Syracuse University Distinguished Graduate Shares Advice for Incoming First-Year Students
New Hillel Professionals Gather for Training and Community Building
Hillel International Hosts Virtual Session for Incoming College Students
Hillel International hosted its latest Virtual College Prep Series session, “Incoming FIrst Years: Know Before You Go,” where Jewish college seniors shared advice for incoming first-year students to help them navigate their first weeks of college with confidence. Panelists made recommendations on settling into dorm life, finding new friends, and connecting with their campus Jewish community from day one. Speakers also suggested practical steps such as locating classrooms in advance and proactively introducing themselves to fellow students to help ease the transition.
Hillel International Invests in Leadership and Community Development Across 180 Campuses
Rice University Student Austin Lambert Joins Hillel International Student Cabinet
Carnegie Mellon Defends Fence Restrictions After Anti-Israel Vandalism
Maryland Hillel Names New Leaders After Move to New Building
Hillel International’s New Student Cabinet to Help Shape Jewish Campus Life
KU Hillel to Celebrate 21 years with Rock Chalk Shabbat
California Faculty Union Looks to Roll Back Campus Protest Restrictions
The California Faculty Association is backing legislation to repeal a 2024 state law that requires public universities to enforce time, place, and manner limits on campus protests These limits prohibit violence, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination. Jewish advocacy groups supported the original law in response to concerns about campus antisemitism and student safety during protests related to the Hamas-Israel war. Dozens of local Jewish organizations have submitted a joint opposition letter against the new bill.
Hillel of San Diego Engages 3,500 Students Across Four Campuses
Hillel of San Diego reaches 3,500 students across UC San Diego, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and Cal State San Marcos. CEO and Executive Director Karen Parry said the organization has seen six years of sustained growth in student engagement, noting, “We built it, and they came,” as participation in Jewish life programming continues to expand.
Donors Support Hillel International’s Ruach Fellowship
Bob Pollack and his wife Marion provided a matching donation to Hillel International’s Ruach Fellowship, a new cohort program training and empowering Jewish student ritual and songleaders. Pollack, who also has supported Hillel at Princeton University, says he and Marion believe investing in Jewish community is a great privilege that has brought them deep purpose and joy. Their gift is helping to train more than 60 student ritual and song leaders across over two dozen campus Hillels, building joy and resilience within weekly Shabbat services and other Jewish experiences.
Former UVM Hillel Student President Highlights LGBTQ+ Inclusion
University of Vermont graduate Hadley Kalson credited their campus Hillel with providing an environment that supported both their queer, non-binary identity and Jewish identity. Kalson, who served as the UVM Hillel student president for two years, noted that inclusive leadership practices and programming like “Queers and Schmears” helped build the confidence needed to hold public student leadership roles. Following graduation, Kalson joins Hillel San Antonio as an incoming Springboard Fellow.
Arizona Native and University of Arizona Alum Named Incoming Director of Hillel at the University of Arizona
The Hillel at the University of Arizona appointed Shoshi Lipschultz as its next executive director. Lipschultz, an Arizona native and University of Arizona alum, returns to Tucson with more than 20 years of experience in Jewish communal leadership, including campus engagement work at York University in Toronto. She said her early experience with Hillel at the University of Arizona shaped her path in Jewish professional leadership.
Carnegie Mellon University Investigates Anti-Israel Messages and Alleged Call for Violence on Campus Fence
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) police launched an investigation after an unrecognized campus group painted anti-Israel slogans alongside the phrase “By any means necessary” on the university’s landmark Fence. CMU President Farnam Jahanian denounced the messages, saying, “[It] is categorically unacceptable for an anonymous message painted on CMU property to incite or imply support for violence, and it is equally unacceptable for members of our campus community to feel physically threatened or unsafe.” Jahanian’s statement prompted a second round of graffiti on the structure, this time directed at the university administration.