Self-Care is Torah Too
Hillel has given me a way to fully participate in my Jewish community.
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!
10 results
Learning Wellness as a Jewish Value
College is hard, and making time to care for your health and wellness can be even harder. I didn’t expect that some of my most eye-opening learning about mental health would come from Hillel, but this past fall, I participated in a Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) centered on wellness and Judaism at the University of […]
Go Make Friends at Hillel: Rebecca’s Story
It was the first day of move-in for my first year at University of Maryland, College Park. My dad helped me move into my dorm and then, to my complete shock, dropped me off at Maryland Hillel with the firm suggestion, “Go make friends.” I was terrified until I walked in and started meeting the […]
As a convert, I know what it feels like to be nervous walking into Jewish spaces. Now it’s my job to make sure no one feels like that.
I didn’t come to college with the mindset of, “Oh, time to convert to Judaism.” That wasn’t on my agenda. But, I do credit a lot of the Rutgers Hillel staff and the student board for the work they did to make Hillel such a pluralistic and accessible space for people like me.
Hillel has continued to help me practice my Judaism how I want to.
Coming from a tight-knit Modern Orthodox community, I was worried about maintaining my customs when I first got to college.
When I was 16, my dad died. My memories of him inspired me to reexplore religion in college.
“I grew up a practicing Catholic, but as I got older, I began to question my beliefs.”
I decided to educate the student who ripped my mezuzah off my doorpost.
“When I was moving into my apartment at Michigan State University, someone said to me, ‘Do you have to hang up your mezuzah? Do you need to tell the entire world your Jewish?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’”
I learned there are so many ways for me to belong and be Jewish on my own terms.
“As a child, I grew up without any connection to Judaism.”
My dad is Jewish, and my mom is Filipino Catholic. I have no shame.
“My dad is Jewish, and my mom is Filipino Catholic. Growing up, I felt pressured by my Jewish relatives to only focus on my Judaism and forget about the other parts of my identity.”
Woman in motion
Because I am an above-the-knee amputee, I know that I’m not as fast as others. But on the ski slope, I can catch up and even ski by others.
