Celebrating Israel’s 77th Birthday — Hillel Style!
At Hillels around the world, Jewish college students celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 77th birthday, in diverse and exciting ways. Before jumping into the Hillel celebrations below, check out highlights from Jewish students celebrating Israel across the country:
University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder Hillel)
Nearly 400 students gathered on Farrand Field for CU Boulder Hillel’s annual Israel Fest. Featuring trivia competitions, lawn games, art projects, and of course, free falafel, Israel Fest gave all CU Boulder students – including members of their “Jewish Herd” – an opportunity to learn about and celebrate Israel.
University of Miami (UM Hillel)
At UM Hillel, Israel Week truly lived up to its name, with events taking place nearly every day. The week kicked off with a Mimouna celebration – a post-Passover tradition with Moroccan roots – which included mufletas (traditional Moroccan pancakes), a tie-dye station, and a surprise visit from a very special guest: a llama. In the middle of the week, students had the opportunity to hear from Dalia Ziada, a prominent Egyptian peace activist and speaker for Hillel International’s Teach-In Tour, who shared her journey of growing beyond the narratives she was raised with. Later, students celebrated Israel at the TLV Rooftop Party with an Israeli DJ, music, and lots of snacks. Students also enjoyed learning how to make their own Israeli-style hummus from scratch at the Hummus Making Workshop.
Israel Week concluded with an Israel-themed Shabbat dinner, where students reflected on these meaningful events, shared stories, and celebrated Israel’s resilience through community and tradition.
Rutgers University, New Brunswick (Rutgers Hillel)
While it may have the same name as UM’s celebration, Rutgers Hillel took Israel Week in a different direction, while also hosting a wide variety of impactful events. The week began with Israel Week-themed tables outside the student center, featuring educational opportunities and plenty of fun giveaways. The next day, Jewish students hosted a pop-up shuk on campus where students could shop for Israel-themed clothes, accessories, and other goodies.
Rutgers Hillel also held an Israel Week art exhibit inside their building, featuring artwork that showcased students’ personal connections to Israel. Later in the week, students gathered together for a Yom Ha’atzmaut barbecue to celebrate Israel’s independence in community with one another, a theme that carried over to their Israel-themed Shabbat, which closed out the week.
Binghamton University (Hillel at Binghamton)
At Hillel at Binghamton, students participated in an annual Yom Ha’atzmaut Carnival, which highlights and supports a different philanthropic effort in Israel each year. This year, the charity selected was Larger than Life, an organization that supports Israeli families affected by pediatric cancer.
The Pipe Dream, Binghamton University’s student paper, reported that Hillel partnered with several organizations to host the carnival, including the Campus Bible Fellowship and Alpha Epsilon Pi. Activities included pin the tail on the camel, Israeli flag making, and a photo booth with backdrops of famous sites in Israel. As Ellie Spivak, vice president for programming at Hillel and a third-year student said, “Israel is a diverse country with so many different types of people, different perspectives, and although Israel serves as a safe haven for the Jewish people, I believe everyone can connect to its rich culture, history, and beautiful land.”
We love seeing everything Jewish students did to celebrate Israel and its 77 years of resilience and rich culture. Curious what celebrations looked like on other campuses? Check out more on Hillel International’s Instagram.