Hillel College Guide Magazine - Spring 2016

COLLEGE GUIDE The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus SPRING 2016

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Hillel at ASU is the center of Jewish campus life and serves over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate Jewish students. Nationally ranked as a top public choice for Jewish students, ASU is a place where you can pursue a life of meaning and purpose among a community of like-minded individuals. Come join thousands of the nation’s most accomplished students, including Fulbright Scholars, National Merit Scholars and successful entrepreneurs.

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COLLEGE GUIDE Spring 2016 Publisher hillel international

Publisher’s Letter Until you go to college, many of your choices are made for you. Now, as one of the more than 100,000 Jewish students preparing to enter college, you get to make your own choices — about what classes to take, how to dress, what to eat and even how to express your Judaism.

However you decide to express your Jewish identity on campus, Hillel is there to meet and empower you. You don’t even have to walk into a Hillel building to be part of this family. You can connect to Hillel spiritually, socially and through social justice, Jewish learning and Torah study, and in ways we’ve yet to discover — ways you can create.

Hillel is always striving to make Jewish life on campus engaging, exciting and inclusive. That’s why we proudly welcomed 24 current college students to join our Student Cabinet this semester, a diverse group of advisers who represent the full spectrum of Jewish backgrounds, areas of study and college communities. One of those new Cabinet members is Alexandra Frol, a downhill skier, Paralympic hopeful and aspiring surgeon from Westminster College we introduced to you in the Spring ’15 issue of Hillel College Guide magazine.

In this issue, you’ll get up close and personal with four more Hillel students — Elinor, Zachary, Gabrielle and Tyler — each with their own unique story of growth and discovery at Hillel. Their first-person essays take us from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Germany to Israel.

As these students found out, and you will, too, your Hillel journey may begin on campus but certainly doesn’t end there.

Interested in visiting Israel or volunteering in Central America during spring break? Keep reading to find out how Hillel can help make it happen.

Have an idea for a social justice project? Student-led services? Combining sports, mindfulness or meditation with Judaism? We welcome your ideas.

Your life is in your hands now. Your first choice is to choose the college that’s right for you. In this issue of Hillel College Guide magazine, you’ll find advice and resources to help you make this important decision.

You’ll find Hillels on more than 500 campuses on four continents. So wherever you decide to head for college, we look forward to accompanying you on your journey.

ERIC fIngERHuT PRESIDEnT AnD CEO

Editorial Board eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO, Hillel International sidney Pertnoy, Chair, Hillel International Board of Directors Matthew Berger, Senior Adviser for Strategic Communications hindy chinn, Director of Information Technology, Operations Geoffrey W. Melada, Director of Communications Michael kusie, Director of Information Technology for Online Services kim Brumer, Director of Development, Data & Analytics Maria radacsi, Director of Design and Production elizabeth Munsey, Associate Director for Online Services hannah elovitz, Communications Associate Editorial and Design Mid-Atlantic custom Media Director Jeni Mann 410-902-2302 jmann@midatlanticmedia.com Editor Joshua runyan Editorial Team Melissa Apter, Melissa Gerr, David holzel, Justin katz, Jon Marks, Josh Marks, Daniel schere, Marc shapiro Art Directors lindsey Bridwell, kim Van Dyke Design Team erin clare, lonna koblick Contributing Photographer David stuck Advertising stephanie shapiro 410-902-2309 sshapiro@midatlanticmedia.com Hillel College Guide is produced two times 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 2016, all rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of the Hillel College Guide without written permission is prohibited.

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CONTENTS

Spring 2016

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Publisher’s Letter 8 Health 11 Finance 13 Academics 15 Advice

FEATURES

33 Food

20 Power Prayers

34 By the Numbers

24 Tel Aviv Comes to You

40 Travel

28 Team Hillel 42 Faces of Hillel

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cover photo: Jamie goldberg

16 Voices

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF JEWISH LEADERS

Texas Hillel creates opportunities for all Jewish students at The University of Texas at Austin to develop their own Jewish interests and participate in a welcoming campus-based community that respects the value of pluralism and promotes ongoing involvement in Jewish life.

