Florida Atlantic University Opens Renovated Hillel Center for Jewish Student Life
Baruch College Student Shares Love for Israel and Jewish Community
Cleveland Hillel Welcomes New Executive Director Tilly Shemer
Jewish Students Build Leadership Skills and Connections Across 11 Ohio Campuses
Jewish student leaders from 11 Ohio campuses gathered for a two-day statewide leadership retreat hosted by Kent State Hillel and Hillel at Miami University of Ohio. The retreat brought students together to share experiences, learn from Jewish community leaders, and develop practical skills. Through roundtable discussions and educational sessions, participants explored ways to strengthen Jewish life on their campuses and bring new ideas back to their communities. The gathering also gave students, including those from campuses with smaller Jewish populations, an opportunity to build relationships with peers and connect with a broader network of Jewish student leaders.
Podcast: How One Student Found Community Through Hillel After October 7
Ohio University Hillel Opens Renovated Center for Jewish Life
Maryland Hillel Opens New Center for Jewish Life at University of Maryland
Queens College Hillel Opens New Off-Campus Space and Expands Food Access for Jewish Students
Queens College Hillel helps address food insecurity among students and their families through a kosher food pantry supported by UJA-Federation of New York and Met Council, as well as a free breakfast bar offering kosher breakfast and grab-and-go food throughout the day. The Breakfast Bar, supported by the Einstein Astrof Foundation, served an average of 69 students daily during the 2025–2026 school year. With support from the Jewish Communal Fund, Queens Hillel also opened a 1,400-square-foot off-campus space with offices and a welcoming living room where students can study, socialize, and participate in programs.
Hillels Across North America Mark Three Years Since October 7th
Thousands of Jewish students at Hillels across North America marked three years since the October 7th attacks with vigils, exhibitions, art projects, speakers, and opportunities for reflection. At Hillel of Buffalo, students participated in a remembrance gathering and heard from Nova Festival survivor Atir Vinnikov, while University at Albany Hillel created a “Wings of Hope” art installation honoring those killed at Kfar Aza. Other Hillels, including University of Chicago, Penn State, and SLO Hillel, hosted campus-wide programs that shared the stories of those affected by October 7th and created space for students to find support and comfort.
UF Hillel Commemorates Three Years Since October 7th
Three years after October 7th, 2023, the University of Florida’s Diane and Howard Schilit Hillel, brought Jewish and non-Jewish students together for two days of remembrance, sharing stories about people who were killed and those whose lives the attacks changed. Student leaders helped organize a public remembrance at Turlington Hall, where students learned about October 7th, gathered in community, and sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, together.
Hillel Israel Student Leader Reflects on Life After October 7th
Three years after the October 7th attacks, Shalhevet Tzur Fisher, a student leader at Hillel Jerusalem and member of Hillel International’s Student Cabinet, reflects on how the massacre and the war that followed shaped her and her friends’ university experience. She describes studying while sirens sounded, navigating grief alongside the ordinary routines of student life, and trying to make plans for the future amid daily uncertainty. Through Hillel, she found community, friendship, hope, and opportunities to connect with Jewish students around the world.
Flyers Posted on Campus Target Oregon Hillel Executive Director
Posters targeting Oregon Hillel Executive Director Lenny Steinberg appeared across the University of Oregon campus, featuring his photo and labeling him an “enemy of the people” while also calling for “Hillel off campus.” In response, University President Karl Scholz condemned the flyers, writing in a university-wide email that “language that targets based on religious and ethnic identity – is reprehensible,” and adding, “We can be better.” U.S. lawmakers Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR) also issued a statement, saying, “Hate, intimidation, and antisemitism have no place on our college campuses, in our state or our country.”
University of Rochester Hillel Breaks Ground on New Jewish Student Center
University of Rochester Hillel broke ground on its first-ever dedicated space, the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life, which is being made possible by a landmark $3.5 million pledge from alum David Greenbaum and his wife, Laureine. The center, which is expected to open next fall, will include a Beit Midrash, kitchen, and room for Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, learning, cooking classes, game nights, and other community gatherings. “Having this beautiful designated space will be transformational for Jewish campus life, ensuring students have a true Jewish home away from home to gather, learn, celebrate, and grow together,” said University of Rochester Hillel Executive Director Joy Getnick.