Hillel College Guide Magazine - Fall 2017

COLLEGE GUIDE The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus 2017

EMERGING LEADERS GOING GREEN DIVING DEEP

At Arizona State University, we teach you to become a master learner, ready to thrive in your future career and live a meaningful life.

Hillel at ASU is at the center of Jewish campus life and serves more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate Jewish students. Students involved in Hillel have access to hundreds of leadership, social, cultural, educational, political and religious opportunities each school year.

ASU also partners with Ben Gurion University and has a strong Center for Jewish Studies. Learn more at hillelasu.org.

Begin your Sun Devil journey today. asu.edu

Your home-away-from-home Hillel at Gettysburg College is a close-knit community and an integral part of campus life: • Judaic Studies is offered as an interdisciplinary minor.

• Hillel House is a residential facility that also serves as the hub of Jewish life and activities on campus.

• Services for High Holidays are hosted on campus; holiday celebrations and Shabbat are student-driven with the support of professional staff, empowering students to explore Jewish identity and develop leadership skills.

• In keeping with the concept of Tikkun Olam, social action is central to Jewish life and campus culture.

Learn more at www.gettysburg.edu/hillel

• Warm, welcoming, inclusive community • Shabbat and holidays on campus • Kosher Eatery in main dining facility • Major and minor in Jewish studies • Exciting international alternative breaks • Annual Birthright trip and approved study abroad in Israel • The Zachs Hillel House—an inviting home away from home • Trinity College—one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges

TRINITY COLLEGE HILLEL

www.trincoll.edu

hillel.org/guide 3

PUBLISHER’S LETTER COLLEGE GUIDE 2017 Publisher Hillel International

PHOTO BY ALON FRIEDMAN

AS THE HEAD of the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting thousands of Jewish students at Hillels around the globe—from Argentina to Uzbekistan.

I always love hearing students describe their Jewish journeys and the ways Hillel has guided them on their path.

In this issue of the Hillel College Guide magazine, Hannah Schlacter, a 2017 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, writes about the spirit of friendship she found at Hillel, and how she sought to find that spirit while studying abroad and living among different Jewish communities.

In another moving and memorable essay, David Pody, a 2017 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, writes about how he survived the rigors of basic cadet training by attending weekly Shabbat dinners at Hillel at Washington & Lee—his “place of peace and sanctuary.”

I often hear from students that Hillel is a “home away from home” during college. That warm, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere is something all of us at Hillel work to foster and maintain.

But, I would argue, we offer even more than the feeling of home.

Don’t just take my word for it. Read the essays in this issue by Colby Hillel student Gabriella Foster and Drexel Hillel student Max Khan.

Through their experiences at Hillel, both gained new leadership skills, the latter even applying his design studies to help build a new Hillel building to serve the needs of all students, the Raymond G. Perelman Center at Drexel University.

Hillel, as you’ll see from this issue, is your guide on journeys both internal and external. Flip through these pages and you’ll learn about Hillel Alternative Spring Break trips to Krakow and Cuba; see breathtaking photography from Birthright Israel trips; and plunge beneath the waves with a unique Hillel dive club called “Scubi Jew.” If there’s a centerpiece to this magazine, it’s the feature on LGBTQ inclusion at Hillel. When we say that we strive to help every Jewish student make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel, we mean every.

I’m excited that you’re beginning your college experience. I can’t wait to hear your story.

Eric D. Fingerhut President and CEO Hillel International

4

• Jewish Life on Campus

Editorial Board Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO, Hillel International Tina Price, Chair, Hillel International Board of Directors Matthew Berger, Vice President of Communications Andrew J. Cohen, Vice President of Technology Strategy and Operations Hindy Chinn, Director of Information Technology, Operations Geoffrey W. Melada, Director of Communications Shana Medel, Communications Associate Michael Kusie, Director of Information Technology for Online Services Maria Radacsi, Director of Design and Production Elizabeth Munsey, Associate Director for Online Services Editorial and Design Mid-Atlantic Custom Media Director Jeni Mann 410-902-2302 jmann@midatlanticmedia.com Editor Joshua Runyan Editorial Team David Holzel, Justin Katz, Rachel Kurland, Josh Marks, Hannah Monicken, Daniel Schere, Marissa Stern Art Director Cortney Geare Contributing Photographer David Stuck Advertising Stephanie Shapiro 410-902-2309 sshapiro@midatlanticmedia.com Hillel College Guide is produced once a year by Hillel International and Mid-Atlantic Custom Media. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement of the products or services by either company. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement that is not in keeping with the standing or policies of Hillel International.

Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of the Hillel College Guide without written permission is prohibited.

Hillel International 800 Eighth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-3724 202-449-6500 hillel.org

Some mailing lists provided by

CREATING VIBRANT JEWISH LIFE FOR OVER 5,500 STUDENTS STATEWIDE

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY SACKLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE NEW YORK STATE/AMERICAN PROGRAM

The Sackler School of Medicine-New York State/ American Program offers an outstanding four year medical school curriculum, taught in English, leading to the M.D. degree. The Program is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the State of Israel.

Graduates participate in the National Resident Matching Program and return to the United States for their residency training. Since its commencement in 1976, approximately 1950 alumni have completed their residency training at the most distinguished hospitals in the United States.

msuhillel.org | h-cam.net 517-332-1916 @msuhillel @hillelcam

www.sacklerschool.org provides extensive information about Sackler SOM. Applications for the Class of 2022 are now available. For further information, e-mail sacklermed@sacklermed.org

•

Consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for percentage of Jewish students according to Hillel’s College Guide; vibrant Jewish life with active Hillel and newly dedicated Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life

•

Nationally ranked campus dining hall includes a fully integrated kosher dining facility, The Noshery, under the supervision of Star-K Meat and Dairy

•

Dedication to opening doors for student opportunities in the arts, sciences, business & public health

•

A highly selective, private, residential college in Allentown, Pa., 90 miles from New York City

Where intellectual challenge and social engagement come together.

Nobody does it better than DePauw.

Shabbat services and meals High Holiday services and celebrations Passover at the University president’s home Fun in the campus sukkah Regular Hillel meetings and events

www.depauw.edu

We invite you to learn more and visit campus soon.

2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA muhlenberg.edu

hillel.org/guide 5

contents 2017

18

24

30

18

in every issue

GOING GREEN

4

20

8 ADVICE

24

36 FOOD

BIRTHRIGHT TRANSFORMATIONS LAST A LIFETIME

STUDENTS LEAD IN CREATING A WELCOMING WORLD

30

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

11 HEALTH 12 VOICES

38 TRAVEL 39 BY THE NUMBERS 48 BEST OF BIRTHRIGHT

ISRAEL: HILLEL

CMYK CMYK / .eps / .eps

DIVING DEEP WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

34

CAN YOU USE A KICK-START FOR YOUR CAREER?

YOU CAN CONNECT WITH US IN VARIOUS WAYS. JOIN US ONLINE TODAY! Facebook – Search for Hillel International Twitter – @hillelIntl Instagram – @hillelIntl

> ON THE COVER UD Hillel was proud to be the 2016-2017 recipient of Hillel International’s Campus Choice Award at its annual Global Assembly.

UD Hillel’s work stretches beyond its mission to serve the 2,250 Jewish students at the University of Delaware by positively impacting the entire student body by playing a critical role during their time on campus. A strong ally and partner of the University of Delaware, UD Hillel is a space for students to be with friends to grab coffee, maximize their Jewish identities and discover the world through a pluralistic lens.

6

• Jewish Life on Campus

CMYK / .eps

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

THE PLACE FOR JEWISH STUDIES UP TO

$40,000

When you study in Jerusalem, everything inspires you.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR JEWISH STUDIES MAJORS World-Renowned Faculty Active Jewish Studies Student Association Supportive Campus for Israel Studies More than 50 Courses Each Year

Jewish Sacred Music Curriculum NEW! Jewish Studies + Kelley Business 4+1

APPLY NOW

Scholarship Deadline

Jan. 17, 2018

Application Details: www.go.iu.edu/js_scholarships

Zeta Beta Tau

PURSUE YOUR PASSION AT THE LEADING UNIVERSITY IN ISRAEL. Programs Taught in English: • Undergraduate Study Abroad Programs • Graduate Study Abroad Programs • Graduate Degree Programs • Summer & Winter Courses • Gap Year • Hebrew & Arabic Language Programs

overseas.huji.ac.il hebrewu@hebrewu.org +1 212 607 8520

hillel.org/guide 7

ADVICE

Surviving Your First Year

Advice from those who’ve been there COMPILED BY BEN MITCHELL

NIP BAD GRADES IN THE BUD The key to dealing with a bad grade in college is being proactive about it. If you have a failing grade in the beginning, do not wait until the last week of the semester to go and discuss with your professor. Instead, make an appointment for office hours immediately. Do not be afraid to ask for help when it comes to college-level classes. Going forward, adjust your studying habits, use past tests as a reference for future exams and do any practice exams your professor may give you. Never let one bad grade put a limit on your potential success!

GET IN THE GAME Go to sporting events. It doesn’t matter if you go to a Big 10 school or a small liberal arts college. Nor does it matter what sports you’re watching. Sports bring people together. Whether a football game or a swim meet, watching sports with your classmates helps you gain school spirit and meet new people.

(And did I mention the stadium food?) Be proud of your school; you will be there for the next four years.

— Ben Mitchell ’18, American University

SHAKE SOME HANDS Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and meet people. If you are sitting down for lunch, don’t sit by yourself. Ask to join a table. Outside of the dining hall, introduce yourself to the people in your classes, and don’t be afraid to go to events or programs. Everyone is new and looking to make friends, so put on a smile and start introducing yourself.

— Kayla Sokoloff ’15, University of Texas

— Charlotte Frischman ’17, The Ohio State University

SPEAK UP! Especially in large lecture classes, it can be easy to make it through an entire semester without talking to your professor. My advice is to show up to office hours, or even just send them an email letting them know that you’re finding the material interesting—maybe even ask a question or two!

Professors are often eager to delve deeper into material one-on-one, or connect you to further reading and resources in whatever subject. Additionally, they very well may be able to connect you to incredible opportunities at school and beyond—from research to internships to graduate schools. Talking with your professors is always a good idea if you’re missing class, be it the Jewish holidays or the slightly less legitimate accidental oversleeping.

— Monica Sass ’19, Washington University in St. Louis

8

• Jewish Life on Campus

With Washington College Hillel, you will experience: • A Hillel House with a Kosher kitchen, High Holidays celebrations, commitment to community service, fun social programming, guest lecturers, and a close-knit Jewish community both on-campus and with the Chestertown Havurah.

• Diving into the Jewish-American experience and exploring our history with the Program in Jewish Thought.

• Study abroad opportunities in partnership with Ben-Gurion University.

Find your place at Washcoll.edu/hillel

The future begins with community and engaged learning.

Students at List College pursue an inspiring curriculum in Jewish studies at JTS, and in the liberal arts and sciences at either Columbia University or Barnard College.

Learn more at

www.jtsa.edu/admissions The Jewish Theological Seminary Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education Gershon Kekst Graduate School H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music The Rabbinical School hillel.org/guide 9

TIKKUN OLAM Come to a place committed to helping you develop the skills to make a difference in the world, and to providing a community that embraces your ideals.