Engagement. Leadership. Jewish Values. The Jewish Future.

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Consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the nation for percentage of Jewish students according to Hillel’s College Guide; vibrant Jewish life with active Hillel and renovated Hillel House

•

Nationally ranked campus dining hall includes fully integrated kosher dining under the supervision of Star-K Meat and Dairy

•

Dedication to shaping leaders through rigorous programs in the arts, sciences, business & public health

•

A highly selective, private 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 Campus rabbi and pastoral care Jewish Studies Interdisciplinary Program

www.depauw.edu

2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA muhlenberg.edu

hillel.org/guide 7

PROvIDED By JAMIE gOLDBERg

HEALTH

Putting the ‘om’ into shalom

˝ Deadlines, coursework and carrying a heavy class load can be nerve-wracking and super demanding, so Hillels across the country are offering activities that help soothe students’ stress levels and counter their effects.

“We provide health and wellness support so that [students] can be more well-rounded individuals who are able to participate more fully in the crazy aspects of college,” says Sharon Silverman, assistant director at University of Vermont Hillel.

UVM Hillel offers two free yoga classes per week (mats provided), featuring styles ranging from hatha to “funky flow” and instruction that always incorporates Jewish values. “We’re about meeting students where they are and recognizing the needs we can fill,” says Silverman.

Cydney Williams, 21, a senior at UVM, teaches hatha, acro yoga, Thai massage and meditation. She says her classes offer students a break in their day and time to reflect during hectic schedules by creating “a moment of stillness in a week.”

Jessica Kronis, executive director at Hillel Florida International University, has a dance, yoga and pilates background. She 8 hillel • Jewish Life on Campus

incorporates a “holistic approach into everything that I do,” she says.

New in her role, Kronis hopes to offer “a group that meets regularly with thematic meditation and yoga,” to foster an environment that helps students “feed your soul, your body and your brain with organic Jewish principles.”

“Holistic and healthy Jewish living is about being mindful in everything we do,” she explains, “and my job is listening to students to understand where they want to explore that and provide a variety of answers so they can make meaning of it themselves.”

At the Hillel serving Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, meanwhile, the creation of YAM (yoga and meditation) programming almost five years ago grew out of student interest in “how their Jewish practice and heritage connects to their overall sense of wellness and balance,” says executive director Marshall Einhorn.

Classes, which number about 10 to 15 per week, take place in the naturally lit, open space of Hillel’s chapel; yoga blocks, blankets and mats are provided. The

special Jewish-inspired class — offered on Friday afternoons or as “ShalOM” on Saturdays “to get people into the Shabbat mindset,” says Einhorn — won a New Initiatives award from Brown.

The Hillel also hosts a yogi-in-residence each semester and features a weekly Torah-inspired contemplative meditation practice.

Carly Margolis, 20, a senior at Brown, teaches pre-Shabbat gentle yoga at Hillel. She sees the value that yoga offers as a moving mediation, not just a physical workout.

“People got here because they have a lot of inner discipline and sometimes self-criticism, and to have one space on the campus that’s not about achieving and not meeting standards — internal or external,” is incredibly beneficial for students, she says.

Don’t see any yoga classes offered at your Hillel? Just ask. They’re all about meeting students where they are, even when that means down on the mat.

—MELISSA gERR

The Jewish Theological Seminary engages students with serious and complex ideas, inspiring a way of thinking that our graduates put into action, becoming a creative force for positive change in their careers and communities. Our students are the Jewish leaders of tomorrow, devoted to advancing Jewish life, uniquely prepared by top scholars to serve the world as innovative thinkers. As a student at JTS, you will share in this distinctive community—a diverse group of passionate individuals from five different schools who have a compelling, common interest in living engaged Jewish lives.

