Student Story

I grew up in San Francisco in a Russian-Jewish family. Both my parents are from Moscow. I wouldn’t really say that I was raised Jewish growing up. We celebrated the standard holidays like Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah, but that’s around where it stopped. I also went to Jewish summer camp, specifically Camp Tawonga in beautiful Yosemite National Park, and then I volunteered with Jewish Family and Children's Services where I explored my Jewish heritage more.

Everything changed when my sister went to Davis before me and was very active in Hillel. She was an intern and also president of the student board. Once I decided that I was going to Davis, she insisted that I at least go to a couple Hillel events, and it definitely paid off.

I thought that I may not have been Jewish enough to join Hillel, but after hearing my sister's story I decided to give it a try. Although I wasn’t going to services, I found my niche in the kitchen helping cook Tuesday Dinners and Shabbat meals. I found a great group of people that I was able to connect with and made great friendships while still having the feeling of being a part of a big family. I always find myself going to Hillel to study as the environment there feels very homey; although, that never lasts too long once you start getting distracted by friends.

Over my two years with Hillel so far, I’ve been able to grow as an individual and also find what being Jewish means to me. Going on Birthright with my friends was such an amazing experience as well. Having received so much from Hillel, I try to help out and give back as much as I can. I now lead, along with two friends, outdoor adventures such as rafting, rock climbing, and hiking with a Jewish learning aspect to further enhance the impact Hillel has on students. I can't imagine going to Davis without Hillel.