Latest News from Campus

Hillel International Associate Vice President for Jewish Education Danielle Kranjec reflects on how Rosh Hashanah and the start of the fall semester give students an opportunity to consider what they’re seeking in the months ahead. Drawing on Jewish teachings about community, Kranjec writes,  “With a new academic year beginning… new students are finding their footing. Returning students are reconnecting with friends and deciding what they want this year to hold. Everyone has a fresh opportunity to ask who they want to be, what they want to build, and which communities they want to be part of.” Hillel, she says, giving students a place to begin answering those questions.

Jada Monroe, a third-year student at the University of Georgia and member of the Hillel International Student Cabinet, reflects on celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for the first time during her first year at college. After growing up deeply connected to her Black identity and community but with limited Jewish experiences, Monroe describes how Hillel gave her space to learn about Judaism  and build a Jewish life that felt like her own. Her experience led her to Jewish learning fellowships, UGA Hillel’s Jewish Life Board, and efforts to connect her Black and Jewish communities.

More than 800 college students at 22 campus Hillels will participate in service projects marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks through a partnership between Hillel International and Repair the World, supported by a grant from 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps. The projects address local needs including food security and environmental stewardship, while Jewish learning connects service with remembrance and civic responsibility. “It benefits the community and allows our students to see themselves as civic agents,” said Hillel International Senior Director of Social Impact Dani Levine.

Hillel International and Repair the World expanded the Bridging Service Fellowship for the 2026–27 academic year, creating more opportunities for students to participate in community service and build relationships across differences. The program will run for the full academic year, giving students more time to work together on local community needs while developing skills in dialogue and civic engagement.

Andrew Austrager, a second-year student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of Hillel International’s Ruach Fellowship, recently had the opportunity to develop his skills as a Jewish student leader at the fellowship’s Summer Shabbaton in Chicago. Alongside more than 150 students from nearly 50 campuses, Austrager will spend the year exploring different approaches to Shabbat and other Jewish ritual and spiritual experiences, and creating a sense of belonging for Jewish students on his campus.

This fall, more than 130 Hillels will receive grants to expand Shabbat programming as part of Hillel International’s “Shabbat Surge,” a movement-wide effort to strengthen Shabbat experiences during the first six weeks of the semester. The initiative aims to bring more students together around the Shabbat table and create opportunities for connection and community. “There’s something really special about seeing students who might not otherwise cross paths sitting around the same table, laughing, talking, and creating community together,” said Ben Novorr, director of Jewish student engagement at University of Kansas Hillel.