Tanger Hillel Gets Ready to Welcome Jewish Students to Campus
As thousands of Jewish students arrive on campus this fall, Hillel professionals across the movement are thinking intentionally about how to turn those first introductions into friendships, community, and a sense of belonging that lasts well beyond the first few weeks of the year. That means designing experiences that make it easy for new and returning students to meet one another, build relationships, and find their place in joyful Jewish life from day one.
Across Hillel’s network of more than 850 colleges and universities, that work looks different on each campus. Students might find early move-in opportunities with fellow Jewish students, welcome back Shabbat programming, and local activities hosted by Hillel and intended to foster new friendships and connections.
At Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College, home to about 4,000 Jewish students, Sarali Cohen, director of student experience, is focused on making sure students know they have a place where they can feel welcomed and empowered for their entire college journeys.
For Cohen, a Brooklyn College alum, Tanger Hillel was the highlight of her college years. Through Hillel, she met friends and staff who made her feel seen, safe, and supported. Now, she’s hoping to create experiences that make the next generation of Jewish students feel right at home.
“I want every event to help students find a sense of belonging, connect with others, and see Hillel as a place where they can build lasting friendships and community,” Cohen said.
This fall, Tanger Hillel expects to welcome nearly 700 Jewish students through 15 creative welcome-week events, all of which are designed to encourage new and returning students to find their people.
“Our goal is to create meaningful opportunities that help new students find community and make returning students feel excited to come back,” Cohen added.
That’s why, for Cohen, every Welcome Week event starts with three questions: Why are we doing this? Who is it for? Will it help students find community and belonging? That focus gives all of Tanger Hillel’s programming a clear purpose: creating experiences that make it easy for students to walk in, meet someone new, and begin finding their place.
At Tanger Hillel, that will mean welcoming students to an outdoor, summer camp-themed Shabbat, complete with fairy lights, camp-inspired touches, and s’mores. Hillel professionals also will transform their building for a signature Open House, which draws about 350 students each semester, into a retro Brooklyn deli. The theme nods to both Brooklyn’s Jewish heritage and Tanger’s own history, which began above a kosher deli more than 80 years ago. As students build their own sandwiches, they’ll meet representatives from 17 student clubs and committees and discover ways to get involved.
Even a simple pizza cooking class will become an opportunity for connection. At a new DIY Pizza Day event, students will make their own pies in a brick oven, experiment with toppings, and weigh in on a quintessential New York question: What makes a great slice? It’s a chance to celebrate the city they now call home while giving students a low-pressure way to gather and connect.
“My goal with welcome-back events is to center Tanger Hillel as the space to be for every Jewish student on campus,” Cohen said. ”I want students to know that we will always support them with any and all of their needs.”
And for many Jewish students on campus, that message comes through clearly. Zara Gingishvilli, a second-year student majoring in political science, quickly became involved with Hillel, making it her home on campus.
At the beginning of her first year at Brooklyn College, she attended the Leadership Shabbaton, a weekend getaway for Tanger Hillel students to relax, bond, and learn to lead. The experience was fun and transformative. “We spent the weekend in the woods for a Shabbaton, bonding and building connections,” she said. “We laughed, swam, played games, celebrated Shabbat, and got to know one another as people — not just as students, staff, mentors, or leaders. I met some of my best friends there, and I truly wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Today, Gingishvilli is helping welcome the next class of students, hoping they’ll find the same sense of belonging this fall semester.
“Being involved in Tanger Hillel’s back-to-school programming gives me the opportunity to welcome both new and returning students and show them that they have a place here — that they are welcomed, wanted, needed, and loved,” she said.
Her advice to incoming students at Brooklyn College and elsewhere: Lean on Hillel. Hillel staff are ready to help Jewish students meet new people, connect with campus clubs, find internships, explore different career paths, and unwind after a long day.
“Hillel is here for it all,” Gingishvilli said. “No matter where you are in your journey, Tanger Hillel is a place where you can grow, connect, and feel at home.”