, and form a sense of community, with the intent of creating a safe and supportive environment in the Hillel community.