Dear Hillel: Leading with Pride and Joy
“Dear Hillel” showcases letters from graduating seniors reflecting on their experiences of joy and belonging with their campus Hillels. Einav Tsach, a fourth-year student at the University of Maryland and co-chair of the Hillel International Student Cabinet, shares how Hillel shaped his community and leadership in the years following October 7th. Read Einav’s letter to Hillel:
Dear Hillel,
Right before sunset on Friday evenings, something special happens on Mowatt Lane in College Park, Maryland. With Shabbat setting in, scores of Jewish students from all corners of the University of Maryland (UMD) flood the sidewalk. They’re on their way to Maryland Hillel for Shabbat services. Despite not always knowing each other, everyone greets the people they pass with “Shabbat shalom.”
That moment of ritual – one of deep tradition and pride – is only a small part of what it’s like to be a member of my school’s nearly 6,000-strong Jewish community. Whether it’s attending services, eating at the kosher dining hall, stopping by weekly coffee hours, planning an event, going on a Birthright Israel trip, or just spotting another student around campus with a Magen David necklace, the Jewish community at my Hillel is all-encompassing and vibrant.
That community became my anchor during my second year at UMD, when war broke out in Israel, where I lived until I was eight. As Hamas launched rockets, massacred more than 1,200 people, and took over 250 hostages into captivity during the October 7, 2023 attacks, a hateful wave of antisemitism was unleashed on campus. My non-Jewish friends stopped talking to me after I spoke out against Hamas, and student organizations I was involved with turned me away. I remember a surreal conversation with my grandfather, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor, who heard the news from campus and called to check on me.
At that time, normal life felt impossible. I felt an acute sense of loneliness as I tried to carry on with my routine on campus. It seemed that no one around me could relate to what I was going through.
I turned to Hillel, where, under the most difficult circumstances, I found healing. I found hundreds of other students who felt the same way I did, and a passionate staff that stood ready to support us.
We uplifted each other by organizing vigils, tabling on campus to share our perspectives, and wrote op-eds to spread the word even wider about the hatred Jewish students were confronting. We campaigned against the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanction) movement in the UMD student government, projecting a united front as a community, and modeling our commitment to civic engagement. We held dozens of meetings with our university administration to advocate for the needs of Jewish students.
As I deepened my involvement on my campus, I also had the privilege of traveling nationwide to conferences and gatherings at other campuses, where I met fellow Jewish leaders. Each time, I was blown away by my peers’ resilience, and their drive to shape a more inclusive reality for Jews on campus.
The ceaseless work on my campus, and my involvement with Hillel led to my appointment as the co-chair of Hillel International’s Student Cabinet. This year, I worked with a global group of students whose leadership on their campuses’ Jewish communities was inspiring. The Student Cabinet co-chairs also sit on Hillel International’s Board of Directors, where I saw firsthand how Hillel puts students at the forefront of everything we do.
The trust and empowerment I received from my Hillel community shaped me as a person. Hillel proved the impact that’s possible when we work together and lead from a place of pride in who we are. The lessons I learned as a Hillel leader are ones that will stay with me forever.
Perhaps even more importantly, I credit Hillel with introducing me to the people who are, and will remain, my closest friends. Our connections were formed through moments etched in my memory: four years of Israel Fest, hours of bonding and connecting with each other on Shabbat, running around Tel Aviv on Birthright Israel and Onward Israel, barbecues with my fellow Israeli students, late-night strategizing in the Hillel conference room, and so, so much more.
As I write this letter ahead of graduation, I realize that my time at Hillel represents the most significant period of growth of my life. With just a few days left on campus, I know that these moments are limited and the memories are precious. I move forward with true gratitude.