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When the world is shifting around you, you’re far from your family, and the news from home is filled with fear and violence, where do you turn? Young adults from Ukraine and Russia who fled to Israel turn to a community that is a source of joy and comfort for them: their Hillel community.
Growing up in Jerusalem is a straight path towards learning that life is complicated. When I take the light rail through downtown Jerusalem, I sit next to people from all kinds of backgrounds and all walks of life.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to be one of the 60 American and Israeli participants on the Israel Insight Fellowship, a trip sponsored by Hillel International to introduce students to new perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Preparing for my trip to Israel through the Israel Insight Fellowship (IIF), I had many American colleagues asking, “why would you think of going to Israel in a time like now.”
Founded by student leaders at Harvard College, the Hillel International Israel Summit West brings together college students who are passionate about being pro-Israel leaders on their campuses.
Traveling, fashion design, and Israel have all been a core part of my journey as I’ve explored my own identity and strengths throughout my life.
In reflecting on my journeys recently, I realized that my wanderlust comes from my grandfather. A Yemenite sailor, he came to Israel as part of Operation Magic Carpet and set my family on a new path. He loved to travel the world, but he loved my grandmother, their family, and Israel even more. He shared […]
But I love Israel, and sharing that love has always been so important to me, so when my friend came back to me a few months later and told me that Stanford University was looking for an Israel Fellow at the last minute, I decided to apply. A month and a half later, I was settling into California life.
For me, Judaism is warmth. It is the warmth of a mazel tov on a happy occasion. It is the warmth of far too much food at every social gathering. It is the warmth of traveling away from home to college and having a constant, reliable base in the campus Hillel. And it is the warmth of hearing “welcome home” the moment you step foot in Israel.
I am Jewish, queer, and Mexican. So often, trying to hold all three of these identities at once is challenging. But I didn’t have to try when I went on Birthright Israel with Santa Barbara Hillel. I was able to embrace and celebrate every part of myself.
