Latest News from Campus

Leila Kramer, a 20-year-old from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and former Hillel president, has taken on a new role as an executive producer and on-camera talent at the National Library of Patient Rights and Advocacy, providing information to those navigating the health care system. Kramer credits her experience with Hillel at the University of Hartford with preparing her for public facing and leadership opportunities.

Michigan Hillel marked its 100th anniversary with a weekend of celebrations that brought together students, alumni, and community members to honor a century of Jewish life on campus. Held in the aftermath of an antisemitic attack on Detroit-area synagogue Temple Israel, there were moments of support as attendees processed the news and reflected on Michigan Hillel’s role as a place of resilience and vibrant Jewish life. The weekend’s events included a Mega Shabbat Dinner at Michigan’s football stadium that drew nearly 800 guests and a panel with notable alumni.

The Black-Jewish Unity Dinner Series, hosted in partnership with Hillel International, Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, and UNCF, brought students from North Carolina colleges together for a gathering aimed at creating dialogue and confronting antisemitism and racism on campus. Over a shared meal, Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish students discussed their identities and experiences, built relationships, and explored ways to address hate.

Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell broke ground on a new, state-of the -art Jewish student center, Harkavy Hall, which will serve as a hub for Jewish life on campus. The 24,000-square-foot building will include a Beit Midrash for Torah study, a kosher café, event space for Shabbat dinners, and areas for community gatherings.

Tufts Hillel dedicated two Torah scrolls in a campus celebration marking a new chapter of Jewish life at Tufts University. Students, staff, and community members gathered for the ceremony, which included music, a procession with the Torah scrolls, and the completion of the final letters of both scrolls.

Dartmouth College student Julia Nikkhoo shared her Persian Jewish heritage with her community through Purim celebrations at Dartmouth Hillel. Growing up with family ties to Hamadan, Iran, a city traditionally associated with Queen Esther and Mordechai, she sees the Purim story as a connection to her ancestry. At Dartmouth Hillel’s annual Purim Ball, she shared Persian music and taught traditional dances, introducing other students to Persian Jewish culture.