JTS offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, rabbinical ordination, and cantorial investiture to prepare academic, religious, professional, and lay leaders for the Jewish community and beyond.

PASSIONATE COMMUNITY. UNPARALLELED EDUCATION.

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

3080 BROADWAY • NEW YORK, NY 10027 (212) 678-8832 • www.jtsa.edu/list

FINDING A JEWISH ROOMMATE ISN’T EASY. That’s why BBYO developed Joomie. Designed by the Class of 2016 for the Class of 2016 (and beyond), Joomie is a unique, one-of-a-kind free app that will make it easier for you to find your “chosen roommate.”

Visit joomie.org to Download the App POWERED BY hillel.org/guide 9

GET TO KNOW US. Academic programs in engineering, fine and performing arts, humanities, management, sciences and social sciences Space to meet, study, relax or attend weekly Shabbat dinner at the Berelson Center for Jewish Life Service learning and Jewish heritage trips Active student-run Hillel plans social and educational programs

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

Hillel International @hillelintl @hillelintl

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FINANCE

©iStockphoto.com/Askold Romanov

college financing changes that you need to know ˝ If there is one part of the college experience on which students and parents can agree is unpleasant, it’s finding the money to finance it.

While most students won’t get a “full ride,” scholarships are available for those with the persistence and patience to seek them out.

“Any scholarship search is time consuming,” says Barbara Miller, assistant vice president of financial aid at Stevenson University. “But it’s a matter of checking every place you can think of.”

From high school guidance offices and community organizations to family and employers, Miller says, students have found and received scholarships from a variety of places. Seeking them out and understanding the criteria is something that can be done as early as a student’s junior year in high school.

She recommends fastweb.com as a great place to begin.

One basic question Miller says you should ask before applying for scholarships: What kind of criteria do you need? “Some scholarships require maintaining a certain grade point average,” she says.

Another question: How will the scholarship

affect financial aid awards? “If you receive monies from an institution,” she says, “will that replace money you’ve already been awarded from” your college?

An important component of financial aid for any student is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, an online form required by most schools as part of their award process. Miller says an important change in the application process is coming this October.

The Department of Education is adjusting the deadline for applications by several months, so students applying for the 2017-18 school year, who previously needed to complete the FAFSA by January, now will need to complete the form by October 2016. But the pushed-up deadline isn’t all bad — the form will now be based on real 2016 tax data from the previous April as opposed to projected information. Miller says that’s a boon to students, because guessing on a financial form never helped anyone.

—JuSTIn KATz

FIND YOUR HOME.

Goucher College has the eighth-largest population of Jewish students in the country, and you’ll learn, celebrate, and grow through our active and thriving Hillel. You’ll also get hands-on learning, support from dedicated faculty, and a global perspective through our No. 1 ranked study abroad program. At Goucher, you’ll graduate with both the friends and skills you need for lifelong success and happiness.

Baltimore, Maryland

www.goucher.edu hillel.org/guide 11

GET WITH IT! 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.

The Official Hille SPRING 2016

l Guide to Jewish

Life on Campus

COLLEGE GUIDE

MORE THAN 100,000 JEWISH FRESHMEN WILL ATTEND COLLEGE NEXT YEAR. REACH THEM AND THEIR PARENTS WITH YOUR AD IN THE HILLEL COLLEGE GUIDE.

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

COLLEGE FINANC

E 101

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

The Hillel College Guide UMC_3097_2016

Learn it. Live it. Breathe it.

reaches a readership untouched by other publications. Its readers, who span the country’s established Jewish communities, want to know: Where should I go to college? From the best place to live a Jewish life to the college most noted for its social activism to where you’re most likely to find your future match, the biannual Hillel College Guide encapsulates what it means to be a Jewish student in the 21st century.

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Space deadline: October 19, 2016 Publication date: November 18, 2016 Contact Stephanie Shapiro at 410-902-2309 or email sshapiro@midatlanticmedia.com today to reserve your space.

