In this reflection, Hillel Jewish Agency Israel Fellow Shirly A. shares her family’s history and how she uses her pride in her Jewish and Israeli identities to inspire her students. Drawing inspiration from her grandfather’s rescue from the Holocaust and her cousin Ron Afrimi’s death in Gaza, Shirly organized meaningful activities to help students connect personally with Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. These included dedicating a bench at the Hillel building, painting Ron’s favorite flowers, and reciting prayers for fallen soldiers and hostages.

Jacob Miller, a 2025 graduate of Harvard University, served as both president of Harvard Hillel and chair of The Crimson’s Editorial Board. In his recent op-ed, Miller recounted the challenges he faced following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, including feelings of isolation due to campus incidents and antisemitism. Despite these difficulties, he chose to lead The Crimson’s editorial board, emphasizing the importance of engaging with differing perspectives to foster understanding and connection.

Megha Vemuri, the 2025 class president at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was prohibited from attending her graduation ceremony after delivering a speech at a different commencement event that criticized MIT’s ties to Israel and labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.” The university stated that Vemuri had misrepresented the content of her speech during the approval process, leading to her exclusion from the ceremony.

Families of the 58 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity marked 600 days since October 7th at a press conference in Tel Aviv. Leah Goldin, mother of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, said the issue had grown from a personal tragedy to a national crisis: “Now there are 58 more Hadar Goldins in Gaza.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Cal Poly Humboldt following allegations of antisemitic harassment on campus. The complaint cites incidents where Jewish students were subjected to verbal and physical abuse, including being doused with fake blood, targeted with antisemitic slurs, and told to hide their identities. University officials reportedly advised Jewish students to leave public spaces rather than addressing the harassment. Cal Poly Humboldt stated it is reviewing the complaint and will fully cooperate with the investigation.

Hillel of Metro Detroit hosted Jewish college students for an uplifting night of community and connection at a Detroit Red Wings game. The event brought together students from Wayne State University and Oakland University – in box seats!