Building Jewish Belonging in the Lone Star State
This past weekend, Jewish students from across the Lone Star State gathered for the Hillel Texas Summit 2026, hosted at Texas A&M University Hillel, a Shabbaton designed to strengthen belonging, deepen Jewish identity, and invest in these up-and-coming Jewish leaders.
With support from Hillel International’s Regional Student Gatherings Grant Program, the Summit brought together more than 120 Texas students from across the state, including cities like Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and, of course, College Station, for a weekend centered on fostering meaningful connections and expanding Jewish community beyond students’ campus Hillels. The event also challenged participants to think critically about leadership, responsibility, and the complexities of Jewish life today. Throughout the weekend, students were invited to step into leadership roles, wrestle with big ideas, and build relationships.
“[The Summit] highlighted the real need for a statewide space where Jewish student leaders from across Texas can connect, learn from one another, and strengthen their sense of community,” said Natalie Steiner, campus director for Hillel San Antonio and one of the staff organizers.
Learning was a central pillar of the Summit, with sessions designed to connect Jewish tradition to modern leadership challenges. Drawing from the week’s Torah portion, Parashat Yitro, students explored themes of teamwork and shared responsibility. Through interactive discussion and collaborative activities, they examined what it takes to build healthy, sustainable communities — and how Jewish texts can teach us about leading with intention and care.
Another key focus of the Summit was Jewish identity, in all its complexity.. Students engaged in open, honest conversations about how they experience Judaism across different spaces and contexts. Then they had the opportunity to create art expressing what Jewish identity looks like in their own lives. These moments sparked deep conversation and a shared recognition that there are so many ways to “be Jewish.”
“What an incredible experience. Being around Jewish friends is one thing but being in a community of Jewish students is something I’ll never be able to describe,” said student participant Gaby Wisetsarakol. “Watching the small talk, the passion, and kindness float around the room was truly inspiring. This was a weekend I’ll never forget.”
The Summit also created space for students to grapple with some of the most challenging questions facing the Jewish world today. In a “Situation Room”-style simulation, participants stepped into leadership roles within an imagined Jewish state, navigating real-world scenarios inspired by events in Israel. Students were asked to balance competing priorities, manage uncertainty, and work through disagreement, all while understanding the real human impact of their decisions.
The experience emphasized nuance over easy answers, encouraging students to sit with complexity rather than shy away from it.
Alongside intensive learning and leadership development, the Summit also prioritized rest, and relationship-building. Students unwound together through games and shared meals, sang Havdalah, and took in a keynote address from Sarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for President Barack Obama and the author of several books exploring Jewish identity.
The weekend concluded with reflection, as students considered how to bring the ideas, skills, and connections they gained back to their campus Hillels. Many left with new friendships and a clearer sense of their role within the broader Jewish community.
“The Texas Hillel Summit showed how powerful community can be,” said Carly Fleck, associate director of Houston Hillel. “Watching friendships form and seeing students from smaller colleges finally feel that sense of Jewish belonging was incredible and invaluable.”
By creating opportunities for students to experience joyful, meaningful Jewish life together — on campus and across regions — Hillel is helping students build a lasting sense of belonging and leadership that extends far beyond a single weekend.