Study Abroad in English: Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs Summer Courses Tailor-Made & Faculty-Led Special Programs Arts Programs Gap Year Programs hebrewu@hebrewu.com Modern Hebrew Language Programs 1.212.607.8520 / 1.800.404.8622 https://overseas.huji.ac.il

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Advertise in the Fall 2016 issue of the Hillel College Guide

COLLEGE GUIDE

Rothberg International School

hebrewu@hebrewu.com 1.212.607.8520 / 1.800.404.8622 https://overseas.huji.ac.il

The Official Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus

ACADEMICS

©iStockphoto.com/skodonnell

For late-night study sessions, these hillels will leave a light on for you

˝ Across the nation, Jewish students know they have a place to study late at night during exams.

“Students come here at all hours,” reports Rabbi Neal Schuster, senior Jewish educator at the University of Kansas, where the Hillel is located in downtown Lawrence, only a mile from the heart of campus. “A lot of them have a key and sometimes pull all-nighters. We keep the place stocked with food and make sure to have strong WiFi. When the library gets too crowded or noisy, they know this is the place to come.”

That’s also true at Arizona State University, the Tempe powerhouse where executive director Debbie Yunker Kail, who spent seven years at University of Pennsylvania Hillel before heading west, says they adjust hours to suit students’ needs.

“We’re open until 8:30 every night,” says Kail, who indicates participation in Hillel has grown from 300 to 450 students in the two years since she arrived. “People were complaining, so we

have student workers keeping the building open. During finals, we’ve hired security so we can stay open until 11 or 12. We don’t have a kitchen accessible, [but] we have snacks.”

And it’s not just in Kansas and Arizona.

Local Hillels from New York City — where the one serving Columbia University and Barnard College stays open around the clock during finals season — to Los Angeles make it a point to provide a safe and stress-free place to hit the books.

“We’re right across the street from campus,” notes Kail.

Schuster, as well, talks up the convenience of his Hillel’s study space.

“We’ve been in this space five-and-a-half years,” says Schuster, a Seattle native. “It’s a storefront type of space, and the last two to three years, students have made increased use of it.

We’re only a mile from campus, so students can drive over here or take the bus.” —JOn MARKS

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

hillel.org/guide 13

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 offer a major in Judaic studies • 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

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ADVICE

surviving your first year Advice from those who’ve been there COMPILED By BEn MITCHELL

Picking a roommate: maintaining Jewish identity:

“The most important thing when choosing a roommate is not necessarily looking at who you have the most fun with, but someone you can tolerate for long amounts of time. Having fun is really important, but you need to make sure that you can mesh well with the person you’re living with. your communication styles need to be similar or at least work well together. If they don’t, living together could be really challenging, especially your first year.”

— Ruth Ferguson, University of Washington in Seattle, Class of 2015

Joining greek life: “I think it is important to be a part of something in college, whether that something is greek life, a particular organization, a volunteer opportunity or a job. you should be a part of something. I thought it was important to be a part of an organization that gave me an opportunity to meet new people and to be a part of a social group. That’s one of the hardest things for freshmen, finding your social group. A fraternity facilitates that, but you have to make sure that it is the right fit for you. you need to make sure that you are able to balance your pledging and academics. you go to college for the academics, so make sure you have all your work done.”

“My Jewish identity changed a lot in college. College is the time and place to explore new ideas and philosophies, so get after it! I tried many things after my trip to Israel, but nothing really stuck with me.

Eventually, I became active in Hillel.

It took most of my collegiate career to finally find something that worked for me. The point is that very few people maintain the same Jewish identities throughout college and that’s OK. Experiment with different practices.

Put yourself in new and sometimes uncomfortable situations. That is how you grow, how you can feel proud of being Jewish in your own way.”

— Alex Rabhan, University of Miami, Class of 2015

— Dan Rosenberg, George Washington University, Class of 2014

PHOTOS COuRTESy HILLEL InTERnATIOnAL

Picking a maJor: “If you think you know what you want to major in when you start college, then you should pursue that.

