Latest News from Campus

Harvard University announced a new presidential interfaith initiative that will be led by longtime campus and Harvard Hillel rabbi Getzel Davis. The program was crafted through recommendations from two task forces on bias against Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian people. Harvard’s official announcement stated that this initiative will aim to “foster respect for diverse identities.”

Following an $8 million building renovation, the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale (Yale Hillel) has reopened with major upgrades designed to strengthen  and better support the Jewish community at Yale. The renovations include an expanded kosher dining hall, improved security, and new communal lounges — creating a more welcoming and functional hub for Jewish life at Yale.

Binghamton University’s Jewish a cappella group Kaskeset, supported by Hillel International, gives students a safe place to express their Jewish identity and lean into tradition through music. For students like Jordi and Mya, Kaskeset is a “time capsule of Jewish joy, pride, and togetherness.” Kaskeset is releasing its first EP in five years, featuring songs in both Hebrew and English and contemporary hits.

Kent State Hillel hosted several transformative relationship-building events across faith communities during the 2024-2025 school year, most notably the Student Leaders’ Unity Dinner and Faith Fest. These events created opportunities for multi-faith connections through dialogue and collaboration.

Hillel Israel and Hillel International, with critical support from the Matanel Foundation, launched the inaugural Matanel Fellowship for Global Jewish Leadership, choosing 15 Jewish students from around the world to participate in a year-long program amid surging antisemitism on college campuses. This fellowship aims to connect Jewish people around the world and foster the fellows’ “sense of responsibility” for the global Jewish community. Manatel Fellow and Tel-Hai College student Avihu Sela said that connecting with Jewish people from around the world is “something we need right now.”

The Jewish Food Society, a nonprofit founded by New York-based chef Naama Shefi, hosted the Great Nosh Picnic on Governors Island in New York. The large-scale celebration of Jewish cuisines featured collaborations from two chefs with whom Shefi partnered, combining a number of different cultural favorites.