1,665

Individual students were engaged by UVM Hillel

224

Unique events that allowed students to ďŹ nd their own place in the Jewish community

37

114

Students went on a high-impact experience like Birthright Israel or Alternative Spring Break

new leadership positions that enable connectors to turn their passions into action

Signature programs include kayak tashlich on Lake Champlain, a food justice themed Alternative Spring Break, and YOUvm Connectors which provides mentorship, skills training, and Jewish learning. Our numbers and stories are just the start.

Visit UVM and find out more!

80 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 802-540-1087 info@uvmhillel.org uvmhillel.org uvmhillel

10

• Jewish Life on Campus

Our campus is renowned for community involvement, and for alumni who contribute to the common good after graduation.

Learn more about Jewish life at Case Western Reserve at case.edu/hillel UMC_3301_2017

HEALTH

SAFE DATING: Recognizing and Responding to Abusive Relationships

BY RACHEL WINICOV

> LOVE is a beautiful thing, and the pairing off that often comes as part of college life is just another way that students come into their own. But the line between healthy and harmful may not be so clear to those in the midst of an abusive relationship, let alone to their friends observing on the outside.

Noting that a 2010 survey by Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc., found that 57 percent of college students reported difficulty in identifying domestic abuse and that 58 percent said they did not know how to help a peer who experienced it, we reached out to the experts at the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA)—which runs a dating abuse prevention initiative—for advice on how the newest crop of students can recognize the warning signs of unhealthy relationships and ways to help themselves and their friends. According to Kira Doar, JCADA’s program manager, education is key.

NOTICING THE WARNING SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP 1. Your friend only spends time with his or her significant other.

While it’s normal to frequently hang out with a partner, withdrawing from others is a big red flag.

“There’s so much to do on campus all the time.” So friends and classmates “should look for when people become isolated from their friends, [when] they’re always with their partner,” Doar says.

2. You notice signs of harm.

“There may be physical signs like bruises that can’t be explained,” Doar says, but not all dating abuse involves physical harm.

Emotional harm may appear as changes in

mood, isolation or acting noticeably different when a partner enters the room.

3. Your friend’s online activity is monitored by his or her partner.

If your friend’s partner actively checks your friend’s social media accounts or texts, it is a worrisome sign that may lead to further issues with jealousy and anger.

4. Your friend is always worried about pleasing his or her partner.

“If the person reacts to texts from their partner with anxiety, if they have to be constantly messaging their partner and explaining where they are,” then it might be time to ask about what’s going on, Doar says.

HOW TO HELP “It’s most important for friends [of people experiencing abuse] to be there as supports,” Doar says.

But no one, at any age, should handle the situation alone, even the wellintentioned friends of someone being abused. “There are a lot of resources on campuses and in the larger community that can help,” Doar says.

“It’s most important for friends [of people experiencing abuse] to be there as supports.

But no one, at any age, should handle the situation alone.”

Hillel is one of those resources.

Many college Hillels offer support, as do campus counseling and student resource centers.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or dating abuse, JCADA’s free and confidential helpline can be reached at 1-877-88-JCADA (52232).

hillel.org/guide 11

VOICES

In the Company of Strangers How I found the Hillel spirit studying abroad

BY HANNAH SCHLACTER

> “WHAT have I gotten myself into?”

This is what I asked myself as I boarded a flight to Madrid last semester. I had never been to Europe. I had not used my Spanish in four years. And I had never had to build a new home for myself.

I landed in Madrid eight hours later, jet-lagged and wary. And yet, I felt determined to step outside my comfort zone during my semester abroad.

My first week in Madrid went by without incident. Within a few days, I made new friends, settled into my apartment and began classes. Before I knew it, Friday had come and I suddenly felt homesick. I yearned for the feeling of being at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illini Hillel on a Friday evening, surrounded by my peers, hugging and chatting away as the singing of the Kiddush washes away the stresses of the past week. How will I find something like this abroad? How will I make this foreign place feel like home?

Immediately, I embarked on a journey to discover this spirit, this ruach abroad, traveling to different European cities each weekend. This journey required persistency and courage—researching the Jewish communities of the cities I traveled to, ensuring I found a Friday night Shabbat experience in each city and going on my own to a new place without knowing a single soul there.

I traveled to new cities and discovered new Jewish communities. I calmed the fluttering in my stomach by recalling how I had handled the experience of walking into my campus Hillel three years earlier, before I had made many friends and become close with the staff. I also remembered my first Hillel International Board of Directors meeting, in which I learned, as a student member of the board, to find my voice and share my ideas. These experiences proved to me that Jewish communities—no matter where they are in the world—are inclusive and welcoming for all.

12

• Jewish Life on Campus

I made my way to a synagogue in the heart of Paris one Friday. Google Maps in hand, I ascended the stairs, past an imposing array of guards, for the Orthodox service. The service felt unfamiliar, but I found solace in the pluralistic values inherent in all Friday night Shabbat services. I followed the Hebrew prayers, and I read the rabbi’s body language and facial expressions when he spoke in French. Other university students began to trickle in, finding friends, feeling at home. My feelings of discomfort began to slowly subside.

After the service, I ventured downstairs to the main lobby, which was transformed into a student dinner. Though still thousands of miles away from Champaign, I recognized a familiar sensation. The students around me found their friends and caught up in light conversation after a busy week. The Kiddush began with an occasional interruption of a burst of laughter and conversation. It was the Shabbat spirit, the same spirit that I knew would fall over my own Hillel seven hours later.

I realized this moment was no different than many Shabbat moments I experienced all throughout college at Hillel. If I was in Champaign, I would catch up with good friends, and if I saw a new student at Shabbat, I would go up and introduce myself to him or her.

Hillel helped me to find home, belonging and pluralism in the Jewish community.

Wherever I may venture in my life, I am connected to this community, and I must always remember this truth—and draw strength from it.

And so, surrounded by strangers speaking a different language and coming from a different background, I took a few tentative steps forward. Then I drew a deep breath.

“Shabbat Shalom, my name is Hannah, and I am a university student from Chicago.”

Hannah Schlacter is a member of the Class of 2017 at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. As a student, she co-founded the Hillel International Student Cabinet and served on the Hillel International Board of Directors.

VOICES

Survival Skills Combining military and Jewish tradition

BY DAVID PODY

> I GREW UP in a relatively small Jewish community, knowing few Jews outside of my family. As such, I struggled with my Jewish identity, finding it a bit difficult to fully embrace the traditions and culture that are a normal part of life for other Jewish people. I was expecting my connection to Judaism to become even more tenuous when I decided to attend the Virginia Military Institute, intending to pursue a commission in the United States military. But, once there, I found something quite unexpected—on campus, and within myself.

Let me start by taking you back to the start of freshman year. Nothing could prepare me for the harsh lifestyle of being a “Rat.” All-first year attendees are Rats, and all of their Brother Rats must be a part of the Ratline until a culminating event around February called Breakout.

Until Breakout, they subject themselves to a whole codex of rules and punishments spelled out in a small booklet they must carry with them at all times, their “Rat Bible.”

The constant stress and training that Rats are put through is hard to put into words, but it is initiated with Matriculation Day and 10 days of “Hell Week.” This week, with its high attrition rate, has a sharp learning curve for all who manage to stay. Hell Week is full of screaming, lessons on the basics of being a cadet, and workouts of pushups, bear crawls, sprints and buddy-carries. But I managed to push through until the last day of Hell Week, Rat Sunday, where we are given our final physical and military tests in a final event before classes begin, The Crucible. This day was also special because Rats are allowed to leave VMI’s campus to join their preferred religious communities for the afternoon. That is when I discovered there was a Hillel at our neighboring university, Washington & Lee, that we were allowed to attend.

Not classwork, 20-mile road marches, disciplinary pushups, shining uniform

brass, nor the overall stress of being a Rat could prevent me from chipping away the Ratline a week at a time with the help of Hillel.

There, I found a place of peace, my sanctuary. Even through the worst of weeks, I could struggle through to the end of the week and attend the Hillel with the Jewish community of Lexington and my friends.

Together, my Brother Rats and I would do the blessings over the meal, enjoy a festive banquet and then relax in conversation with regular people from the outside world.

Hillel has given me even more than relief from stress and the rigors of training. Hillel provided me with my senior mentor, or as they are called at VMI, my Dyke. Let me clarify: Dyke is a very old military word, and they are called this for our Dyke Straps, a part of the parade uniform that is nearly impossible to assemble without the help of another. The Rat/Dyke relationship is the same symbiosis.

My Dyke was a great friend and mentor. He helped bridge the large gap between Washington & Lee University and VMI, and told me of my legacy.

The first Jewish cadet at VMI was Moses Ezekiel, a well-known American soldier and sculptor who was initially made famous by his heroics as a VMI cadet at the 1864 Battle of New Market during the Civil War. What my Dyke revealed to me is that my lineage has been made up of Jewish cadets all the way back to Cadet Ezekiel, a tradition I must now carry on.

Together, Hillel and my Dyke enabled me to make it through my years at VMI. Looking back as a senior, I couldn’t have

made it this far without them. Now, as I look forward to starting my final year of academics and taking on the responsibility of being the next Cadet-in-Charge of Jewish activities like my Dyke was, I search for a Jewish Rat to carry on the tradition I am proud to be a part of. Perhaps, during all of his adventures here, he will discover himself, the way I have.

David Pody is a member of the Class of 2017 at the Virginia Military Institute.

“My lineage has been made up of Jewish cadets all the way back to Cadet Ezekiel, a tradition I must now carry on.”

hillel.org/guide 13

VOICES

If You Build It

How Drexel’s new home helped me construct my Jewish identity in college

BY MAX W. KAHN

> MY FIRST EXPERIENCE with Hillel

was attending a bagel brunch for new students during an accepted students day at Drexel University. My parents and I met with the executive director and a few current students in the previous Intercultural Center, a space devoid of personality that was shared with all spiritual and religious groups on campus.

The Intercultural Center was slated to be demolished in the fall and was not sufficient for programming and developing a communal identity. The current situation was not sustainable, and it was clear that building a freestanding building for Drexel Hillel was the best option for our campus. What I didn’t yet realize at that time was the role that I would play in the development of our new home.

When I arrived on campus, Hillel had been relocated to yet another location—an academic building. Affectionately referred to as our “fish bowl,” this space consisted of two cubicles and a couch. The poles for our Sukkah rested against the Hillel director’s desk. Lacking space for the smallest of meetings, all Hillel programs were held in rental spaces scattered across Drexel’s campus. Shabbat dinners were organized in large conference rooms, services were held in classrooms: When we couldn’t secure a space, we programmed outside.

But we never stopped.

I was invited to the first focus group meeting with Stanley Saitowitz, the new Hillel building’s architect, and heard my calling. I realized a way to combine my passions for human-centered design and the Jewish community. Helping to design a space that would uphold our values of pluralism and diversity was a fun challenge. We determined that there would be three chapels on the third floor of the center connected by a glass-enclosed courtyard. No denomination would be assigned a space; whichever group needed it would use it. Gender-neutral bathrooms were also an important addition to the Hillel, and sent a strong message to our campus that everyone is welcome in our space.

I helped tackle big questions, like how Hillel would create a welcoming and secure environment for Jewish students while ensuring that their non-Jewish peers also feel welcome. By establishing a religiously accepting building, we naturally created several study and collaborative spaces for group projects.

I was also involved with the selection of furniture. Choosing modular pieces that could be adapted for different scenarios was very important.

