Finding my place

“A few months into college, I wasn’t entirely sure where I fit in. The Jewish community at Binghamton is huge and incredible, but it left me feeling nervous about where my place would be in it. That feeling evaporated when I found Hillel — my home away from home. I immediately felt welcome, and I was encouraged to participate, grow and lead. I made lifelong friends by just hanging out in the Hillel office between classes and gained skills for every aspect of life.

“Within a week of graduating, I began the next chapter of my life at the World Jewish Congress, the representative body of over 100 Jewish communities worldwide. I serve as the global social media and communications coordinator — writing articles and press releases, managing various digital platforms, organizing events and coordinating cross-departmental information. Many of the skills I utilize everyday are ones I gained not from my courses, but from my leadership experience at Hillel.

“Planning Hillel’s annual Yom Ha’atzamut celebration during my freshman year, the second largest event on campus, gave me experience in event execution, grant writing and budget planning. Being a member of the Hillel executive board for two years gave me invaluable leadership abilities, such as running meetings, goal-setting and promotion through conventional and digital media sources. All of these skills have directly affected my ability to do my job every single day.” – Yoni Hammerman, Global Social Media and Communications Coordinator at World Jewish Congress, Binghamton University