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Jewish life on campus wasn’t what I initially expected, but it ultimately gave me the opportunity to learn more about the broader Jewish community. Along the way, I got very involved with Hillel programming and strengthened my own Jewish identity, learning more about myself.
On Sunday, April 11, Hillel students from around the world participated in Good Deeds Day, a global day for volunteering and community service. This year, even with COVID-19 restrictions, 64 Hillels registered to participate.
In the year since Covid-19 entered our lives and altered what ‘normal’ student life looks like, Hillels across the country and around the world have been implementing new wellness programming to meet students, and their newfound wellness needs, where they’re at, with support from Hillel International’s HillelWell microgrants.
This is the point of the Black-Jewish Cohort, which was created in February to provide a community for students across the Hillel movement who identify as both Black and Jewish. As part of Hillel International’s virtual Hillel@Home platform, the Cohort hosts monthly social and educational programs—from conversations for just Black Jews to talks for everyone by Black-Jewish professionals from various fields.
Stetson University Hillel is one of many campus Hillels that considers dogs to be a valued part of their community. Many of these belong to employees who bring them to work, or they live in the Hillel house. No matter what breed or what Hillel, every Hillel dog brings joy to their communities.
Even before the pandemic, Hillel professionals had reported seeing stress increase across the board, as students grappled with fears, loneliness, tech burnout, and more. More and more Hillels across the United States are adding social workers or licensed therapists to their teams to help their students cope with stressors.
In 2019, the Anti-Defamation League recorded the highest number of antisemitic incidents nationwide since it began tracking them 40 years ago. Last year, Hillel International counted 178 antisemitic incidents across the 550 North American campuses it serves—an all-time high, even though some campuses were closed due to COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions and leaders of all kinds to significantly change how they do their work in an era of social distancing. Jewish organizations, including Hillels, were not spared from this tumult. Still, in the face of these challenges, anecdotal evidence suggests that Hillels have been successful in engaging college students and responding to their needs.
Jewish life presents a unique opportunity for students to explore the complexities of their identities, and active Jewish engagement during college can play a pivotal role for many interfaith, Jewish college students. These students, many of whom are the leaders of their Hillels and other Jewish groups on campus, have embraced Judaism in college.
In a letter to his freshman self, Sam Kricsfeld, student at KU Hillel, encourages his younger self to get involved with Hillel and recounts what he has learned throughout his Jewish college experience.