Max W. Kahn, second from right, helped design the new Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life, home of Drexel University’s Hillel.

When the building initially opened, I sat in my graphic design classes learning fundamentals of place-making and way-finding. The coolest part of this was that I could directly apply the skills being taught to the development of our Hillel. As my academic confidence increased, I became even more active in the process.

I worked extensively with Drexel’s communications office on developing the brand standards for the Center and, in the process, re-branded Drexel Hillel.

Conducting focus groups with key stakeholders about crafting the perfect balance between “Jewish” and “Drexel” identities became second nature, and managing the expectations of lay leaders, professional staff, university partners, students and community members was a breeze.

We held High Holiday services in our new home in the fall of 2016, followed that October by the formal dedication of the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life. The Jews of Drexel, wandering since 1923, finally came home. I write this reflection from my desk in my home away from home. Drexel’s new slogan is, “Ambition can’t wait,” and this building is a living testament to those words.

Max W. Kahn is a graphic design student at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

14

• Jewish Life on Campus

VOICES

Few in Number, Rich in Ruach

How I discovered a vibrant community by going outside of my comfort zone

BY GABRIELLA FOSTER

> MY SENIOR YEAR of high school, the cantor at my local synagogue offered a course called “Being Jewish in College.”

Attendees met weekly for about a month to discuss the challenges of being a Jewish college student. At the first session, I was asked to share my application list, which included several small liberal arts colleges.

In response, the cantor warned me that with a small school comes a small Jewish population. Having already applied, I freaked out.

Less than a year later, nonetheless, I arrived on the campus of Colby College.

I nervously walked into my first Colby Hillel event, and within minutes found myself blissfully noshing on sushi and laughing among fellow first-years.

Relieved, I confidently added my name to the Hillel email list. Little did I know I was joining far more than just a student club.

My inbox began filling with information about Hillel, events and I learned that there is a synagogue minutes from campus. Having grown up in Nashua, N.H., where my local synagogue—home to 280 families—always played a big role in my life, I could not wait to check it out.

My first visit to the Beth Israel Congregation (BIC) was a culture shock.

In contrast to the contemporary-style building where I grew up praying, the shul’s pink walls, ’60s-style floral curtains, and the potluck dinner of mac and cheese and Israeli salad following services felt nontraditional, yet charming. However, the building’s décor is just the beginning of BIC’s charm.

While the BIC is fewer than 100 families in size, it is rich in spirit. One night when searching for dinner plates in the synagogue kitchen, I found a collection of antique teacups with mismatching saucers. A congregant explained in a museum curator’s tone that these were previously used at tea parties

hosted by female congregants.

BIC congregants take pride in their synagogue and its history. They remain open to nontraditional approaches to Judaism that keep Jewish life in Waterville vibrant for both BIC congregants and Colby students.

The relationship between Colby Hillel and the BIC is sustained by the Center for Small Town Jewish Life run by Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, Colby Hillel advisor and a local rabbi. The center promotes collaboration between the communities and, in turn, strengthens both.

When Rabbi Isaacs was blessed with a beautiful baby girl this past spring, she asked me if I would lead a Shabbat service for the BIC in her absence. I had been leading services for Colby Hillel, but as a college first-year, the opportunity still came as a shock.

When my assigned Shabbat arrived, I was terrified, but my nerves subsided upon realizing I recognized all of the attendees: three Colby students and two Waterville congregants. Short of a minyan, we decided to hold services in the function hall with chairs in a circle, Colby Hillel-style. With the warmth of my company, my initially nerve-racking

evening became a Shabbat shalom.

Now that I have completed my first year at Colby, I realize that while my cantor was right—small liberal arts colleges have smaller Jewish populations than larger universities—Jewish life at Colby and other liberal arts colleges can be just as vibrant. Instead of lacking opportunities, you will find yourself pursuing ones in a community where your contributions are sure to be recognized.

I have also learned that joining Colby Hillel means joining a family of Hillel students and BIC congregants. You will be invited to Shabbat dinner at congregants’ homes because they have “brisket sitting in the freezer.” You will eat kosher chicken wings and watch the Patriots game together. Most important, you will have opportunities you never could have foreseen.

Don’t let the numbers scare you because, as Rabbi Larry Milder sings, “Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish” and a small liberal arts college like Colby is a great place for a Jew to go.

Gabriella Foster is a sophomore at Colby College in Maine and an active member of both Colby College Hillel and the Beth Israel Congregation.

hillel.org/guide 15

Undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Center for Jewish Education (M.A. in Education or M.A. in Teaching) Graduate School of Nonprofit Management (MBA in Nonprofit Management) Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (Rabbinic Ordination & M.A. in Rabbinic Studies) Dual Degree Programs: BA/MBA & BA/MA in Education Transfer & gap year students welcome 92% of students receive scholarships /financial aid Student-Faculty Ratio 7:1 Average class size of 10 students AJU is based in sunny Los Angeles

AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY 310.440.1247 aju.edu admissions@aju.edu @americanjewishu /AmericanJewishUniversity

MADE YOUR CHOICE? Congratulations!

Tell us where you’re headed!

Hillel is the center of Jewish life on campus. Hillel helps make the transition to college easier.

Go to jcollegebound.com, tell us your new school and we will send your information to the local Hillel. A representative from Hillel will reach out to you before you arrive on campus.

16

• Jewish Life on Campus

"The courses in the M.A. in Education program were able to engage all of the students even though we come from such different backgrounds and skills sets."

AJU offers a program that stands out from other undergraduate science degrees.

Ethics forces the science student to think differently not everything will have an individual solution like in a textbook. I think that these elements of the Biology & Bioethics major will allow me to take the necessary steps to build my medical career.

@ s a m i i s t o l o ff s u m m e r 2 0 1 6

# fi n d y o u r t r i b e #g owi t h h i l l e l

join other young jewish students from your campus on your 10 day #birthright israel adventure freeisraeltrip.org/go for m ore i n fo emai l i srael@hi llel.o rg

Going

Green

ON A RAINY MARCH

day in Fort Collins, Colo., six students gathered around a neon green flatbed truck, trying to figure out how the heck to fasten a 300-pound chicken coop for the drive to Colorado State University Hillel.

They made it. And when that 4 x 4 pulled up to CSU Hillel, it became the first Hillel in the country with a working chicken coop.

“This is really a mansion for chickens,” said Alex Amchislavskiy, Hillel campus director at CSU. “Hillel is a home away from home for students. Now it’ll be a home for chickens as well.”

18

• Jewish Life on Campus

OK, but why?

It’s the old chicken and the egg: Hillel feeds food scraps to the chickens, whose waste can be used as compost for the garden, which will grow vegetables for Shabbat meals, whose scraps will again be fed to the chickens.

A virtuous circle.

And a green one. Hillels are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their footprint on the planet. Three have installed solar panels on their buildings.

Green activist and former congressional candidate Erin Schrode has also spoken at several Hillels about how individual students can reduce their carbon footprint.

Chicken coops and solar panels are helping Hillels become more sustainable

BY HANNAH ELOVITZ PHOTOS COURTESY HILLEL OF COLORADO

“The Torah’s teachings around sustainability are especially enlightening,” Amchislavskiy said. “One is forbidden to eat before giving food to one’s animals.

This teaches incredible sensitivity to others that is needed in this world. That is what I hope my students learn from caring for our chickens.”

Made possible by a grant from Hazon, the chicken coop is the latest in CSU Hillel’s sustainability initiatives.

CSU Hillel is also one of the first in the country to receive the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, which

provides a road map to advance sustainability-related education, action and advocacy in Jewish communities.

Oregon Hillel is working to join that club, which involves forming a green team and completing sustainability audits.

The team started with small steps, such as installing bike racks and investing in reusable tablecloths for Shabbat.

“Joining the Hazon Seal has given us the opportunity to think more critically about our actions and work toward making Oregon Hillel more environmentally conscious,” said Rachel Eshtiaghpour, last year’s social action vice president. “I also see this opportunity as a great way to bring outside student interest to Hillel.”

Though the University of Vermont (UVM) Hillel doesn’t have its own chicken coop, the 30 chickens in Executive Director Matt Vogel’s own backyard have served as part of UVM Hillel’s virtuous food cycle. UVM’s chickens are fed leftovers from Shabbat meals and then lay eggs that are used to bake the challah sold each week as part of Challah for Hunger.

Compost bins are present at UVM Hillel Shabbat meals.

“Every UVM student knows the drill. We compost at every single meal,” Vogel said.

Next, Vogel plans to begin using plates and utensils that are fully compostable.

“It’s a larger cost,” he said, “but I know it’s something we have to do.”

Thanks to the suggestion of a Birthright Israel alumnus, UVM Hillel has also started working with the university to get carbon offset credit for study abroad travel.

Other campuses are making strides to sustainability.

Brown RISD Hillel has installed compost bins at Shabbat and holiday meals. Its “Sacred Foods” Shabbat each fall features food that is all vegetarian and sourced from local farms. Farm Fresh RI also holds its Market Shares distributions in the Hillel building weekly, connecting students to fresh and affordable produce.

At Bucknell University, Hillel student Nir Aish has been named to the President’s Sustainability Council, the group responsible for developing and implementing the university’s sustainability plan. And at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., the Hillel there began using solar panels as its primary

Alex Amchislavskiy and Nevam Mandel, CSU Hillel’s sustainability intern, create a fence for the chicken coop.

source of energy. (The first Hillel to go solar was, perhaps not surprisingly, in the Sunshine State. The University of Florida Hillel installed more than 210 panels on its roof in June 2010, funded by federal and state grants, and an anonymous donor.)

Solar panels, meanwhile, provide 75 percent of the University of Arizona Hillel’s electricity. The Hillel collaborated with an electric company called Technicians for Sustainability, which leases the roof space from Hillel for $1 a year and, in return, paid for the solar equipment upfront.

And the Illini Hillel at the Cohen Center for Jewish Life at the University of Illinois recently installed three eternal flames powered by environmentally friendly LED lights.

All this effort results in more than lower electric bills and tastier scrambled eggs. According to Colorado’s Amchislavskiy, sustainability provides an entry into Jewish life for students who may not have felt comfortable getting involved in Hillel.

“Maybe they’re uncomfortable coming for Shabbat dinner and services, but if they’re coming with their friends to make pickles, the barrier is much lower,” he said. “A lot of students who I’ve never seen before have walked through the door, and I expect that to continue.”

CSU Hillel is one of the first in the country to receive the Hazon Seal of Sustainability, which provides a road map to advance sustainability-related education, action and advocacy in Jewish communities.

hillel.org/guide 19

Birthright Israel

Transformations Last a Lifetime

BY HANNAH MONICKEN AND ELANA RUBIN

G

rowing up in an interfaith family, Michael Kramer did not actively think about his Jewish identity. With his living grandparents being Christian, he spent more time understanding those traditions than those of his Jewish side.

The same held true for the first half of his time at Washington University in St. Louis. But then, his junior year, the now-senior decided to take his Birthright Israel trip with the Wash U Hillel.

“I identified most with the ‘discovery’ part,” he says. “It wasn’t making a new connection, but the discovery of an inherent one.” He calls the trip his “gateway” into Jewish life on campus.

Now, he is active in Hillel and gets together regularly with other members

20

• Jewish Life on Campus

of his Birthright Israel group, including for Shabbat dinners.

