News, stories, and updates from Hillel communities worldwide
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The JMA Wireless Dome is a fixture of the Syracuse University campus. The Dome has been the site of some of the most memorable concerts, championships and events in the Syracuse region — and, most recently, hosted more than 700 Syracuse University students for an unforgettable Passover Seder. “It was more successful than we could […]
What is the Counting of the Omer? The Omer is a period of seven weeks, or forty-nine days, from the second Passover Seder to the summer holiday of Shavuot. This year, the Omer period runs from the evening of April 23 to June 11. When we say we “count” the Omer, we really mean counting […]
On college campuses and around the world, the Jewish community is preparing for Pesach (Passover), during which we recall yetziat mitzrayim – leaving ancient Egypt, or sometimes interpreted as “a narrow space”. There’s a common refrain that comes to mind during Passover and other Jewish holidays: “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!” […]
When it comes to Purim traditions, many people are most familiar with celebrations centering around costumes and carnivals. But one of the most special — and most impactful — Purim traditions is Matanot L’evyonim, giving to those in need. At the University of Colorado Boulder Hillel, that tradition was the impetus for their Purim event […]
College traditions are one of the most important parts of a campus culture — and Hillel traditions are no exception! At Arizona State University, the annual Purim Casino Night is a favorite Hillel event for students and staff. With a new theme every year (this year’s was “The Great Gatsby”), students from all four ASU […]
In Jewish tradition, the month of Adar is full of joyous festivities, centering on one of the most celebratory holidays in the Jewish calendar: Purim. This year, Jewish college students are examining what it means to celebrate Purim during a time of war and rising antisemitism, as many grapple with feelings of fear, anxiety, and […]
Hillels around the world rejoiced in the festival of light, even at a time when the world has been darker than usual. From Californa to Kyiv to Israel, students celebrated, grieved for those impacted by antisemitism and the Hamas-Israel War, and participated in acts of kindness to commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah.
Colleges and universities across the country welcomed new and returning students to campus this month. Enjoy this snapshot of programming for first-year students and beyond at Hillels all the way from Florida to Arizona.
“Hope is not a strategy.” Many of you have heard this maxim in classrooms, in board rooms, or elsewhere. And there is of course merit to the idea that a full-fledged strategy requires more than hope.
As Jews around the world celebrate the beginning of the new year in the Jewish calendar, Rabba Amalia reflects, “The honey we taste on Rosh Hashanah is the culmination of an incredible landscape of blessing; the soil, the flowers, the rain, the nectar, and the bees. My hope for the new year is that we are also tasting a small moment of the blessings to come this year.”
