I always feel the most connected with my Judaism when I’m in nature.
“I always feel the most in touch with my Judaism when I’m in nature, surrounded by trees, on the beach, taking hikes, watching the sunrise and sunset.”
Humans of Hillel
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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Raised in a Persian Jewish community, I was surrounded by people who shared my culture.
“I didn’t expect to find such a vibrant Persian Jewish community at Berkeley Hillel.”
As a cadet in Charleston, I was worried I wouldn’t see another Jewish person.
I knew South Carolina didn’t have a big Jewish population, and I was worried I wouldn’t see another Jewish person for the next four years.
I realized I can be Jewish and queer. One identity doesn’t negate the other.
“When I came out as nonbinary, I distanced myself from my Jewish community. I wasn’t sure how people would react.”
I grew up in an interfaith family, with a Jewish father and a Christian mother.
“I grew up in an interfaith family, with a Jewish father and a Christian mother, and my parents decided to raise me Christian. I was baptized, I had communion, but I never really identified with Christianity, nor had much of a choice in practicing it. I wasn’t supposed to be questioning my practices and beliefs, […]
I had culture shock when I moved with my family from an Israeli kibbutz to Wisconsin.
“I had culture shock when I moved with my family from a kibbutz in Israel — one that only spanned two streets — to Wisconsin.”
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.”
I’m one of the few Jews with a mutated BRCA gene, meaning I’m at high risk for breast cancer.
“I was adopted as a child, but I knew my chances of developing breast cancer were high.”
One of my classmates would whisper about me, saying, ‘Why would I pray for a Jew?’
“I was enrolled in a Catholic school, where I was the only Jewish and Eastern European student.”
People didn’t see my adopted mom as my ‘real’ mother, so they didn’t see me as a ‘real’ Jew.
Nowadays, I’m not scared to tell people that I’m adopted and Jewish anymore.