Since the free 10-day Birthright Israel trips began in 1999, more than half a million young Jews have participated, many of them using Hillel as their trip provider. And while the Birthright Israel trip can be a game-changer in many immeasurable ways, its impact can also be quantified.

“The bottom line is that participation in Birthright Israel changes the trajectory of Jewish engagement across the board,” explains Len Saxe, a professor and

researcher at Brandeis University who has been studying the impact of Birthright Israel since it started.

“It has changed a generation,” Saxe adds. “Where it was a generation that was unlikely to have visited Israel, [but] now over half of young Jews have been to Israel.”

The impact, in ways both measurable and immeasurable, can be seen whether alumni took their trip with Hillel last year or a decade ago.

David Krisch attributes his current Israel advocacy to his Birthright Israel trip with Penn State Hillel in 2007.

hillel.org/guide 21

From left: Florida State University students, including Hillel leaders, accept an award at the most recent AIPAC Policy Conference.

Columbia/Barnard Hillel students meet with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro at Columbia/Barnard Hillel in September. Trinity College Hillel Student Co-president Nicole Katav ’17 and University of Hartford students Tyler Littman ’18 and Andrew Singer ’19 plan an event.

A year after returning from Israel, Krisch attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference. He published an Israelrelated article in The Daily Collegian a year after that. In 2011, Krisch held educational sessions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for New York Law School’s Black Law Students Association.

Now, as an attorney in New Jersey, Krisch continues advocating for Israel.

He has co-hosted a Support Israel Shabbat, went to an event at the Israeli Consulate and met Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer. Krisch returned to Israel in July 2016 on the two-week fellowship program known as Chevra.

David Krisch

22

• Jewish Life on Campus

“Because of Birthright Israel, I had the foundation that I need to connect wholly and completely with Israel,” Krisch said in an interview this past summer. “Not just as a sightseeing tourist, but as someone who had been there before, who could now fully grasp the political, religious, historical and geographical realities of Israel. I could interact with Israelis on the street (Jewish and Arab, soldier and civilian) and fully absorb the profound importance of Israel being the democratic nation-state of the Jewish people.”

One of Saxe’s Birthright Impact studies from 2009 showed that Birthright Israel participants were 22 percent more likely to belong to a synagogue, minyan or other Jewish congregation, and were nearly

“ Because of Birthright Israel, I had the foundation that I need to connect wholly and completely with Israel.

Not just as a sightseeing tourist, but as someone who had been there before, who could now fully grasp the … realities.”

PHOTO COURTESY TRINITY COLLEGE HILLEL

PHOTO BY JONATHAN HEISLER

30 percent more likely to attend Jewish services at least once a month. Other students report returning to campus with a newfound passion for Jewish leadership.

“Little did I know, Birthright Israel would not only lead me to finding a faith identity that feels right, but it also has transformed me into a leader in my campus Hillel,” says Sarah Pozzi, who wrote about her transformation for Hillel International’s blog. The University of Delaware junior, who grew up in an

interfaith family, now recruits other students to take part in Birthright Israel as an intern at her Hillel.

Talia Lerner, a Florida Atlantic University student, meanwhile, had a life-changing moment at Mount Herzl, Israel’s military cemetery in Jerusalem, during her winter 2013 Birthright Israel trip with her Hillel. After she returned, Lerner began to participate in Owls for Israel, FAU’s Israel advocacy group run by the campus Hillel.

When she joined, there were around four people in the club. But after playing a key role in planning the Owls for Israel conference, 150 people attended.

Thereafter, Lerner became president of the group. Now a senior, she aspires to work for an Israel advocacy organization after graduation.

Isabella Volfson also testifies to the transformative power of the Birthright Israel experience with Hillel.

“I thought, ‘Whatever, it’s a free trip to Israel. It won’t be life changing, that’s such a cliché,’” says Volfson, a sophomore at the University of Iowa who went on a Hillel-led Birthright Israel trip the May after her freshman year. “And then I got back and it was, well, life changing. It’s not a cliché.”

The trip allowed her to decide what Judaism was going to mean for her and her life, Volfson says. Like Kramer, the trip became a catalyst to engage with Jewish life. Where before the trip, she would try to make a couple Hillel meetings each semester, now she doesn’t miss a Friday service.

“I think that beforehand I was aware of my Jewish background, but I didn’t connect to it,” she says. “And now I really feel it.”

GW Hillel’s Israel Day celebration is a chance for students to show off their pride.

hillel.org/guide 23

Students Lead in Creating a Welcoming World

BY JUSTIN KATZ

24

• Jewish Life on Campus

PHOTO BY MEGAN WARRENBRAND PHOTOGRAPHY

O

nlookers from either side of Seventh Avenue in Tampa, Fla., throw beads and candy as about 40 some college students march down the street carrying rainbow flags, wearing T-shirts with Stars of David and holding signs that read “Shalom is for everyone” and “Another Jew for LGBTQ equality.”

The students from the University of South Florida’s Hillel are marching in the Tampa Pride Parade.

One student shouts, “We’re the chosen people, of course we’re accepting!” The crowd cheers the students on, yelling out names of holidays and foods from Jewish culture.

“It felt really good to get that kind of support,” Eitan Quitoriano says of the March 25 parade, his last as the Hillel’s student president before graduating.

Across the country, Hillels like Quitoriano’s have long been opening their doors to the LGBTQ community, whether by marching, hosting noted speakers, focusing Passover Seders on modern themes of oppression and liberation, or holding Shabbat services uniquely celebrating gender and sexual identity. By and large, the force driving this commitment to inclusivity are the students themselves.

Hillel at Kent State University has added gender-neutral bathrooms on the recommendation of its student board. Hillel JUC, which serves students at University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University, has unveiled a gender-neutral bathroom as well.

The night before the parade in Florida, students come together to celebrate Shabbat and prepare for the day ahead. The gathering allows introductions to be made between Hillel’s students and the school’s wider LGBTQ community, says Julie Lichterman, the organization’s student vice president.

“I had never been in a parade before, especially an LGBTQ parade,” she says. “There was so much excitement. Everyone had a smile on their face. Everyone was supporting the same cause.”

Lichterman says the Hillel’s participation in the parade allows her to meet students that she would not have met otherwise.

As a part of the executive board, she and Quitoriano are required to undergo training that teaches students conflict resolution, terminology to discuss LGBTQ issues respectfully and “how to see their world through their shoes,” Quitoriano says.

Ariel Glogower, a junior studying speech pathology at USF, says the Hillel’s involvement in the Tampa Pride Parade is “prodigious.”

“Being a Jewish lesbian, I find it exceptional to be appreciated in Hillel and not judged based on my sexual orientation,” she explains. “Hillel accepts me for being an open-minded woman and what I can offer to the Jewish and [LGBTQ] community.”

At the same time students at USF are preparing to march down Seventh Avenue, Jack Luckner, a transgender student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is planning an LGBTQ Passover Seder.

“What does it mean to be liberated when different parts of our identities have different kinds of liberation or oppression?”

Luckner asks. “What does it mean to be liberated when we might be participating in someone else’s oppression?”

Eitan Quitoriano, right, the student president of his Hillel, says blocking someone out because they live a certain way is “just not right. It’s not one of the pillars of Jewish culture.”

These are the questions Luckner, a senior at Amherst studying public health and women, gender and sexuality studies, poses at the Seder.

The Seder is a perfect venue to discuss liberation and oppression, because the story of the Jewish people leaving Egypt employs both themes.

For the modern LGBTQ community, oppression “could be something like discriminatory laws,” Luckner says. “In some states you can marry whoever you wish, but if you do that you can be fired from your job.”

“ What does it mean to be liberated when different parts of our identities have different kinds of liberation or oppression?” hillel.org/guide 25

Liberation means no longer facing that kind of oppression, Luckner adds.

The Seder is not Luckner’s first time holding an LGBTQ event at his Hillel. In November 2016, Luckner hosted a Transgender Day of Remembrance. The service was dedicated to mourning recent deaths of transgender individuals.

Luckner says the transgender community’s struggle for acceptance in religious spaces is the motivation for the day of remembrance.

PHOTO COURTESY TRINITY COLLEGE HILLEL

Trinity College students gathered at the Zachs Hillel House to participate in Rainbow Shabbat, celebrating the connection between Judaism and LGBTQ rights in the United States and in Israel.

26

• Jewish Life on Campus

PHOTO COURTESY AMERICAN UNIVERSITY HILLEL

“ Now I am proud to be gay, I am proud to be Jewish, and I am proud of my Israeli community”

“Taking that religious space, [the Hillel], and giving these people that importance” when they were not considered important during their lives “was something that I thought was needed,” Luckner says.

At the end of the service, attendees share what action they will take to stop violence against the transgender community.

Luckner is “going to Students from American University keep doing this Hillel preparing rainbow challah for the work and keep Rainbow Shabbat. being active and trying to bring people together.”

Hillels elsewhere incorporate LGBTQ discussion into their Shabbat programming.

PHOTO BY MEGAN WARRENBRAND PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM HILLEL

More than 40 students from the University of South Florida’s Hillel march in the Tampa Pride Parade on March 25.

At San Francisco State University, for instance, students recently hosted a Shabbat featuring Rabbi Andrew Ramer, author of “Queering the Text,” which takes Jewish stories and reimagines them with At Hillels across the country, LGBTQ LGBTQ plots programming and inclusivity initiatives and undertones. are increasingly student-led.

One such story features an additional child of Adam and Eve named Jerah. In that story, Jerah knows he is different from his siblings. He wanders from town to town looking for someone like him. When Jerah meets one of his sister’s sons, Naam, the two are attracted to each other.

“When Jerah and Naam looked at each other for the first

time, their hearts like birds flew out of their breasts toward each other,” the story reads.

Ramer told stories like this one, which is called “The Seeker,” to students at San Francisco State University during its “Rainbow Shabbat.”

“It was very moving just to have that kind of energy around in the Hillel,” says Scott McDonald, a senior at San Francisco State University who identifies as bisexual. “It felt more like a celebratory kind of Shabbat.”

At the University of Arizona, students invite Moshe Alfisher to lead an alternative Shabbat service. Alfisher, an Israeli native who works for Hillel International, is a member of the LGBTQ community who speaks to others about his struggles coming out as gay to his parents and community.

“I thought that I could not say that I believe in God and say that I am gay,” Alfisher told students. “Now I am proud to be gay, I am proud to be Jewish, and I am proud of my Israeli community.”

The goal, echoes Maya Griswold, who identifies as gay and helped organize the service, is to open the Hillel “up to students who aren’t directly involved … so they can come and see how our Hillel, and religion in general, can be very accepting to the LGBTQ community.”

hillel.org/guide 27

GET TO KNOW US. Choose from academic programs in engineering, fine and performing arts, humanities, management, sciences and social sciences.

Program in Jewish Studies

Spend time at the Berelson Center for Jewish Life, a welcoming space to meet, study, relax and attend events.

Get to know our campus rabbi, who works with our active student-run Hillel to offer Shabbat and Holidays, trips, and social and educational programs.

Exploring the diversity of Judaism Crossing disciplinary boundaries Creating a bridge to the community

bucknell.edu 28

• Jewish Life on Campus

jewishstudies.rice.edu

EWCJS_MOMENT_FA17_02.pdf

1

10/12/17

9:03 AM

BE A PART OF THE HILLEL COMMUNITY! Connect with Hillel on social media!

