Celebrating Bridge-Building: Growing Relationships and Connections Across Faith Communities
As college students close out 2025 with a number of religious holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, and Diwali, Hillel International’s Multifaith Relationship Building Grants are bringing together faith communities on campus for events focused on dialogue, tradition, and of course, good food. Nearly 70 campus Hillels received funding from Hillel International this year to host 245 multifaith events that include storytelling projects, coffee chats, and internship programs. These programs are helping Jewish students build bridges with other faith-based campus communities, engage in respectful conversation, and contribute to a more positive campus climate.
Check out some of the highlights from participating campuses this fall.
University of Rhode Island Hillel
University of Rhode Island (URI) Hillel held their Second Annual Interfaith Friendsgiving Potluck in November, bringing together Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, atheist, and agnostic students. The annual dinner, which was first organized one year ago by then-undergrad and now grad student Leetal Young, was designed as a potluck where each person attending would, literally, bring something representative of their identities and culture to the table. Young worked in partnership with her roommate, a member of the Catholic Center. “Together we created something bigger than any individual person could: we created community,” Young said.
This year, nearly 100 students, staff, and community members attended the event, including URI President Marc Parlange. Students said the dinner opened them up to a more diverse community than what they’ve previously experienced, and they were inspired by the reminder of what they all had in common — including gratitude for their friends and communities, and an appreciation of tasty food!
“Events like this are so important to the community… They bring people from all different walks of life together in a spirit of generosity and understanding,” said Parlange, adding that he hopes this Annual Friendsgiving Potluck becomes a URI tradition.
When reflecting on this year’s dinner, Young mentioned that many students were previous attendees who brought their friends along this time to grow the university’s multifaith community. She said students shared that they felt welcomed, safe, and part of something bigger than themselves.
“[Starting a multifaith community only takes] one conversation, one shared idea, one moment of intentionally choosing openness,” she added.
Hillel at University of Delaware
Another multifaith grant recipient was Hillel at the University of Delaware (UD), which is hosting biweekly events entitled “Coffee Conversations: Jews, Muslims, and a Cup of Joe.” These gatherings provide an opportunity for students to engage in open and honest conversations about issues facing their communities and how to grow multifaith partnerships.
“Coffee Conversations” began during a time of heightened campus tensions immediately following the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and subsequent war in Gaza. Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt, the campus director at Hillel at UD, and Dr. Ismat Shah, the faculty advisor for the Muslim programs, had a longstanding friendship and with a widening gap between the Muslim and Jewish communities on campus post-October 7, they wanted students to see their relationship as a model for how to have difficult but productive conversations.
Weisblatt emphasized that it’s important to have these hard conversations with people who you may not necessarily agree with as they provide “a space for growth through challenge.” “When it gets tough, that’s when the real conversations start,” he said. “Don’t be afraid of those moments, instead, run toward them, embrace them, and welcome the opportunities those moments provide.”
Hillel at Davis and Sacramento
Hillel at Davis and Sacramento recently held their annual Interfaith Moveable Feast, hosting campus faith groups for a multi-course meal and engaging dialogue. Led by the Interfaith Campus Council, participants walked between different campus ministry buildings, literally moving, to share part of the meal and learn about the Jewish, Christian, and Baha’i communities, among others.
“I think that it’s important for the students to understand that we don’t exist in a vacuum. College is a like a melting pot,” said Seth Browner, Development Manager for Hillel at Davis and Sacramento, who has attended the annual feast since 2019. “There are people from all walks of life together in one place. For many of us, that’s the first time we’ve experienced that or been in a situation like that. We should take advantage of that to educate and inform as much as we can.”
Madeleine Canavese, a second-year student at UC Davis and the Interfaith Coordinator for the Newman Catholic Center, agreed. She shared that the event provides a forum for conversations that “would likely never take place anywhere else.” Canavese said that participants all arrive eager to share their own traditions and learn about others. While differences of opinion naturally come up, she highlighted that this event provides a neutral space where students can agree to disagree and respect each other’s differences.
Though organizing interfaith events can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, Canavese finds the effort to be incredibly rewarding, especially when she sees students better understand and respect their peers through the shared experience of a good meal and teaching traditions.
New York University Hillel at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life
This fall, New York University (NYU) Hillel at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life participated in the “Constructive Dialogue Summit Dinner: How We Can Shape Our Campus Culture.” The event brought together about 40 student leaders representing diverse faith groups on campus, including The Veritas Forum, which works with Christian students, the Graduate Christian Fellowship, the NYU Islamic Center, and the Reformed University Fellowship. The goal of the evening was fostering a campus environment rooted in respect and constructive dialogue.
The dinner was organized in part by Jewish students who returned energized from the Interfaith America Summit, a gathering of students and educators committed to religious pluralism. Inspired by the bridge-building they found at the summit, the students were eager to strengthen relationships and work collaboratively across faith communities at NYU.
The structured conversations at the dinner created a space for students from different backgrounds and beliefs to connect meaningfully. Student Rachel Lief said the event showed her it was possible to find common ground across differences, adding that it gave her “hope for the possibility of engaging in respectful, constructive dialogue on campus.”
Springboard Ezra Fellow Brooke Leon echoed that sentiment, saying students left feeling empowered and motivated to continue interfaith work.
“I am incredibly proud and inspired by the student leaders. The experience strengthened my commitment to fostering spaces where students learn from one another despite their differences, where they can build a culture rooted in understanding, curiosity, and respect,” she said.
Emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives, Leon added, “The goal isn’t to agree on everything — it’s to come from a place of understanding and the willingness to learn from one another.”
Learn more about Hillel International’s bridge building work.