Latest News from Campus

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.

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.

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.

Courtney Saxe, a rising fourth-year student at the University of Arizona, extended her summer internship with Hillel International into a multi-year role supporting Jewish campus life and digital storytelling. Saxe credited the experience with giving her a meaningful opportunity to shape some of Hillel’s signature initiatives, including Content Creators Forum, noting, “I gained a new appreciation for the work happening behind the scenes at Hillel International, but what surprised me most was how much my own voice mattered.” She added that she never felt like “just an intern” because her perspective as a student was trusted and valued.

Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow, executive director of Northeastern Hillel, describes how she accompanies Jewish college students through moments of challenge and joy using a chaplaincy-informed approach grounded in presence, listening, and sustained relational support. Northeastern Hillel has piloted an innovative Clinical Pastoral Education program focused on Jewish community chaplaincy, campus life, and mental health that they hope to grow nationally next year.

Jay Solomon, chief advancement officer of Hillel Ontario, describes a shift in Jewish campus engagement away from a primary focus on one-on-one “coffee date” relationships toward broader, community-based entry points. He highlights large-scale Shabbat dinners, social gatherings, and informal group experiences as ways college students first connect to Jewish life. Solomon points to these settings as starting points that often lead students into leadership roles and deeper relationships with Jewish campus communities.