UC Berkeley Hillel will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, marking the occasion with “Shabbat Across Berkeley,” a series of Friday night dinners where alumni will host current students, as well as a Hillel tailgate during the annual California-Stanford Big Game.
Clemson University’s first professionally staffed Hillel will open this fall, expanding Jewish programming, support, and leadership opportunities for its growing community of Jewish students. Jewish student participation at Clemson has increased fivefold in recent years, with an estimated 500 Jewish undergraduates now on campus. “Clemson’s growing Jewish student community deserves a professionally staffed Hillel that can provide Jewish students their fuller opportunities for Jewish joy, pride, and leadership,” said Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman.
In an opinion piece, Hillel Ontario CEO Jay Solomon examines rising antisemitism on Canadian college campuses and calls on administrators to do more to protect Jewish students. At the same time, Solomon says these students need more opportunities to explore their Jewish identities and live joyful Jewish lives on campus.
Northeastern University honors the life of Richard Lesser, a 1957 graduate, longtime university trustee, philanthropist, and co-founder of Reebok USA, who passed away recently at age 91. Lesser supported Northeastern Hillel since its founding in 1962 and remained deeply involved for decades, regularly checking in to ensure Jewish students had a strong campus community available to them. He also encouraged connections between Hillel and other campus groups, believing in the importance of building bridges across differences.
Hillel of San Diego established a security fund to support Jewish students following a break-in at a home shared by UC San Diego AEPi brothers, where vandals spray-painted antisemitic symbols on the walls. Hillel of San Diego CEO Karen Parry committed to raising $15,000 to provide students with home security upgrades, counseling, and other assistance in response to this antisemitic incident.
A UC San Diego Jewish fraternity house was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on the interior and exterior walls. San Diego police are investigating the incident as a suspected hate crime and vandalism, and are seeking information about the person or people responsible. In a statement, the students’ Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter said, “AEPi will not be silenced or deterred. We remain proud of our Jewish identity and values.” The fraternity also called on the university to bring educational programs to campus focused on combating antisemitism, fostering understanding, and addressing ignorance and hate.