Black and Jewish Student Leaders Build Relationships and Community in Washington D.C.
Hillel International is expanding opportunities for Jewish, Black, and Black-Jewish student leaders to build meaningful relationships in pursuit of lasting partnerships. The relationships that students form at events like the inaugural Hillel-National Black Empowerment Council (NBEC) Collegium: Concord provide anchors of connection, strengthening the Jewish and Black communities individually and collectively. This three-day leadership experience equipped students with the skills and perspective needed to be leaders in an increasingly complex world.
Thirty student leaders from 22 colleges and universities gathered in Washington, D.C. this week to explore what it means to lead with curiosity, integrity, and a willingness to listen. Developed in partnership by Hillel International and NBEC, the Collegium: Concord included conversations with diplomats, journalists, entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, and community builders, while creating space for students to learn from one another.
“What brings these students to Washington is ambition and a commitment to their communities,” said Jordan Fruchtman, associate vice president of community partnerships at Hillel International. “The Collegium: Concord invests in the personal and professional growth of the next generation of Black, Jewish and Black-Jewish leaders, and the relationships they build here together will define both communities for decades to come.”
“At NBEC, we believe that life moves at the speed of relationships. Collegium: Concord was built on the idea that meaningful partnership requires intention,” said Marvel Joseph, director of strategic initiatives at NBEC. “By bringing Black and Jewish students together to engage honestly, challenge assumptions, and learn from leaders who have built impactful partnerships, we are giving them the foundation to build something lasting together.”
Programming kicked off with a fireside conversation between CEO and Founder of Lamad Academy Rev. Al Cockfield and founding Executive Director and Rabbi of Third Space Rabbi Jessy Dressin, who reflected on faith, service, and the enduring role relationships play in bringing communities together. Their conversation set the tone for the Collegium: Concord, reminding students that meaningful leadership begins by listening before speaking.
From there, students turned their attention to history.
In a session titled The Long Arc: Understanding the Black–Jewish Relationship, Avi Edelman, founder of Two Pockets Dialogue, explored the longstanding partnership between Black and Jewish communities, examining how shared struggles and mutual support have shaped both communities over generations. Students put those lessons into practice during a fishbowl dialogue, where they were challenged to listen so carefully and with curiosity that they could deeply internalize their peers’ perspective before responding themselves.
The exercise emphasized empathy, rather than rewarding debate, demonstrating that understanding is key to constructive dialogue.
“Knowing that every student attending Collegium: Concord was there to challenge, learn, and grow from their peers immediately created an environment that reflected those values,” said Meredith Seidman, a third year student at Connecticut College who attended the Collegium: Concord to deepen her knowledge of bridge-building efforts between the Black and Jewish communities.
The event also challenged students to think critically about the information they consume and the stories they tell.
Melissa Weiss, executive editor of Jewish Insider, led a session on navigating today’s media landscape, giving students practical tools to evaluate information, recognize misinformation, and communicate thoughtfully in an increasingly polarized environment.
Building on those conversations, former Hillel International Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Etan Harmelech led a workshop on strategic communications, exploring how authentic storytelling can strengthen communities, inspire action, and help leaders connect.
Leadership, students learned, also means thinking beyond their own campuses.
During a panel on academic diplomacy, speakers explored how international partnerships and educational exchange strengthen communities around the world. Students then experienced those ideas firsthand during visits to both the Haitian Embassy and the Israeli Embassy, where they engaged in conversations about diplomacy, culture, and global partnership.
“My favorite speaker was Avi Edelman. I liked how he challenged us to see different perspectives and brought up parts of Black and Jewish history I wasn’t familiar with,” said Brandon Turner, student at Texas Southern University and member of NBEC’s inaugural HBCU Leadership Fellowship. “It made me think deeper and led to some meaningful conversations.”
Career exploration remained woven throughout the event as students met with leaders in entrepreneurship, technology, artificial intelligence, philanthropy, finance, and nonprofit leadership. Among the featured speakers were Sheriece Green, founder of SuperPose Future of Work; Al Motley Jr., founder and CEO of Techademics; and Erica Pressman, CEO of the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation.
Whether discussing innovation, philanthropy, or public service, each conversation returned to the same idea: leadership is ultimately about investing in people and relationships
The convening concluded with reflections led by Anton J. Gunn, former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and former senior advisor to President Obama, who challenged students to consider not only what they had learned during their three days together, but how they would carry those lessons back to their campuses and communities.
Before leaving Washington, students exchanged contact information and committed to reconnecting six months later, ensuring the Collegium: Concord would be the beginning of an ongoing community rather than a one-time gathering. And as they head home, they are reflecting on the conversations that challenged them, the perspectives that broadened their thinking, and the relationships they hope to continue building.
“My experience was amazing,” said Turner, who found deep value in the friendships that he made over the course of the event and hopes to gather again as a group over the course of the academic year.
“By asking the uncomfortable and deeper questions, I was able to begin filling in the gaps of my understanding,” reflected Seidman. “The relationships I built at Collegium: Concord will allow me to continue learning and building a new generation of Black and Jewish relations.”