Creating a Joyful Community for Songleaders
The weekend was an opportunity for students from Hillels all over to learn together and make beautiful music.
What’s happening on campus? Hear from students, professionals, and Hillel community members whose lives have been impacted by Hillel and who impact the world with their voices and stories. Share your story with us!
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The weekend was an opportunity for students from Hillels all over to learn together and make beautiful music.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Uziel Pohl is the IACT at Michigan State University Hillel. He experienced a life-changing year due to his work with Hillel, and we are excited to share his experience with you.