My First Shabbat in College
New beginnings can be scary. Whether you’re a wide-eyed first-year or a seasoned senior, stepping into the new school year can be filled with excitement
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!
226 results
Disabled and Jewish – and Proud
When I entered UCLA Hillel for the first time, I quite literally stumbled my way into the building. After getting progressively more lost on campus, I somehow ended up one block off campus in front of Hillel. But once there, I found both my community and my people.
How My Birthright Trip Gave Me Strength Post-October 7
I never thought I would go on a Birthright trip. As someone who was born in Israel, speaks fluent Hebrew and visits his family there two or three times a year, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Israel. I started opening up to the idea after coming to college.
Reflections from a Hillel Intern on Pride Month
This year, Pride Month coincides with the reading of Sefer BaMidbar, the Book of Numbers. At the outset of the book, we learn that God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, a topic addressed by the rabbis in BaMidbar Rabbah, an 11th century book of midrash, or rabbinic allegory. Why did God choose to […]
Anxiety, Antisemitism, and Acts of Love and Kindness: Graduating in the Spring of 2024
“Did you see they started an encampment this morning?” I did not know who “they” were as I read my friend’s text on the final day of classes for the spring semester, but I made sure to visit the Emory University quad to see it with my own eyes. There were a couple dozen mostly […]
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 […]
How My Experience on a Farm Brought Me Closer to Judaism
I have lived in Jewish communities throughout my life, but until recently, I never understood what being Jewish actually meant. In fact, when I entered college at Tulane University, I didn’t feel connected to my Jewish identity. However, during my freshman year two years ago, I saw an email from Hillel for a FREE trip […]
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 […]
Honoring the Generations that Came Before Us
As the first member of my family to be born in the United States, I think a lot about my family’s legacy and my connection to the generations that came before me. This shows up in a lot of ways, but most prominently when I think about my education, and the way I connect with […]
Jewish Music as Medicine
Since I was young, I’ve always believed in the power of music. Music brings serenity and joy. It connects people to one another. It can be moving and emotional, and even rejuvenating. My most powerful musical experience was also one of the most meaningful Jewish moments in my life. On a group trip to Israel, […]
