Latest News from Campus

Initially developed at Penn State Hillel and supported by the Maimonides Fund, the Men to Mensches (M2M) initiative trains student facilitators to lead discussions on Jewish values and identity within their existing networks, including fraternities and athletics teams. This spring, Hillel International piloted M2M on 17 college campuses to address declining participation and leadership roles among male Jewish students. This model shifts professional staff into coaching roles while placing the ownership of the educational conversations onto the students themselves.

Elon University graduate and Alpha Epsilon Pi alumnus Benji Stern helped launch Elon’s Black-Jewish Coalition to build cross-community relationships and combat rising campus polarization. Inspired by a trip to Alabama, where he learned about the Civil Rights Movement, Stern collaborated with student leaders, university chaplains, and campus organizations to host regular dialogue dinners, cultural programs, and meetings with university administrators. The coalition plans to continue their work as Stern transitions into a new role as Springboard Fellow at Brandeis University Hillel.

The Seattle Colleges District Compliance Office initiated a review of tenured Spanish language and literature professor David Quintero after he sent an email to a faculty listserv arguing against the hiring of Israeli citizens. In the message, Quintero questioned how “Zionist Israeli dual-citizens” pass security background checks and characterized them as criminals and killers. District officials confirmed the matter is under human resources evaluation to determine appropriate action under institutional policies governing discrimination and workplace harassment.

Each year, thousands of Jewish college students participate in Birthright Israel trips with their campus Hillels, connecting with peers and Jewish communities around the world. University of Kansas Hillel recently completed its Birthright Israel trip, where students traveled from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, visited historical and modern sites, and took part in hands-on volunteering while meeting and learning alongside other Jewish students.

Following the indictment of eight anti-Israel activists, a federal judge released six of the defendants detained by the FBI on bond. The defendants, who were indicted by the Justice Department last week, have been accused of carrying out acts of vandalism against homes and businesses, and making threats against university leaders, law enforcement officials, and Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Detroit. The defendants pled not guilty to the charges, which prosecutors argue included breaking windows, spray-painting walls with anti-Israel messages and symbols, and leaving threatening notes at victims’ homes.

Rabbi Miriam Hoffman will join George Washington University Hillel in July as its senior Jewish educator after serving as program director at Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community in Rockville. She previously worked at Brandeis Hillel and interned at USC Hillel. Rabbi Hoffman will focus on supporting students in exploring their Jewish identity, community, and spirituality.