If you don’t, I suggest going into college undecided. freshman year is a great time to take a variety of classes that can spark different interests. If you want to change your major down the road, realize that plenty of people change their major and career paths while they are in college.”

— Rachel Horowitz, University of Hartford, Class of 2012

overcoming homesickness: “The trick is trying to find things that can fill your day in between classes. I joined the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the national Society of Collegiate Scholars and Phi Sigma Pi (national Honor fraternity), interned off campus each semester and plenty more. This helped distract me from thinking about my family and friends too much. Also, you should try to surround yourself with friends; it will help keep your mind busy.”

— Elise Katz, American University, Class of 2014

avoiding the ‘freshman 15’/staying fit: “I did not avoid the ‘freshman 15,’ so looking back, I would have done a couple things differently: not ordering pizza or sandwiches late at night, avoiding late-night snacking. Try setting deadlines for yourself; give yourself a snacking curfew.”

— Ilana Goldman, Lawrence University, Class of 2015

hillel.org/guide 15

Voices

10 DAYS IS ALL IT TAKES TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

R

eflecting on my recent Birthright Israel trip through Hillel International, I would never have imagined that a 10-day trip with strangers could affect me so profoundly. Of course, Israel was always a big part of my life. After all, my father was born there. I remember hearing his stories of growing up in Ramble and spending weekends in Tel Aviv. Even though I had visited Israel when I was 3 years old, it was a different experience walking the same streets at the age of 21. Israel is advancing in so many ways. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this ever-changing country.

Israel has changed me, too, and for the better. Going there as an adult allowed me to see different forms of Judaism, how Jews like me practice our religion in different ways. It allowed me to see firsthand how Israel really is, instead of just seeing negative images on the news. I would never have been able to picture myself walking the streets of Israel on Shabbat on my way to a synagogue. Or visiting the Western Wall to see Jewish people from all over the world come and whisper their prayers, hopes and dreams. I was even able to learn about Jewish mysticism in Tzfat, an aspect of our tradition I never knew existed, by meeting the Kabbalist painter Avraham Loewenthal. His passion and wisdom have inspired me and will stay with me forever.

I remember that when I first started telling people I was going to Israel, the first question most of them would ask me was, “Really? Why?” or “Wow, be careful, I heard it’s dangerous.”

I hate to say it, but after hearing this so many times, I started to worry I wasn’t going to be safe. However, after seeing the

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beautiful country, I have no doubts that you are safe visiting there. While threats loom, nothing will degrade the quality of life for Israeli citizens.

I tried to take as many pictures to show people the true beauty of the country.

But the experiences of rafting in the Jordan River and exploring Tel Aviv at night can never be fully captured in any picture. I now confidently go up to strangers — Jewish and non-Jewish — and encourage them to take a trip there.

My journey and experience in Israel influenced me in more ways that I can say. I was able to learn so much in 10 days with 49 people I can now call my best friends. Going to Israel allowed me to connect more to my spiritual side and ask questions of myself I would have never thought to ask before. I thought I knew myself before this trip, but in all honesty, I realize now that I still have a lot more growing to do. I truly hope more people are able to go to Israel to experience this journey for themselves.

When I had to leave Israel, I looked out my window and said, “See you later!” but not goodbye. I can see Israel in my future, and I am already planning my next visit.

Elinor Taieb is a member of the Class of 2016 at Florida State University.

PHOTOS PROvIDED

By ELInOR TAIEB

Voices

WELCOMING FACES Inclusion as a trademark of success By zACHARy SCHAffER

PHOTO PROvIDED

A

s I sit in my office in my first job — a job I have attained largely thanks to Hillel — I struggle to convey all I learned in that three-story building on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Craig Street in Pittsburgh.

