Israeli basketball player Yarden Garzon plays for the Maryland Terrapins while balancing campus life and keeping in touch with her family in Israel, including her twin sister. While the distance has taken an emotional toll, Yarden leans on Maryland Hillel for support and connection.
Rabbi Ari Israel, who has led Maryland Hillel as executive director for over two decades, is playing a key role in the creation of a new center for Jewish life on campus — Maryland Hillel’s new building. The site for the new space returns Hillel to its original location, where it served students from 1941 to 1981. The nearly 40,000-square-foot building will include kosher dining, study spaces, a Beit Midrash, multipurpose rooms, and features designed to support Jewish student leadership, Israel education, and antisemitism awareness.
Brown University convened over a thousand alumni, students, faculty, and staff for a weekend event to honor the institution’s long history of Jewish student life. The gathering featured social events, panel discussions, an exhibit tracing significant Jewish milestones on campus, and reflections on how the Jewish community at Brown has evolved. The event was organized by Brown alum Abby Doft, a member of the Hillel International Board of Directors.
Houston Hillel board members recently visited the weekly student lunch at University of Houston Hillel’s student lounge. The visit aimed to strengthen the connection between Houston Hillel’s lay leaders and students, offering firsthand insight into campus life.
Students on college campuses from across the U.S. who participate in the Israel Leadership Network (ILN) gathered in Austin, Texas, for a weekend focused on defining their personal why — why Israel matters to them, why they’ve chosen to lead conversations about Israel on their campuses, and how to inspire others to do the same. The weekend included sharing best practices, exploring how to engage diverse Jewish student populations, and building concrete plans for Israel-related programming at their respective colleges and universities.
Shay Bednarsh, a junior at Michigan State University (MSU), founded the Hillel Sports Club to create a welcoming space for Jewish students and sports fans to come together. Centered around Detroit Lions and Michigan St. watch parties, the club’s events bring the community together over free food, card games, and shared enthusiasm. Shay hopes to see the concept expand nationally, connecting Jewish students across campuses through their shared love of sports.