Jewish American Heritage Month: Building a Joyful and Authentic Jewish Life
When Lauren Azrin arrived at Dartmouth College, she came with a clear intention: she wanted to be part of the Jewish community.
Topic: Hillel Stories
52 results
This Jewish American Heritage Month, I’m Reflecting on My Israeli Jewish American Identity
In 2005, my family flew from Israel to Minnesota to visit my aunt for the High Holidays, and decided to stay permanently. We quickly became very involved in our local Jewish community: We kept kosher, went to synagogue every weekend, and made Shabbat a big part of our lives.
Passing the Torch: The Evolution of Jewish Leadership on Campus
Four years ago, as a first-year student at the University of Miami, who had just recently arrived from Uruguay, I attended my first Shabbat dinner at Hillel, unsure of what my Jewish journey would look like.
Dear Hillel: Finding Light When I Needed It Most
Before the October 7 attacks on Israel, my involvement with Hillel was minimal. I knew it existed on campus, but I hadn't made the effort to connect. I was busy with classes, my sorority, and the usual college activities that fill our calendars. But after that day, everything shifted — both in the world and in my own life.
Dear Hillel: Four Years of Joy and Growth
I can’t believe the welcome barbecue I attended as a first-year student in 2021 was four years ago! I came to the event eager to meet new friends and find a home at the University of Michigan.
Dear Hillel: How Hillel Found Me
I had never heard of Hillel before coming to study at Columbia University. Growing up in Israel, it wasn’t part of my world. That changed when I arrived on campus and met Yakov, the Jewish Agency Israel fellow on our campus who introduced me to the Content Creators Forum
Dear Hillel: Redefining Jewish Community Every Day
When considering where to go to college, I knew Jewish life would be central to my decision. Community has always been a defining part of who I am, shaping my values, my identity, and how I interact with the world. That’s why, from day one, I understood that the University of Maryland Hillel would be integral to my college life.
Dear Hillel: Finding Belonging and Opportunity at Hillel
I didn’t grow up with one cohesive Jewish identity. As a child of divorce, I felt stuck between two religions, often caught between identities, never fully rooted in either. Finding Hillel at WMU finally gave me a space to feel whole.
Jewish American Heritage Month: Honoring My Jewish Heritage By Speaking Up
Growing up, I was the only Jewish girl in my elementary school class. I was six the first time I had to miss a birthday party because I was at synagogue for Yom Kippur. I loved my friends, but I always felt so alone.
Honoring A Family’s Memories with Stumbling Stones
Earlier this year, I had the amazing opportunity to watch Stolpersteine, or stumbling stones, be placed on the streets of Berlin in honor of Malie, Chaim, Ida, and Peppi Landsmann. The Landsmann family lived in Berlin from 1921 until their deportation in 1939 to a ghetto in Chrzanow, Poland. In 1942, the ghetto was liquidated, and the family was murdered at Auschwitz.
