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
Hillel Rio Brings Hundreds Together for Sukkot
Hillel Rio is welcoming hundreds of Jewish students and young adults to its sukkah throughout Sukkot for meals, learning, holiday rituals, and community gatherings. Students are integral to every part of the Sukkot experience: from helping to build and decorate the sukkah to shaping programming held inside it. “Having a sukkah is especially meaningful because it represents what Hillel is all about: a welcoming home where we celebrate our Jewish identity and feel a sense of belonging,” said student Gabriela Sznajderman. “It’s incredible to have different activities every day during the chag (holiday), bringing us together and strengthening our community.”
GW Hillel Launches Interfaith Service Fellowship
GW Hillel and the university’s Center for Interfaith & Spiritual Life are participating in Hillel International and Repair the World’s Bridging Service Fellowship, a yearlong program bringing 10 Jewish and non-Jewish students on their campus together for community service, interfaith dialogue and leadership development. Fellows will volunteer with local organizations, participate in learning and text study, and build relationships through shared service projects, including the InterFaith Council of Metropolitan Washington’s Unity Walk. The program has expanded from more than 100 students across 10 campuses during its pilot year to more than 200 students across 16 campuses this year.
Students Find New Perspectives on Israel Through Birthright
As more students return to Israel through Hillel’s Birthright Israel trips, Hillel at the University of Rochester Assistant Director Michael Pollak explores how first-time and returning participants experience the country differently. After staffing multiple trips, Pollak reflects on how students can encounter familiar places, build relationships with Israeli peers, and engage with Israel through new experiences and conversations, including visits to the Nova Festival memorial.
Hillel of San Diego Sees Record Student Engagement Across Four Campuses
Hillel of San Diego reports record start-of-year engagement across its four campuses, with more than 800 students participating and nearly 25% reaching the organization’s “deeply engaged” threshold of attending Hillel more than six times. Students are also seeking consistent weekly programs, meals, and community support while taking on leadership roles: from organizing a Shabbat service program at San Diego State University to managing recruitment and events at the University of San Diego and Cal State San Marcos.
Noa Tishby Joins CU Boulder Hillel for Panel on Identity and Bridge-Building
CU Boulder Hillel welcomed more than 100 students and community members for a panel featuring Israeli author and activist Noa Tishby, Lebanese Christian activist Jonathan Elkhoury, and Bahraini Muslim activist Fatema Al Harbi. The speakers discussed identity, Israel, and building relationships across differences as part of their Voices of the Middle East college campus tour. During a Q&A, students raised questions about navigating campus tensions and embracing Jewish pride, with the conversation emphasizing personal connection and dialogue.
Cornell Hillel CEO Examines Hasan Piker’s Harmful Appearance on Campus
In a recent op-ed, Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell CEO Rabbi Ari Weiss discussed activist Hasan Piker’s appearance at the university and the potential of Piker’s hateful words to incite violence. As Jewish life at Cornell was returning to normal in the post-October 7th world, Weiss said the event made Jewish students feel ostracized on campus, writing to the student body in The Cornell Daily Sun, “I understand that Piker has views that you may want to hear said aloud. Our community’s well documented experience over the last three years show that words, though cheap to say, have costs to those who hear them.”