Hillel International

@hillelintl

@hillelintl

COLLEGE GUIDE

www.hillel.org

The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus hillel.org/guide 29

Diving Deep with

Special Needs

BY DAN SCHERE PHOTOS COURTESY OF ECKERD COLLEGE HILLEL

Sunshine State and crystal blue The water go hand in hand, but for a group of Eckerd College students

active with Hillels of the Florida Suncoast, a trip to the Florida Keys this spring was anything but routine. While the sunshine was great, the members of the St. Petersburg school’s Scubi Jew: EC Environmental Divers club had an altogether different purpose—helping paraplegic, quadriplegic, amputee and blind participants enjoy the transformative experience of diving.

One of sophomore Colie Kuttnauer’s dive partners was Ben, who has paraplegia.

Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, campus rabbi at Eckerd College and the executive director of Hillels of the Florida Suncoast, took seven students on an alternative spring break trip last year to the Florida Keys where they went scuba diving with disabled adults.

30

• Jewish Life on Campus

“I remember going down with him, and he [breathed] so [forcefully] that his regulator almost fell out of his mouth and his eyes just lit up as we got down under the surface,” she says. “That was probably the moment where I knew I was doing such a great thing and that I was actually helping someone in that way.”

For Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, the Eckerd campus rabbi and the regional Hillel’s executive director, scuba diving is therapy. For 30 years he has been splashing into a “blue world filled with light,” which to him is akin to entering “a different universe.”

“For a disabled diver confined to a wheelchair, when they’re put into the water and you see the joy on their faces, it’s indescribable,” he says.

The trip, which was organized in conjunction with Diveheart, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities experience scuba diving, was a departure from the Scubi Jew’s normal activities, which center on environmental justice.

The Hillel is the only one that owns a boat, which was recently donated by the parents of an alumna who passed away, and students make frequent trips to Tampa Bay to restore the coral reef. The group has also gone diving with sharks to raise awareness of their endangerment.

“People talk about tikkun olam,” Rosenthal says, referring to the biblical concept of “repairing the world.” “We do tikkun hayam, which is to repair the seas.”

Each adaptive diver was paired with a “dive buddy” who helped them in the water. The disabled divers included a blind person, an amputee, a person with paraplegia and a person with quadriplegia.

“I remember going down with him, and he [breathed] so [forcefully] that his regulator almost fell out of his mouth and his eyes just lit up as we got down under the surface.

That was probably the moment where I knew I was doing such a great thing and that I was actually helping someone in that way.”

— Colie Kuttnauer hillel.org/guide 31

To prepare for this year’s trip, students went through 45 hours of training to become a certified “dive buddy.” Students worked in pairs, with one playing the role of a disabled diver and the other working as the dive buddy. Their first session took the form of a land-based challenge— students guided their partners around campus while blindfolded.

The training took place over two weekends and lasted from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. The classroom portion of the training included demonstrations of how to put a wetsuit on a person with paraplegia or quadriplegia, as well as how to assemble a blind person’s scuba equipment.

“Throughout, we were constantly changing up the groups and who you were partnered with to make sure everyone was comfortable with everyone,” notes sophomore Ariele Dashow.

Ellie Foden, also a sophomore, says the pool training involved exercises where one student had their arms and legs bound in order to simulate the experience of an amputee, or person with paraplegia or quadriplegia. This meant the students had to help each other equalize the

32

• Jewish Life on Campus

pressure in their ears and put on ankle weights to stabilize themselves.

“When you’re not using fins, your feet can float, [but] you need to be neutrally buoyant to float in the water,” she points out, emphasizing the difficulty of the task.

Josh Keller, a junior, says one of the most important aspects of the training was the sense of trust he gained in his fellow divers. “It was really important to deal with that during the training because you understand that these people are putting your lives in their hands.”

One of the keys to being underwater with a disabled diver is to master a series of hand signals that tells the diver which direction to swim, Keller says. But for the blind, dive buddies have to drag their fingers across the palm of their partners’ hands and push up or down to signal a direction.

Keller’s takeaway from the experience is that unlike on land, humans are pretty much on the same playing field underwater.

“I was carrying these people to the boat, you had to help them put their wet suit on, and yet they get in the water and

they start flying around like superheroes, completely free,” he explains.

The experience was stressful at times, says Kuttnauer, but ultimately rewarding, because it demonstrated how she could make a difference in the lives of others.

“It was frightening, but at the same time we got so much empathy from it and we put ourselves in the shoes of divers who can’t dive on their own.”

Keller specifically remembers the facial expressions of the new divers as they made their underwater descent.

“You would see these people go down, and you would have to look into their eyes to make sure they’re OK and everything,” he says. “So I was looking into their eyes as they hit the water, and you see their face just light up.”

In addition to earning their adaptive diving certification, the students took a course in empathy.

“We learned to relate to [disabled] people and not just see them as someone with a disability,” says Dashow, “just someone who needs to take a little longer with the same skill you [are] doing.”

Front (from left): Mychal Herber ’19 Wisconsin; Jessica Herrmann ’16 New Jersey, History; Jack Marcus ’17 Calif., Environmental Studies/Env. Science. Back (from left): Matt Berman ’18 New York, Earth Sciences/Educational Studies; Max Lee ’19 Massachusetts.

• Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life sponsors a vibrant Hillel chapter: Israel group, kosher cooking club, Challah for Hunger, men’s group and more • One of the first liberal-arts colleges in the U.S. to • Dining Hall serves Star-K certified kosher meals; Gourmet kosher Shabbat and holiday meals

• Study-abroad programs at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rothberg International School, Ben-Gurion University and the Jewish Theological Seminary

Here’s what our students have to say about Jewish Life: dson.co/JewishLife.

800–644–1773 • www.dickinson.edu • admit@dickinson.edu

FIND

YOURSELF

HERE

bbyo.org/joinus

A place where 80,000 Jewish teens worldwide can have the time of their life... and we’re growing! hillel.org/guide 33

BY

PA

IG

E

GU

TT

ER

R?

CA A N KI Y YO CK O U UR ST U SE A CA RT RE FO E R

H

annah Wise didn’t know a thing about the real estate industry when she began her internship at a realty company in Cincinnati. Once there, she spent her days entering new client information into the company database. She created marketing materials and assisted at open houses and showings.

She did practically everything but make the sale.

“Every day was different,” says Wise (Miami University of Ohio ’17), who landed her internship with the help of Careers Cincinnati, a joint initiative of Cincinnati Hillel and Hillel at Miami University.

By diving into the world of a real estate professional, “I gained a perspective on both the buyer’s and seller’s side,” she says.

As college internships become more important for landing a good job after graduation, Hillels across the country are increasingly helping students get their foot in the door. Through this assistance, students gain access to mentors and networks,

34

• Jewish Life on Campus

they learn crucial interview skills and get a firsthand look at the increasingly competitive world of employment.

As she prepares for graduation, Wise looks to the day when she starts her own business. It won’t be in real estate—she sees herself as a health food entrepreneur, admitting, “I’m a foodie at heart.” She considers her internship invaluable to her future career.

At the University of Florida (UF) Hillel, Trevor Youshak (’17) took advantage of a workshop that taught him interview skills.

“When I spoke to potential [internship] employers, I wasn’t nervous and I felt confident that I had what it took to work there,” he says.

The workshop was part of UF Hillel’s internship program, called Career Up, a growing national initiative that UF Hillel CEO Rabbi Adam Grossman touts as a way for students to gain access to mentors and professional networks. Youshak landed an internship at a free legal aid society in Florida, and after six weeks

PHOTO COURTESY OF UF HILLEL

Participants in Career Up Now: Los Angeles learn from Eytan Elbaz, co-founder of Applied Semantics, which later became, Google AdSense.

of training, an internship at the Osceola County Courthouse.

“UF Hillel has a tremendous networking base, so they were able to help me seek internships that fit my career aspirations,” Youshak says.

Elisha Jacobs (New York University ’18) was mentored during his internship as a financial analyst at AmTrust Financial Services in Manhattan’s Financial District. He found his internship through NYU Hillel’s Collegiate Leadership Internship Program, or CLIP. The program seeks to foster and develop professional and lay leadership in the Jewish community, according to Julie Wichler, coordinator for leadership initiatives at The Bronfman Center at NYU Hillel.

“I worked for a vice president who immensely cared about my professional development and took time to explain the little things,” Jacobs says.

About 80 percent of students who, like Jacobs, take advantage of CLIP accept jobs with Jewish organizations, says Wichler. They include UJA-Federations of New York, The Union for Reform Judaism and The Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

In California, the Hillel Foundation of Orange County pairs students with career mentors through the local Jewish federation.

At a recent networking event, professionals from 12 fields, including medicine, law and politics, met with Hillel students from the University of California at Irvine.

“ UF Hillel has a tremendous networking basis, so they were able to help me seek internships that fit my career aspirations.”

Having Hillel as the event’s convener was key, says Executive Director Lisa Armony.

“Students not only had an opportunity to network … but also [to learn] how their Jewish identity can inform their professional path,” she says.

The list of initiatives goes on. University of Delaware Hillel and Northeastern University Hillel shoot professional headshots that students can use for networking sites like LinkedIn. And Queens College Hillel connects undergraduates with recent alumni for career counseling coffee dates.

The goal is the same: to help Hillel students make the transition from university to career as seamless as possible.

hillel.org/guide 35

FOOD

Baking Braids for a Good Cause > HOME is where the heart is—or where the challah is.

Matthew Kritz, a rising senior at Princeton University, grew up making challah at home. Now, he’s president of the local chapter of Challah for Hunger.

A national organization that bakes and sells challah, donating the profits to social justice causes, Challah for Hunger now has chapters on more than 80 campus Hillels. Half of the proceeds go to MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, while the other half goes to charities of students’ choosing. To date, the organization has donated more than $1 million to fight hunger near campus and around the world.

“Certainly for me and a lot of other students, it’s a nice way not only to give back to the community, but also to feel a little bit more at home when you’re away on campus,” Kritz says.

He joins his fellow undergrads Thursdays after class to braid the dough and bake it into loaves—all of their challah is vegan, too, simply by removing the eggs—which are ready to sell by Friday morning.

At $5 apiece, they usually sell about 100 loaves, earning an estimated $500 a week.

Connecting to Shabbat, family, the Jewish community and others in need are important values for Kritz, and they all fall under the umbrella of Challah for Hunger and Hillel, he points out.

“Whether the Princeton Hillel likes it or not, I sort of see it as my living room,” he explains. “I see it as a space where I see people I know, where I feel comfortable, where I feel like I have a community.”

Brenna Rosen, a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh, says Challah for Hunger gives her a creative outlet.

She’ll be assuming the role of president this fall for the chapter, which often bakes 15 trays of bread each week. They amassed 1,700 challahs, averaging $5,000, last year.

With three baking managers on board, they create different flavor concoctions, like tomato pesto or chocolate babka.

Prior to college, Rosen never made challah. Last summer, she taught her mom

36

• Jewish Life on Campus

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRINCETON HILLEL

BY RACHEL KURLAND

Students at Princeton Hillel take a break from baking to pose for a photo.

how to make it for the first time.

“It’s fun to take that tradition from school and bring it home,” says Rosen.

“It’s usually vice versa.”