I had looked forward to making an impact in the Jewish community through Hillel, but little did I know the impact that it would make on me. Author Sherrilyn Kenyon once said, “Life is a tapestry woven by the decisions we make.” Hillel entwined my life’s tapestry with the threads of Judaism, Israel and ethical leadership.

I ran for the board of the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh the first opportunity I had. Despite my witty — and disappointingly ironic — campaign slogan, “Vote Zach Schaffer for marketing chair because I already told my parents I won,” I lost the election. I feared I would have to wait another year to pursue leadership in Hillel. However, I quickly learned how inclusive and supportive the Jewish community is. Soon after, I was invited to attend the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly and encouraged to apply for an unfilled board position. The conference catapulted me into my new position as business manager, which initiated my involvement in campus leadership.

I eventually went on to join the Israel clubs and serve as executive vice president and finally president of the Hillel board.

Through these roles I had the opportunity to manage and disburse thousands of dollars, plan and execute hundreds of programs and travel to Israel six times. The skills and network I acquired through Hillel led me to found and serve as president of my fraternity, Beta Theta Pi; found and lead the Diversity Council Steering Committee; and join countless other campus organizations.

Some of my fondest Hillel experiences involved some of our outreach projects, such as 70 Faces magazine, a new, biannual publication produced by and for Pitt students. In the first edition, we printed 500 copies of the 50-page magazine, with submissions ranging from drawings to photographs and nonfiction essays to poetry. What was even more exciting was the interest the magazine garnered from non-Jewish students.

The magazine served as an instrument not only to draw in disconnected Jews, but also as a way to reach entirely new, non-Jewish communities as well.

It was incredibly powerful to see non-Jews enthuse about Judaism and engage with our culture. From its inception through

publication, many of those involved in the magazine were not Jewish. 70 Faces created an opportunity for people with diverse skills from all backgrounds to converge around a concern shared by all: making sense of the world around us. What is social justice (tikkun olam)? How do we come to appreciate and cultivate groups (community)? How can we come to forgive ourselves for our sins (teshuvah)?

70 Faces taught me a valuable community relations lesson: Build it with them and they will come. Including those outside of our community from the beginning allowed us to reach so many more by the end.

Today, I am a community strategy associate at the Israel Action Network, a project of JFNA in partnership with the Jewish Council on Public Affairs. In this position I work to educate and organize North American Jewry to tactically counter assaults on Israel’s legitimacy. I also work to build coalitions and engage other faith, human rights and political leaders.

My personal community relations strategy has grown out of my successes and failures as a Hillel leader on my campus. My philosophy to defeat anti-Israel activity is through inclusively building meaningful relationships with others, much like we did with 70 Faces magazine.

I owe so much to Hillel for all it has provided me. It strengthened my love for the Jewish community, nurtured my love for Israel and provided me with the leadership skills and Jewish self-confidence essential to channeling that love into action, and into a career.

Zachary Schaffer is a 2015 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

hillel.org/guide 17

Voices

A ‘STRONGER’ STUDENT Have a bright idea?

Hillel can help By gABRIELLE MAgID

F

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We created an online presence. One connection led to the next, and pretty soon, we had global followers and people asking how to get involved. We were ready to launch a real-life support network at UF, and we turned to Hillel. It felt natural reaching out for support. In 2014, Hillel provided us with free meeting space.

Student involvement has grown to the point that despite our newness, student government approached us in the fall to create the first mental health awareness week in UF history. The UF chapter is thriving under its student board. STS has received inquiries from other Florida schools to establish chapters on their campuses. And our social media sites continue to attract followers from around the globe. A week after graduation in 2015, the IRS letter arrived approving our status, and I committed to work as the executive director right out of school.

Hillel opened many doors for me throughout my college career. It afforded me challenging opportunities to strengthen my entrepreneurial skills. It introduced me to friends who became my partners in this venture. Recently, I was invited to share STS’s story at the 2015 Hillel International Global Assembly. I led a session about the important role Hillel professionals can play in empowering college students to reach their goals, using STS as a case study. I am proud that my professional development is connected to my Hillel involvement. Even after graduation, Hillel continues to provide me with opportunities to grow.

