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Every month felt like Hispanic Heritage Month growing up in Miami. I heard more Spanish than English spoken on the streets, Cuban coffee and pastelitos dominated cafes, and my family and our neighbors shared an unspoken past – we chased the American Dream right to South Florida. We survived, thrived, and lived as Latinos, Jews, […]
From mid-September to mid-October, Hispanic Heritage Month invites communities across the United States to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. At Hillel, it’s also an opportunity to highlight the diverse identities and stories that make up today’s Jewish student life. This year, we spoke with Sofie Ramirez Soto, Jewish life […]
When I was younger, I struggled with saying the vidui prayer, the core ritual of repentance and atonement on Yom Kippur.
As Jewish students celebrate the High Holidays at Hillels across the world, they are supported and guided by their Hillel staff. We are honored to share words of that support and guidance through excerpts from an erev Rosh Hashana talk given by Rabbi Adam Naftalin-Kelman, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation executive director UC Berkeley Hillel.
When I think back to the first few days of my college experience at the University of Illinois, I remember feeling a mix of excitement and fear.
Going away to college can be daunting, as you leave behind the familiarity of home. I remember worrying I wouldn’t find a place that feels like home and would never fully adjust to living somewhere new. That is, I felt that way until I started going to Texas Hillel.
The week before moving into college at Central Michigan University felt terrifying to me. I was moving away from everything I knew, and leaving the vibrant Jewish community I grew up in. The college I chose had a small Jewish community, which was an unfamiliar experience for me. Thankfully, even before I set foot on campus, I knew to look for Hillel.
The first time you step onto a college campus, you cross a threshold. You leave behind one way of life and enter another, a new and exciting space where you’ll learn how to do hard things.
I’ve always loved school. From sharpening fresh pencils to setting new goals, the back-to-school season feels like a reset button for me.
After fifteen years of working in the Hillel movement, and now working as a campus support director for Hillel International, I’ve seen just about every possible version of Hillel Welcome Week programming, from early move-ins and Shabbatons to block parties and barbecues.