Maya Lubarsky, a rising senior at the University of Miami, recently joined the

Challah for Hunger draws “really dedicated people who care about their community, who care about different organizations and who are passionate about making the change.” ­­— Maya Lubarsky national board of Challah for Hunger as a student representative. She helped start the UM chapter about three years ago, later taking on acting treasurer and president roles. This year, she took a step back to let others take the local lead.

They bake, on average, 70 challahs a week, taking in roughly $3,500 each year.

Half of the proceeds go to the Kosher Food Bank in Miami.

“It’s a lot of hands-on volunteering,” says Lubarsky. “It really means a lot to me to just get a different perspective on my community … to be able to take a little bit of time out of my week and give to people who may not be able to help themselves.”

Beyond the charity, Lubarsky loves working with the people.

“The people that Challah draws [are] really dedicated people who care about their community, who care about different organizations and who are passionate about making the change,” she says.

Coming into college, she strayed from any Jewish campus organization. That was before Hillel.

“From going from wanting nothing to do with this to spending maybe 15, 20 hours a week at minimum on this club, and now sitting on the national board,” she says. “Food brings people together.

We’re breaking bread and we’re opening new ideas and we’re forging new paths to end hunger.”

Looking for the right college?

Find more information online

hillel.org/guide

TRAVEL

Alternative Breaks Give Students Chance to Spring into Service

BY MARISSA STERN

VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY For more than six years, Hillel at Virginia Tech has had a partnership with the nonprofit Rebuilding Together, which works to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. In New Orleans, they work in neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Katrina that still haven’t been renovated.

Niki Selz went on her first alternative break to New Orleans as a freshman, when she was a Hillel Ask Big Questions Fellow.

Selz went on another alternative break as a senior, this time as a trip co-leader.

They worked on fixing an elderly woman’s house that was still covered in leadbased paint.

“Service is kind of the piece of Judaism that I am most drawn to,” said Selz.

“Service trips in particular give students a really interesting opportunity to learn about another culture, another way of life.”

She led reflection sessions each night and discussed bigger topics that came from the work they did, such as looking at privilege and the creation of “need.”

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY Penn Staters went to either New Orleans or Roatán, Honduras during the 2017 spring break.

Becca Lerman served as the student trip leader to Roatán last year after helping form the program two years ago.

They volunteered in La Colonia, an area “thriving with love, culture and people but in need of many necessities such as homes, electricity, running water,” Lerman said.

Their first year, they built a house for a family that lost their own to heavy rains.

38

• Jewish Life on Campus

This group traveled to La Colonia, Honduras, where they built steps alongside homes to help locals move around more easily. While there, the Penn State Hillel delegation also fed locals—for some of them, it was their only meal that day.

They built steps to “physically allow the people of La Colonia to leave and return to their homes situated in the hills.”

Along with the physical labor, they formed relationships with the residents and fit in time to go snorkeling.

“Service allows me to connect to my Jewish identity in a way that I feel is empowering,” said Lerman. “Not only are these experiences important for the communities and people we help, but also for the personal development participants inevitably receive during the trip.”

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Rising junior Lauren Kahn spent her week off on a new alternative break with Penn Hillel, Penn in Poland: Jewish Encounters with Memory and Renaissance.

She had done a previous alternative break to Nicaragua, but this particular trip allowed Kahn to connect to her own roots.

Her grandmother is from Poland.

Traveling to sites such as Kraków, Oświęcim and Warsaw, where they visited Auschwitz/Birkenau, the students also explored places dedicated to Jewish life beyond the Holocaust and met with leaders in the Jewish community.

“I thought this trip would be an interesting and different take than many other Poland trips,” she noted. “Instead of exclusively focusing on the period of the Holocaust … it really focused on the history of Jews in Poland/Eastern Europe as a journey.”

Both trips were eye-opening.

“It was a great way to meet other students that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten so close with,” she said. “It’s a good balance of travel, fun and learning that is hard to get in just one week on your own, especially in places where you might not necessarily travel to on your own.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENN STATE HILLEL

>AH, SPRING BREAK. A coveted chance to sleep in without missing a class or maybe go somewhere warm and relax.

Or, in some cases, it’s a week to volunteer.

Hillels at many campuses offer alternative spring break trips that focus on a particular service activity that directly impacts communities participants may not have encountered that before. Here are a few students’ experiences.

By the Numbers: HILLEL’S IMPACT

3,300+

15,982

Hillels took

44

Alternative Spring Break trips this year in

11,220

Since 2001, Hillel has recruited

392

solar panels power three campus Hillels

time zones

countries

21,000

students went on Hillel-led Birthright Israel trips in the past four years

70 17,298

Students took

students this year in one-on-one interactions This year our Israel team brought

40 90 255 54,990

the total number of hours of learning with the participants of Hillel’s Jewish Learning Fellowship

matches

the number of countries Hillel operates from Hillel Buenos Aires to Hillel Khabarovsk

Israel Fellows engaged

the number of professionals under age 30 who work at local Hillels

1,739

14

Hillels on college campuses in North America

students went on Alternative Breaks with Hillel across the United States, South America, Israel, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Africa since 2004.

356

143,600

students in the past 11 years on 150 campuses

550 17 14 35

interns have engaged

dynamic speakers to

campuses for a total of speaking engagements bone marrow donors, resulting in

251

life-saving transplants

15 Jewish entrepreneurs were featured in

32 educational videos as part of “Bible of Business,” an online academy teaching the strategies, experiences and ethics of Jewish entrepreneurs

4,023

camel rides on Hillel organized Birthright Israel trips this year

~7

people on every Birthright bus have a bar/bat mitzvah on the trip

Hillel offers niche Birthright Israel trips:

underwater diving

yoga/ American mindfulness Sign Language (ASL)

BY THE NUMBERS

Top 60 Public Schools Jews Choose RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

UNIVERSITY

HILLEL

UNDERGRADUATE JEWISH POPULATION UNDERGRADUATES

University of Florida Rutgers University, New Brunswick D University of Central Florida w University of Maryland, College Park Dw University of Michigan D University of Wisconsin, Madison Dw CUNY, Brooklyn College Dw Queens College w Indiana University Pennsylvania State University, University Park Dw Binghamton University D University at Albany D California State University, Northridge D Michigan State University D Arizona State University Dw Florida International University D York University D Florida State University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dw University of Arizona D University of California, Santa Barbara w Ohio State University Dw University of Texas, Austin D McGill University Dw University of California, Berkeley Dw University of Colorado at Boulder University of California, Davis D University of California, Los Angeles Dw Florida Atlantic University Dw University of Delaware w University of Vermont Queensborough Community College Stony Brook University D University of Connecticut Towson University D University at Buffalo Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills D University of Massachusetts, Amherst D Virginia Tech Dw San Francisco State University University of California, Santa Cruz D University of Washington w Temple University, Main and Ambler D University of Pittsburgh Dw University of Oregon Queen’s University CUNY, Hunter College w University of Kansas University of South Florida w University of Toronto, St. George w Broward College Dw University of Guelph James Madison University University of Waterloo University of Minnesota D CUNY, College of Staten Island w Miami University D San Diego State University D SUNY College at Oswego Ryerson University

University of Florida Hillel Rutgers University Hillel Foundation Central Florida Hillel University of Maryland Hillel University of Michigan Hillel Hillel at the University of Wisconsin The Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College Queens College Hillel Indiana University Hillel Penn State Hillel Hillel at Binghamton University at Albany Hillel Hillel 818 - CSUN, Pierce College, LA Valley College Lester and Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center Arizona State University Hillel Hillel at Florida International University Hillel at York University Hillel at Florida State University Foundation Cohen Hillel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Arizona Hillel Foundation Santa Barbara Hillel Ohio State University Hillel Texas Hillel Foundation Hillel Montreal U.C. Berkeley Hillel C U Boulder Hillel Hillel at Davis and Sacramento UCLA Hillel Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach University of Delaware Hillel University of Vermont Hillel Queensborough Community College Hillel Stony Brook Hillel UConn Hillel Hillel of Towson University Hillel of Buffalo Hillel 818 - CSUN, Pierce College, LA Valley College University of Massachusetts, Amherst Hillel Hillel at Virginia Tech San Francisco Hillel Santa Cruz Hillel University of Washington Hillel Hillel at Temple University Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh The Oregon Hillel Foundation Queen`s Hillel Hunter College Hillel University of Kansas Hillel Hillels of the Florida Suncoast Hillel at the University of Toronto Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach Guelph Hillel James Madison University Hillel Hillel Waterloo Minnesota Hillel Hillel at the College of Staten Island Hillel Foundation at Miami University Hillel of San Diego at SDSU Hillel at Oswego JSU Hillel at Ryerson

34464 36168 55776 28472 28983 31710 14406 16326 39184 41827 13632 13139 35552 39090 42477 45813 47000 32929 33932 34072 21574 45831 40168 27035 27496 27846 29546 30873 25400 18322 11159 15569 17026 18826 19198 20411 22196 23373 25791 25945 16962 30933 29275 18757 20047 10350 16723 18753 31461 70592 43700 17436 19548 28734 34071 12417 16981 29853 7150 35700

D DENOTES CAMPUSES THAT HAVE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL FELLOWS TO HILLEL. w DENOTES CAMPUSES RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT BY OTHER HILLELS.

40

• Jewish Life on Campus

6500 6400 6000 5800 4500 4200 4000 4000 4000 4000 3700 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3294 3000 3000 2850 2777 2750 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2400 2250 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 1800 1800 1750 1600 1600 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1400 1200 1200 1200 1200 1100 1100 1080 1050 1000

JEWISH GRADUATE UNDERGRADUATE % POPULATION 19% 18% 11% 20% 16% 13% 28% 25% 10% 10% 27% 27% 10% 9% 8% 8% 7% 10% 9% 9% 13% 6% 7% 9% 9% 9% 8% 8% 9% 12% 18% 13% 12% 11% 10% 10% 9% 9% 8% 8% 11% 6% 6% 9% 8% 14% 9% 8% 5% 2% 3% 7% 6% 4% 4% 9% 6% 4% 15% 3%

17813 13978 8545 10611 15735 11626 3174 3306 10511 6430 3660 4234 8628 11254 9392 9298 6000 8439 13019 9553 2772 13651 11163 9510 10439 5925 6895 14074 5138 3752 1946 0 8708 8146 3145 9772 0 6664 7379 3100 1821 14658 10033 9860 3561 2900 6270 6139 11400 17343 0 2131 1722 2500 16607 987 2716 4835 854 2300

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE JEWISH STUDENTS BY % COURSES

2900 1200 400 800 2000 1000 500 331 900 500 250 1800 650 500 340 160 500 888 1000 300 450 350 500 1050 500 350 1050 600 450 300 400 0 1200 450 300 800

16% 9% 9% 8% 13% 9% 16% 10% 9% 8% 7% 43% 8% 4% 4% 2% 8% 11% 8% 3% 16% 3% 4% 11% 5% 6% 15% 4% 9% 8% 21% 0% 14% 6% 10% 8%

77 50 15 40 120 90 43 46 60 80 30 20 25 25 40 15 62 30 68 48 40 80 30 100 12 15 23 50 7 20 8 0 6 5 32 10