Gabrielle Magid is a 2015 graduate of the University of Florida and executive director of Stronger Than Stigma.

PHOTO PROvIDED

or as long as I can remember, I’ve been a worrier.

As a perfectionist, everything felt dire. There’s a running joke: “I’m Jewish, but I’ve learned it’s Anxiety.”

I arrived at the University of Florida in 2011, unsure about everything. I could not have known then that my anxiety would inspire me to found a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping other students cope.

I was involved at UF Hillel from the moment I stepped foot on campus, looking for like-minded people to help me feel comfortable. A new friend encouraged me to attend a support group at the Disability Resource Center after watching me stress throughout midterms. I was hesitant, but she promised that I’d meet other worriers. And I did. The experience was liberating — for the first time, I could be open and, as a result, felt less alone.

There were other students like me. I wanted everyone to have that experience. From then on, the DRC was typically part of the solution I offered to any friend in distress. My peers were surprised to hear that suggestion, because they were unaware of it. Even on the rare occasion they knew of the DRC, they were reluctant to use it.

Later in 2012, there was a campus suicide. Now I knew I needed to do something. It was unacceptable to me that students were uninformed about how to get help when they felt anxious, depressed, stressed or not quite like themselves. I presented a business plan to the dean of students that outlined a campuswide campaign called Stronger Than Stigma to raise awareness about campus resources. That idea was rejected. I would have to find another way.

Meanwhile, I registered for UF Hillel’s Birthright Israel summer 2013 trip. In Israel, I made the friends who became my business partners. Birthright created the perfect space for us to connect on a deeper, more spiritual level. As we stood in the airport hugging at the end of the trip, I told them I had “this idea …” and they said, “Yes.” Before classes started again, Stronger Than Stigma, Inc. (STS) was incorporated as a Florida nonprofit.

We launched our mission — to empower, inspire and support college students and young professionals struggling with mental health issues.

Voices

A HIDDEN SPARK Identity comes to the forefront

By TyLER gRASEE

PHOTOS By gEOffREy W. MELADA

A

s the product of an interfaith, secular household attending Lawrence University in Wisconsin, I often felt left out.

I had few Jewish friends and little religious education and was one of a few students involved in our tiny Hillel. As far as I was concerned, the Jewish world had forgotten me. As college continued, I embraced other facets of my identity.

I compartmentalized. I was queer. I liked anthropology, the German language and museums. My studies and my professional goals became my life and, as far as I could see, were uninfluenced by my Judaism.

In 2014, I was studying abroad and interning in the Jewish Museum Berlin. The networking abilities I had gained through my experience at Hillel, as well as several professional contacts made there, had played a role in my decision to reach out to professionals in the Jewish world. However, I was intent on remaining impartial in my academic pursuits. I was inspired by the accomplishments of this internationally acclaimed institution of Jewish sociohistorical research and applied for an internship through the Jewish Museum Milwaukee while still in Berlin. I was in luck: The Jewish Museum Milwaukee was preparing an exhibit that allowed for research from a remote location. Titled “Stitching History from the Holocaust,” it aimed to revive a piece of Jewishness that had also been forgotten.

The story involved a Milwaukee family who, in 1997, discovered a desperate plea for help in the form of a letter in an elderly relative’s basement. Accompanied by several sketches of dress designs, this letter was dated 1939, with a return address in the Nazi-occupied Sudetenland. During the course of time, the family had forgotten that their cousin, a skilled seamstress, had attempted to escape the Nazi onslaught by way of obtaining a work permit. The onset of World War II severed the contact between the American and European branches of the family. The only certainty was this woman’s murder, and the museum wanted to find out more.

