Hillel Connections: An Alumni Reunion at 3,000 Feet!
Unexpected Hillel meetups happen in all sorts of interesting places — but a recent connection between two Hillel alumni, Leah Murphy and Joe Meyer, might be the first time a reunion has happened 3,000 feet up in the air.
Leah, an air ambulance pilot, and Joe, a NICU transport nurse, had been on one another’s radar ever since Leah moved to Ohio and connected with the local Jewish community. But the last thing either of them expected was to have their first official meeting in Leah’s ambulance, while Joe transported one of his tiny patients to their next hospital destination.
“We’d texted back and forth a few times, and passed each other in the ER once or twice, but never actually met,” Leah told Hillel International. “But the other night we got a call and landed on the roof of the hospital — and there was Joe!”
“I was grinning ear-to-ear the whole time,” Joe said. “It was great to fly with her.”
Both Leah and Joe were deeply involved in Hillel during college, but their journeys took different directions. Leah grew up in Massachusetts in a vibrant Jewish community, where almost all of her friends were Jewish and many of her activities had a Jewish component. She didn’t realize how strong her connection to her Jewish identity was until she arrived at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest university specializing in aviation and aerospace, and realized that she didn’t have a community to join.
“There was a Hillel, but it was pretty inactive,” she said. “I ran for president and it was a really easy election — there was no one else running!”
Realizing that Hillel International could offer more resources than she had access to on her campus, Leah joined the Hillel International Student Cabinet during her second year. “I was able to learn about all the resources Hillel International had, hear from the bigger Hillels that have staff and big events, and I was able to bring those lessons back to my Hillel.”
After graduating, Leah worked as a flight instructor in Florida and a pilot for news stations and flying tours in New York and New Jersey before finally landing her dream job in Ohio: piloting an air ambulance.
“My Jewish upbringing really centered on how important it is that we help other people,” Leah said. “If someone is flying in my helicopter, chances are they’re having one of the worst days of their life, and I love that I can be part of something that helps them.”
As a NICU nurse, Joe’s work is also centered on helping others, even though he started in a very different place. Growing up in a small town in Ohio, Joe and his sister were usually the only Jewish kids in their classes, and the synagogue where they attended Sunday school was a 45-minute drive away. His first experience with making Jewish friends his own age came the summer before eighth grade, when he began attending Camp Tavor, a Habonim Dror camp in Michigan.
When Joe started college at the University of Toledo, however, his Jewish life took a back seat to his classes — until his junior year, when he decided to switch his major from business to nursing, and found himself in an organic chemistry class, sitting right next to the Hillel president.
“She couldn’t believe I’d never gone to an event,” Joe said, admitting that he had been nervous to go to Hillel because he didn’t know anyone there. “She insisted that I come to the next Shabbat, and I ended up staying involved for the rest of my time there.”
When he graduated, Joe stayed close to Hillel with Hillel419’s Young Adult network, which coordinates Shabbat dinners, community events, and other connection opportunities for Jews in their 20s and 30s in the Toledo area. At the same time, he went to nursing school and ultimately began working as a NICU nurse, later transitioning to the role of NICU transport nurse.
“When I first moved to Toledo and was introduced to everyone through Hillel, everyone kept telling me, ‘Oh, you have to meet Joe!’” Leah joked. “But we never actually managed to meet.”
That changed this summer, when Leah piloted the air ambulance picking up Joe and his transfer patient. Even though the two had never officially met other than exchanging a few text messages, they were excited to see one another and felt immediately connected.
“It actually felt really comforting to be with a member of my community, someone I knew immediately would be a safe person in such a high-stress situation,” Leah said. “Our shared Hillel connection was an uplifting and grounding part of that moment.”
Joe agreed. “Leah was totally in command, and knowing that we already had community in common made those few hours in the air really comfortable,” he said. “It wasn’t how I expected we’d meet, but I’m glad that we did.”
Have an unexpected Hillel connection story of your own to share? We’d love to hear it! Reach out to the Hillel International team at [email protected].