500 200 450 151 1000 1750 500 250 150 1000 100 200 1500 0

8% 3% 15% 8% 7% 17% 5% 7% 5% 16% 2% 2% 9% 0%

75 14 40 32 15 35 30 15 15 30 10 12 60 0

40

2%

8 15 10 1 32 15

200 230 25 300

2% 23% 1% 6%

150

7%

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS Major, Minor Minor, Major Minor, Certificate Major, Minor Minor, Major Major, Minor, Certificate Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor, Certificate Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor Minor, Major Certificate Major Minor Minor, Major, Certificate Certificate, Other Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor Major,Minor Major, Minor Minor, Major, Certificate Minor, Certificate Major, Minor, Certificate Minor, Major Major, Minor Minor, Major Minor Minor None Minor Minor, Major Minor, Other Major, Minor None Major, Minor Minor Minor, Major Major Major, Minor Certificate Certificate, Other Major Minor Major, Minor Minor Minor Major, Minor None None None Major Major, Minor None Minor, Other Major, Minor None None

JEWISH EDUCATORS YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

ISRAEL ABROAD

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Sponsored program, study abroad credits University-approved programs Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored program, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University sponsored program

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No

45 50 45 53 50 49 42 45 51 54 52 51 46 49 57 44 42 45 55 48 47 52 47 41 48 56 41 43 44 42 43 47 54 50 40 57 46 51 57 44 49 48 48 48 46

55 50 55 47 50 51 58 55 49 46 48 49 54 51 43 56 58 55 45 52 53 48 53 59 52 44 59 57 56 58 57 53 46 50 60 43 54 49 43 56 51 52 52 52 54

36 50 46 45 41

64 50 54 55 59

41

59

49 44 49 46 50

51 56 51 54 50

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored program, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program

YES YES YES YES

University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

YES

University-approved programs Does not accept credit for study abroad in Israel Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Unknown

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

YES YES

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program University-sponsored program Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Approved programs, study abroad credits Unknown Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Unknown

University-approved programs University-approved programs Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-sponsored program Approved programs, study abroad credits

% FEMALE

*Estimated population figures and other campus information are self-reported by local campus Hillels. For more information on Jewish life at colleges and universities around the world, visit hillel.org/guide.

hillel.org/guide 41

BY THE NUMBERS

Top 60 Private Schools Jews Choose RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

UNIVERSITY

HILLEL

UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION

JEWISH UNDERGRADUATES

JEWISH UNDERGRADUATE %

GRADUATE POPULATION

Boston University D New York University w George Washington University Dw Cornell University Dw Tulane University D Yeshiva University Syracuse University University of Miami University of Southern California w Washington University in St. Louis University of Pennsylvania D Brandeis University American University D University of Hartford Columbia University D Northwestern University Dw Tufts University Emory University D Northeastern University Vanderbilt University D Brown University w University of Rochester D Drexel University w Barnard College D Hofstra University University of Chicago Dw Harvard University Lehigh University Yale University D Oberlin College Duke University D Claremont Colleges Ithaca College w Case Western Reserve University D Muhlenberg College D Elon University Nova Southeastern University Dw Stanford University Vassar College Skidmore College Princeton University Dw Johns Hopkins University D Pace University Columbia College Chicago Dw Goucher College Dw Dartmouth College Chapman University Georgetown University Sarah Lawrence College Clark University Bentley University Carnegie Mellon University Dw University of Tampa w Emerson College Massachusetts Institute of Technology w Southern Methodist University Quinnipiac University Stetson University Hampshire College DePaul University Dw

Boston University Hillel Foundation NYU Hillel, Bronfman Center Hillel at The George Washington University Cornell Hillel Tulane Hillel Yeshiva University (YU) Syracuse University Hillel Hillel at the University of Miami University of Southern California Hillel Foundation Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis University of Pennsylvania Hillel Hillel at Brandeis University American University Hillel University of Hartford Hillel Columbia/Barnard Hillel Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University Tufts University Hillel Foundation Emory Hillel Northeastern University Hillel Vanderbilt Hillel Brown RISD Hillel Hillel at the University of Rochester Hillel at Drexel University Columbia/Barnard Hillel Hofstra University Hillel University of Chicago Hillel Harvard Hillel Lehigh University Hillel Society Yale University Hillel Oberlin College Hillel Jewish Life at Duke Hillel at the Claremont Colleges Hillel at Ithaca College Cleveland Hillel Muhlenberg College Hillel Elon University Hillel Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach Hillel at Stanford Vassar Jewish Union Skidmore Hillel Princeton Hillel, Center for Jewish Life Johns Hopkins University Hillel Pace University Hillel Metro Chicago Hillel Goucher College Hillel Dartmouth Hillel Hillel Foundation of Orange County Jewish Life at Georgetown Hillels of Westchester Clark University Hillel Bentley University Hillel Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh Hillels of the Florida Suncoast Emerson College Hillel M.I.T. Hillel Hillel of Dallas Quinnipiac Hillel Stetson University JSO Hampshire College Hillel Metro Chicago Hillel

17944 26135 11504 14566 6821 2714 15218 10849 18794 7540 10019 3608 7901 5150 6158 8353 5508 6861 17923 6871 6926 6386 15499 2586 6899 5941 6712 5080 5472 2895 6609 5982 6221 5152 2408 6008 4295 7034 2424 2680 5400 6117 6284 7809 1473 4310 6410 7453 1438 2289 4222 6673 7382 3790 4524 6521 7099 3089 1410 15407

5000 3500 3000 3000 2815 2714 2500 2000 2000 1750 1750 1600 1600 1500 1500 1300 1200 1200 1200 1050 1000 900 900 850 850 825 803 800 800 750 730 700 700 630 613 600 574 550 500 500 500 500 500 500 450 450 450 450 400 400 400 400 400 350 350 350 350 343 325 310

28% 13% 26% 21% 41% 100% 16% 18% 11% 23% 17% 44% 20% 29% 24% 16% 22% 17% 7% 15% 14% 14% 6% 33% 12% 14% 12% 16% 15% 26% 11% 12% 11% 12% 25% 10% 13% 8% 21% 19% 9% 8% 8% 6% 31% 10% 7% 6% 28% 17% 9% 6% 5% 9% 8% 5% 5% 11% 23% 2%

14751 24415 15655 7753 4657 3456 6752 5952 25077 7492 11807 2121 5446 1564 18800 12855 5981 7216 7543 5716 2855 4859 8733 0 4246 7381 4326 1979 6986 17 9319 1000 457 6512 0 731 17330 9880 0 6 2781 17875 2865 311 699 2071 2132 11072 298 1009 1286 7288 853 641 6852 5218 2801 1268 0 7703

D DENOTES CAMPUSES THAT HAVE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL FELLOWS TO HILLEL. w DENOTES CAMPUSES RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT BY OTHER HILLELS.

42

• Jewish Life on Campus

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE JEWISH STUDENTS BY % COURSES

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS

JEWISH EDUCATORS

ISRAEL ABROAD

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

500 2500 1500 500 500 780 500 1500 1700 1000 1800 400 1100 350 3500 1200 500 700 300 200 200 150

3% 10% 10% 6% 11% 23% 7% 25% 6% 13% 15% 21% 20% 22% 19% 9% 8% 8% 4% 3% 7% 3%

YES YES YES YES YES

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program

YES YES YES YES YES YES

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored program, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program University-sponsored program Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-sponsored program Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

1500 1500 2892 100 1500 700 100 25 615

35% 20% 19% 5% 21% 0% 8% 10% 5% 9%

40 2106 1000

5% 12% 10%

0 250 200

0% 9% 1%

Major, Minor Major Major, Minor Minor Minor, Major Minor, Major Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor Minor, Major Minor, Major Major, Minor Major, Minor Major Major, Minor, Other Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor, Major Major, Minor Major Minor Minor Major, Minor Minor, Major Minor, Major Major Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Certificate Major, Minor Minor Minor Major, Minor Minor None Minor, Major Major, Minor Other Minor, Certificate Major, Minor

YES YES

Unknown University-approved programs

150 200 100 50 500 100 50 20 300 100 0 600 50 50

48% 29% 5% 2% 9% 34% 5% 2% 4% 12% 0% 9% 1% 2%

YES YES YES YES YES YES

Unknown University-approved programs

39 43 43 50 41 55 46 48 48 47 50 42 37 49 53 50 50 41 49 50 48 50 53 0 46 52 53 56 51 43 51 52 42 55 40 41 30 53 43 40 52 50 38 42 32 50 39 44 29 39 59 53 42 40 54 50 39 42

61 57 57 50 59 45 54 52 52 53 50 58 63 51 47 50 50 59 51 50 52 50 47 100 54 48 47 44 49 57 49 48 58 45 60 59 70 47 57 60 48 50 62 58 68 50 61 56 71 61 41 47 58 60 46 50 61 58

0 412

0% 5%

None Minor Minor Minor, Other Minor, Certificate Minor, Major Minor, Major None None None None None Minor Certificate Other Minor, Major Minor

Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

47

53

65 70 30 46 50 138 20 15 14 60 50 60 25 20 25 35 25 61 38 63 30 8 5 25 14 30 40 29 50 23 16 20 12 21 25 30 50 20 8 20 17 8 0 28 10 3 20 20 19 4 4 4 1 1 20 1 10 4 10

YES YES YES YES

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

YES YES YES

Approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-sponsored program University-approved programs University-approved programs University-approved programs Unknown University-approved programs University-approved programs Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Does not accept credit for study abroad in Israel Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-approved programs

University-approved programs University-sponsored program

YES YES YES YES

Does not accept credit for study abroad in Israel Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-sponsored program Accepts credit for Israel study abroad

YES

YES

Unknown

% FEMALE

*Estimated population figures and other campus information are self-reported by local campus Hillels. For more information on Jewish life at colleges and universities around the world, visit hillel.org/guide.

hillel.org/guide 43

BY THE NUMBERS

Top 60 Schools Jews Choose (a breakdown by percentage) RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

University

Hillel

PUBLIC OR PRIVATE

UNDERGRADUATE JEWISH POPULATION UNDERGRADUATES

JEWISH UNDERGRADUATE %

GRADUATE POPULATION

Yeshiva University Jewish Theological Seminary of America American Jewish University Brandeis University Tulane University D Barnard College D Goucher College Dw University of Hartford Boston University D Sarah Lawrence College CUNY, Brooklyn College Dw Binghamton University D University at Albany D George Washington University Dw Oberlin College Muhlenberg College D Queens College w Columbia University D Haverford College Washington University in St. Louis Hampshire College Tufts University Vassar College Cornell University Dw University of Maryland, College Park Dw American University D Emory University D University of Florida Skidmore College University of Miami University of Vermont Mitchell College Rutgers University, New Brunswick D Clark University University of Pennsylvania D Syracuse University Kenyon College Lehigh University Northwestern University Dw University of Michigan D Vanderbilt University D SUNY College at Oswego Yale University D Queen’s University Bryn Mawr College Brown University w University of Rochester D University of Chicago Dw Union College New York University w Nova Southeastern University Dw Western University D Franklin & Marshall College University of Wisconsin, Madison Dw University of California, Santa Barbara w Queensborough Community College Hofstra University University of Delaware w Case Western Reserve University D Harvard University

