Finding Meaning and Community at the Israel Leadership Network Shabbaton
This year, I’ve been honored to serve as the CUNY representative to Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network (ILN) and president of the Hillel at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. From day one, I have been inspired by the support and community I found. Whether I’m looking for a new idea, up-to-date information about what’s happening in Israel, or help crafting a statement or designing a program, the ILN community of student leaders and professional staff is always there to share resources and advice. I can’t think of a better way to spend my senior year at John Jay College than being part of this community of leaders.
Recently, the ILN community gathered for a Shabbaton in Austin, Texas. For three days, we bonded as a group, shared ideas on how to make the pro-Israel movement thrive on campus, and exchanged stories about how we’ve already started making a difference.
The central theme of this year’s Shabbaton was about finding and expressing our “why” — why Israel matters, why it’s important to speak up about our connection to Israel on campus, and why we, personally, have chosen to make this central to our college experience and leadership work. Over the course of the weekend, we had deep conversations not just about our own motivations,but also how we can help other students on campus identify their own “why.”
Since each campus is so unique, every member had different experiences and stories to share. Each of us is an expert on our own campus community, and I found it so interesting to learn about how other student leaders engaged people at their schools, and compare their approach to mine. I learned so many new ways to help students on my campus get involved in pro-Israel programming, and I’m already excited to start putting them into practice.
A conversation that really stood out to me was one I had with another student leader about how we can bridge the gap between Jewish students from different religious backgrounds in our pro-Israel programming . As a Modern Orthodox Jew, this conversation inspired me and will be an important area of focus for me this year. The skills I’ve been learning withILN give me the confidence to start building connections and community with students from all kinds of Jewish backgrounds.
It was also so meaningful to participate in beautiful Jewish rituals and prayer over Shabbat. The Havdalah service on Saturday night was especially meaningful — we gathered outside under the stars and wrapped our arms around each other as we said goodbye to Shabbat and welcomed in a new week. In that moment, I looked around the full circle and felt that I truly knew and connected to every amazing person in the group.
I can’t think of a better way to have kicked off this year’s cohort of Israel leadership on campus. Beyond the productivity and programming of the weekend, it was uplifting to see and connect with more students like me: leaders who are here to make college campuses a more welcoming and inclusive environment for pro-Israel students.
Keira Kepets is a senior at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is majoring in fraud examination and financial forensics. She is passionate about Israel and Jewish advocacy, is a part of many Jewish and pro-Israel organizations, and currently serves as the CUNY trustee in the Israel Leadership Network.