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In the early 1990s, as the Iron Curtain fell in Europe, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hillel Director Yossie Goldman noticed something of a trend—Russian Jews were arriving at the university and joining Hillel in droves.
At 2:30pm on March 11, 2020, just as our sephardic Jewish learning programs were finishing, Governor Cuomo shut down the CUNY schools for the rest of the semester. We were worried.
While Gen Z, those born after 1995, are often known for being “digital natives,” like all humans before them they overwhelmingly crave in-person connection. Their adolescent digital lives are often disrupted in college by life-changing interactions, which we all recall from our own college experiences. Of the many assaults of 2020, the deleterious effects of the pandemic on college students and their quest for human connection should rank high.
By using online platforms like Zoom, Hillel International has strengthened its global programming efforts, connecting Jewish students thousands of miles apart. And for all those travel restrictions, it’s certainly been a very global year for Hillel.
With many colleges and universities delaying the start of the spring semester to the end of January, or forced to continue substituting in-person classes with virtual learning, Hillel International, the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, is launching its first-ever Winterfest throughout January, connecting students through some 170 small-setting experiences at universities in nine countries to provide meaningful Jewish learning to students on and off campus while countering increasing social isolation during the pandemic’s intensifying second wave.
Last week, December 14-15, 2020, Hillel International hosted its first virtual, seventh annual Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA) and fourth Global Leadership Conference (GLC).
Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, today honored outstanding Hillel professionals and campus Hillels creating innovative Jewish experiences and meaningful connections throughout the past year and amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students at Northeastern University’s Hillel this semester took a deep dive into the dynamics between the Black and Jewish communities, with the “Black-Jewish Relationship Series.” The goal was to give students of both communities “space to be together,” says Yeshi Mengistu, the Hillel’s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow and Director of Israel Engagement & Education.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Hillel directors and staff across the United States got creative with online programming. Now nine months into the pandemic and with virtual programming the norm, some Hillels have generated even more innovative events to enhance Jewish life on campus — with and without the warm glow of a computer screen.
J-Lats is one of several Hillel-affiliated organizations across the country that provide space for students who identify as Jewish and Latinx to connect with others who share their dual identity and to spread awareness.