Yeshiva University (YU) Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) American Jewish University (AJU) Hillel at Brandeis University Tulane Hillel Columbia/Barnard Hillel Goucher College Hillel University of Hartford Hillel Boston University Hillel Foundation Hillels of Westchester The Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College Hillel at Binghamton University at Albany Hillel Hillel at The George Washington University Oberlin College Hillel Muhlenberg College Hillel Queens College Hillel Columbia/Barnard Hillel Haverford Hillel Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis Hampshire College Hillel Tufts University Hillel Foundation Vassar Jewish Union Cornell Hillel University of Maryland Hillel American University Hillel Emory Hillel University of Florida Hillel Skidmore Hillel Hillel at the University of Miami University of Vermont Hillel Mitchell College Hillel Rutgers University Hillel Foundation Clark University Hillel University of Pennsylvania Hillel Syracuse University Hillel Kenyon College Hillel Lehigh University Hillel Society Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University University of Michigan Hillel Vanderbilt Hillel Hillel at Oswego JSU Yale University Hillel Queen`s Hillel Bryn Mawr College Hillel Brown RISD Hillel Hillel at the University of Rochester University of Chicago Hillel Union College Hillel NYU Hillel, Bronfman Center Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach Western Hillel Franklin & Marshall Hillel Hillel at the University of Wisconsin Santa Barbara Hillel Queensborough Community College Hillel Hofstra University Hillel University of Delaware Hillel Cleveland Hillel Harvard Hillel

Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Public Public Public Private Private Private Public Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Public Private Private Public Private Private Public Private Public Private Private Private Private Private Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Private Private Private Private Private Private Public Private Public Public Public Private Public Private Private

2714 158 150 3608 6821 2586 1473 5150 17944 1438 14406 13632 13139 11504 2895 2408 16326 6158 1268 7540 1410 5508 2424 14566 28472 7901 6861 34464 2680 10849 11159 677 36168 2289 10019 15218 1708 5080 8353 28983 6871 7150 5472 10350 1381 6926 6386 5941 2203 26135 4295 2250 2255 31710 21574 15569 6899 18322 5152 6712

100% 100% 100% 44% 41% 33% 31% 29% 28% 28% 28% 27% 27% 26% 26% 25% 25% 24% 24% 23% 23% 22% 21% 21% 20% 20% 19% 19% 19% 18% 18% 18% 18% 17% 17% 16% 16% 16% 16% 16% 15% 15% 15% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 12% 12% 12% 12%

3456 228 125 2121 4657 0 699 1564 14751 298 3174 3660 4234 15655 17 0 3306 18800 0 7492 0 5981 0 7753 10611 5446 7216 17813 6 5952 1946 0 13978 1009 11807 6752 0 1979 12855 15735 5716 854 6986 2900 327 2855 4859 7381 0 24415 17330 250 2219 11626 2772 0 4246 3752 6512 4326

D DENOTES CAMPUSES THAT HAVE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL FELLOWS TO HILLEL. w DENOTES CAMPUSES RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT BY OTHER HILLELS.

44

• Jewish Life on Campus

2714 158 150 1600 2815 850 450 1500 5000 400 4000 3700 3500 3000 750 613 4000 1500 300 1750 325 1200 500 3000 5800 1600 1300 6500 500 2000 2000 120 6400 400 1750 2500 275 800 1300 4500 1050 1050 800 1500 200 1000 900 825 300 3500 574 300 300 4200 2850 2000 850 2250 630 803

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE JEWISH STUDENTS BY % COURSES

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS

780 228 125 400 500

23% 100% 100% 21% 11%

200 350 500 100 500 250 1800 1500

29% 22% 3% 34% 16% 7% 43% 10%

331 3500

0% 10% 19%

Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Major, Minor Minor, Major Major, Minor Minor Major Major, Minor Minor, Major Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor, Other

1000 0 500

13% 0% 8%

500 800 1100 700 2900 0 1500 400 0 1200 50 1800 500

6% 8% 20% 8% 16% 0% 25% 21% 0% 9% 5% 15% 7%

100 1200 2000 200

5% 9% 13% 3%

1500 150

21% 5%

200 150 1500

7% 3% 20%

2500 2106 50

10% 12% 20%

1000 450 0 1500 300 615 2892

9% 16% 0% 35% 8% 9% 19%

138 150 50 60 50 25 28 20 65 20 43 30 20 30 23 25 46 25 5 60 4 25 20 46 40 25 61 77 8 15 8 1 50 19 50 20 5 29 35 120 63 50 15 3 30 8 30 20 70 25 15 90 40 0 14 20 21 40

Minor, Major Minor, Major Major, Minor Major, Minor Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Major, Minor Other Major, Minor Minor Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Major, Minor Other Minor Major, Minor Minor, Major Major, Minor None Major, Minor Minor Major Minor Minor, Major Minor Major None Minor, Major Major Major, Minor, Certificate Minor None Minor, Major Minor Minor Major

JEWISH EDUCATORS

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

ISRAEL ABROAD

Approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-approved programs University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-approved programs Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Unknown Approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Sponsored program, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits University-approved programs University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

YES YES

Approved programs, study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

YES

University-sponsored program University-sponsored program University-sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

YES YES

YES YES

University-approved programs University-sponsored program Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Approved programs, study abroad credits

YES YES YES YES YES

University-approved programs

YES YES YES YES YES YES

University-sponsored program Does not accept credit for study abroad in Israel University-approved programs University-approved programs Sponsored program, Study abroad credits Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

YES YES YES

Approved programs, study abroad credits Approved programs, study abroad credits University-sponsored program

Accepts credit for Israel study abroad Accepts credit for Israel study abroad University-approved programs

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

% FEMALE

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Unknown Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

55 44 41 42 41 0 32 49 39 29 42 52 51 43 43 40 45 53 47 47

45 56 59 58 59 100 68 51 61 71 58 48 49 57 57 60 55 47 53 53

50 43 50 53 37 41 45 40 48 43 56 50 39 50 46 45 56 50 50 50 50 51

50 57 50 47 63 59 55 60 52 57 44 50 61 50 54 55 44 50 50 50 50 49

0 48 50 52 55 43 30 43 47 49 47 47 46 42 55 53

100 52 50 48 45 57 70 57 53 51 53 53 54 58 45 47

*Estimated population figures and other campus information are self-reported by local campus Hillels. For more information on Jewish life at colleges and universities around the world, visit hillel.org/guide.

hillel.org/guide 45

JEWISH STUDIES IN CANADA’S MOST VIBRANT CITY!

LEARN HEBREW AT

Middlebury • Summer immersion program, with the Middlebury Language Pledge

Undergraduate & Graduate Programs in Faculties of Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, & Education

R

• College credit and Master’s program

Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies

• Financial aid available

York University, Toronto

www.middlebury.edu/ls/hebrew

cjs@yorku.ca cjs.yorku.ca facebook.com/CJSYorkU

A JEWISH HOME AWAY FROM HOME! · Adds community to the college experience through explorations of social, educational, and religious aspects of Judaism and Israel. · Serving students from San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Foothill College, De Anza College, and West Valley College.

44 South 11th Street San Jose, CA 95112 408.286.6669 | www.hillelsv.org

to live in the light of

FRIENDSHIP to walk in the path of

CHIVALRY to serve for the love of

SERVICE Building Brotherhood Since 1910

Are you: w A TeΦ Alumnus?

Please visit www.tep.org/alumnus-information w Interested in joining a current TeΦ Chapter?

Please visit www.tep.org/future-brothers

www.tep.org

w Interested in starting a TeΦ Chapter on your campus?

Please visit www.tep.org/start-a-new-chapter

Integrating a vibrant Jewish life with a distinctive liberal arts experience The University of Richmond Jewish Life Program fosters a dynamic community through religious observances, social and cultural events, and international travel, all embedded in a top-ranked liberal arts education.

CHAPLAINCY.RICHMOND.EDU/JEWISH-LIFE

Jewish students at Miami University are…

• Building Relationships • Creating Partnerships • Exploring New Opportunities • Networking • Supporting Israel • Becoming Tomorrow’s Leaders • Impacting the World • Celebrating Jewish Life We are a community of 1100 Jewish students and a vital partner with the University. We are the central hub for Jewish life at Miami, a place where all Students feel at home. We are…

Phone: 513.523.5190 E-mail: admin@muhillel.org Website: www.muhillel.org Facebook: Hillel: Miami University

asu.edu 46

• Jewish Life on Campus

19756_ASU_FTF_Hillel one eighth page ad PRINT.indd 1

10/23/17 2:08 PM

MARKETPLACE

COLLEGE GUIDE

BE A PART OF THE HILLEL COMMUNITY! www.hillel.org BRYANT UNIVERSITY Your Jewish home on campus

•

Full-time Rabbi

www.bryant.edu

Hillel International @hillelintl @hillelintl

The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus

U.S. News & World Report ranks UConn among the Top 20 Public Universities in the nation.

100+ majors

Jewish Life at Duke University

TORRINGTON HARTFORD STORRS

A Accredited by Hillel International

WATERBURY

A Part of Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs

AVERY POINT

A Housed in the Freeman Center for Jewish Life

STAMFORD

conveniently located on Duke’s Central Campus

250+

education aboad programs

A Kosher dining included in the Duke meal plan

Huskymania

A Holiday and Shabbat services, meals, and celebrations

24 NCAA Division I teams

directed by the Campus Rabbi

A University religious observance policy that recognizes

16:1

student to faculty ratio

Active Hillel Center Individualized Major or Minor Judaic Studies

Visit admissions.uconn.edu

Sign up for more information • Schedule a visit

Jewish holidays

A Academic engagement through the

Duke Center for Jewish Studies

A Israel engagement facilitated

by Duke’s Jewish Agency Israel Fellow

studentaffairs.duke.edu/jewishlife

hillel.org/guide 47

PHOTO BY JULIA OSTROVSKY PHOTO BY STEELE FRIESE

Best of Birthright Israel: Hillel

Want to be featured on this page in the next issue of Hillel College Guide magazine?

Email your best high-resolution photos from your Hillel-led trip to iellison@hillel.org.

48

• Jewish Life on Campus

PHOTO BY JULIA OSTROVSKY

Congratulations to Julia Ostrovsky, Temple University, Class of 2019, and Steele Friese, University of Florida, Class of 2017, who won our inaugural Best of Birthright Israel: Hillel photo contest.

hillel.org/guide 49

PHOTO BY JULIA OSTROVSKY

PHOTO BY STEELE FRIESE

PHOTO BY STEELE FRIESE

PHOTO BY STEELE FRIESE PHOTO BY JULIA OSTROVSKY

FINDING A JEWISH ROOMMATE ISN’T EASY. That’s why BBYO developed Joomie. Designed by students for students, Joomie is a unique, one-of-a-kind free app that will make it easier for you to find your “chosen roommate” in college.

Visit joomie.org to stay updated when the app launches!

POWERED BY

A student-centered, private research university with a reverence for learning and a commitment to repairing the world.

Welcome home, scholars.

BE A PART OF THE HILLEL COMMUNITY! Connect with Hillel on social media!

Hillel International @hillelintl @hillelintl

Brandeis University www.brandeis.edu 50

• Jewish Life on Campus

COLLEGE GUIDE

www.hillel.org

The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus

Brotherhood

mutual advocacy helpfulness Shabbat Across civic leadership AEΠ jewish mensches values Social Action tzedakah Athletics jewish identity

Jewish Leadership

Campus Building Leadership Jewish Communities

tikkun hineni israel olam

academics

Alpha Epsilon Pi

◆ Developing leadership for the Jewish community ◆ On 190 colleges campuses in 6 countries ◆ 10,000 undergraduates proudly wear our letters and lead the way

joinaepi.org