Small Acts of Light With Lasting Impact
When I was younger, celebrating Hanukkah often felt like a reminder of how my family was different from the others at my school.
Hillel Stories
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!
17 results
Hanukkah and the Magic of Miracles
I believe our celebration of Hanukkah endures and thrives because it taps into something primal — a deep human need to believe in miracles.
Hanukkah Traditions Light the Way for Community and Belonging
Ella Luhrssen is a first-year student at the University of Houston. In celebration of Hanukkah this year, Ella shared her experience of finding community and belonging through Hanukkah at Houston Hillel. Hanukkah has always been a magical experience for me. The special foods, the dancing lights, and the whimsical shapes formed by the melting wax are […]
Filling My Thanksgiving With Friends and Family
After a recent conversation with my roommate, I realized that my Thanksgiving dinner has never been conventional.
Words of Gratitude and Blessing for a New Year
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.
Bringing Light to My Past and My Present with Hillel and Hanukkah
About two years ago, I found one of my grandmother’s diaries in a corner of my family’s basement. It was very old, the pages were torn, and inside, I found glimpses of her life, including grocery lists and a family secret: my grandmother was Jewish, and so am I.
On Yom HaShoah, Reflecting on the Family I’ve Lost and Found
I grew up feeling disconnected from my Judaism. I was raised in a household with one Jewish parent, and after my maternal grandfather’s death while I was in elementary school, my family’s engagement with Judaism fizzled away. It wasn’t until I was in my senior year of high school, on the cusp of graduation and […]
Building Community in Times of Darkness at Brooklyn College
I am a fourth year student at Brooklyn College and have been an active member of the school’s Jewish community, serving as the president of my fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and planning many events with Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College. Following Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th, I was motivated to assume a […]
How I Own My Star
My commitment to my Jewish identity was always strong, but took shape when I decided to leave my home in Uruguay to attend university in the United States. If I was going to go so far away from home, my mother strongly urged me to pick a school with a big Jewish community that could support […]
Service and Sacrifice: Omri’s Story
Growing up in Israel, I always knew that military service was part of life, and key to keeping our Jewish state strong and safe. I also knew that it came with a very real and heavy toll.
