Dear Hillel: Saying “Yes” to Hillel
“Dear Hillel” showcases letters from graduating seniors reflecting on their experiences of joy and belonging with their campus Hillels. Mateen Markzar, a fourth-year student at Brown University and a member of the Hillel International Student Cabinet, shares how saying yes to Hillel defined his college journey from day one. Read Mateen’s letter to Hillel:
Dear Hillel,
Four years ago, a box showed up on my doorstep. I hadn’t ordered anything from Amazon, my Brown welcome package had already arrived, and my mom swore she hadn’t bought anything either.
So I checked the label. It was from Brown RISD Hillel.
I tore it open expecting a T-shirt and maybe a sticker or two. Instead, inside was a schedule of fall welcome events and a coffee mug.
That coffee mug ended up being a sign of what would become the defining community of my college experience (and helped keep me caffeinated these four years).
I grew up deeply involved in Jewish life. I went to Hebrew school and Jewish summer camp, joined my synagogue’s youth group and board, and served as the Religious and Cultural Vice President of NFTY Southern California. Because of that background, I always knew Hillel would be part of my college experience.
What I didn’t know was how much it would mean to me.
If you asked me which word defines my experience with Hillel, my answer would be “yes.”
Because that’s the word you hear most there from students and staff.
Do you want to lead High Holiday services? Yes.
Do you want to gather your friends from Hillel for a night of karaoke? Yes.
Do you want to organize a bus for Jewish Brown students to drive 12 hours to Washington, D.C., for the March for Israel? Yes.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Hillel helped make my ideas, and my friends’ ideas, a reality. It became a home on campus, a warm face when we walked in the door, endless snacks and coffee when we needed them most, and, most importantly, a community that will stay with us long after we leave.
Like so many Jewish students, the attacks on October 7, 2023, split our college experience into “The Before” and “The After.” Expectations about friendships, classes, professors, and campus life, suddenly shattered as antisemitism skyrocketed and campus grew tense. But with Hillel’s support, we took those shattered pieces and built something stronger.
Hillel became the place where we could carry that weight together. The structure on the corner of Angell and Brown Street stopped feeling like just a building. It became a refuge that was uplifting, protective, and safe. A place where we could show up fully, without needing to explain ourselves.
And in gratitude, but also inspiration, I started saying yes when those at Hillel asked me to show up.
I said yes to playing guitar and singing at the vigil organized by Hillel and Chabad following October 7th, to help us heal and process the tragedy through song and prayer. I left knowing and seeing how big and supportive the Jewish community at Brown is.
I said yes to Yallapalooza, a Hillel International-sponsored concert series featuring some of Israel’s biggest artists. No one could have prepared me for the moment Matisyahu reached out his hand and pulled me onto the stage while I waved my Israeli flag in the air. I left feeling more connected than ever to my Jewish friends across the country.
I said yes to Hillel’s alternate spring break trip to Brazil, where I was the only senior in a group of first- and second-year students. I said yes to stand-up paddleboarding for the first time, facing my fear of heights on Sugarloaf Mountain, and waking up at 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise over Ipanema Beach. I left understanding what it meant to stretch beyond my comfort zone while also serving as a leader and role model for younger Jewish students.
And then, after saying yes to so many incredible Hillel experiences, came the most impactful one yet: I said yes to becoming part of the Hillel International Student Cabinet.
Being part of the Student Cabinet has been one of the most transformative experiences of my college career. At the summit in Washington, I connected with Hillel International leadership, saw firsthand the global scale of Hillel’s impact, and learned how to engage with Jewish professionals.
But more than anything, I found community with students from across the country and around the world. Students from flagship state schools, top universities, and small liberal arts colleges all shared the same commitment to building Jewish life on campus.
When I began college, I went in thinking I might help shape Hillel. Now, I am leaving realizing how much Hillel shaped me.
I’m leaving these four years changed by the people I met, the mentors who challenged me, the speakers who expanded how I think about the world, and the community that reminded me how proud I am to be Jewish.
Through all of it, the highs and the lows, Hillel remained a constant and the backbone of my college experience.
So next time you see a flyer for a Shabbat dinner, a Birthright trip, or some random event on campus, say yes.
You never know where it might lead.