My tasks were to assist with translations and to compile what little research existed on the family. As I began to dig deep into census

records and Holocaust databases — laborious work — I discovered something unexpected: One member of this family, a niece of the forgotten seamstress, had survived the Holocaust and still lived in Germany. I phoned her and requested an interview. As quickly as I could, I grabbed a camera, hopped on a train and began a trip through the hamlets of rural Germany to Nuremberg.

As we began recording, the woman recalled a world long passed. She remembered not an abstract victim of the Holocaust, but a dear “Aunt Hedy.” This Hedy was a vivacious, fashionable redhead. The more I heard about her, the more she emerged in my mind. I could see her, practically hear her voice.

I found myself conflicted. What right did I have to pry into the details of Hedy’s persecution and murder? And furthermore, now that I was privy to such information, what responsibilities did I bear? My wish to distance myself from my Jewishness was fading.

It was speaking to me now in a voice I could not ignore and no longer wanted to.

I had achieved the dream of a museum professional — helping rediscover the life of an individual lost to the Shoah and conducting an oral history interview that would become an integral part of a traveling exhibit. Yet I could not shake an unsettling feeling in my gut. I was disturbed that she or any aspect of her story had been forgotten. I realized that every person is a story, unique in its telling. In a sense, I felt this story would live on both through me and the work I would later help produce.

On the train ride home, I realized how wrong I had been to believe my Jewishness was an obstacle to my becoming a museum professional, a thing to be avoided. I see now that while Judaism may not be at the forefront of every decision I will make, it will always be present in my work and my passion, guiding me in ways both seen and unseen.

Tyler Grasee is a 2015 graduate of Lawrence University in Wisconsin and an M.A. candidate at George Washington University.

hillel.org/guide 19

POWER PRAYERS Students take spirituality into their own hands B Y D AV I D H O L Z E L

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/IOAn fLORIn CnEJEvICI

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• Jewish Life on Campus

Hillel at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., had been leading weekly Shabbat services for years.

“Then I said to the students, ‘I’m not a rabbi. I’m an attorney. You’re perfectly able to lead the service.’ Now they own it.”

That was 18 years ago. Clark, with its undergraduate population of 2,300, has “a larger-than-expected Jewish population” of 350 to 400, Coyne says. On any given Friday night, 20 will attend one of two egalitarian services — one liberal leaning, the other more traditional.

“We have given them full ownership of their Jewish observance, allowing them to preserve those traditions that speak to them and to experiment with new elements that have resonance,” Coyne explains. “In so doing, we have helped to nurture Jewish leaders who will actively lead in the synagogue and chavurah and in the wider world.”

Some might picture spiritual life at Hillel to be a top-down world in which a rabbi leads, while students merely participate.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Take Clark, for example, where students organize and lead services. These students say that taking leadership roles provides them with a sense of community and helps them develop their Jewish identity.

At Clark, the students even use DIY prayer books — kept in loose-leaf binders so pages can be added and removed as student needs change. Coyne says the prayer

the resignations of the president of the University of Missouri System and the chancellor of the Columbia campus.)

And then there was the Harry Potterthemed service. “There were Dumbledore quotes, and the d’var Torah had links to Harry Potter,” says Sass.

“When I came to college, Jewish leadership wasn’t on my radar,” says Sass, who grew up in a Reform family. “But going from a very Jewish town to one with few Jews, I needed the connection.” The ability to plan and lead services and programs “has allowed me to grow as a young Jewish adult.”

Kodner grew up in a Conservative family and was involved in Orthodox activities in high school. Last year, he and his brother launched a monthly Conservative Shabbat morning service, which they lead.

The ability to PLAN and LEAD services and programs “has allowed me to GROW as a young JEWISH adult.”

PHOTO PROvIDED

fi DAVID COYNE, DIRECTOR OF

books help students avoid labels and give them a larger spiritual say.

“We said, ‘Let’s not use denominational names, and everyone will feel like it’s Hillel’s prayer book.’ ” At the University of Missouri, in Columbia, Jewish students display their individuality even while acknowledging denominational labels.

Columbia is only two hours from St. Louis, with its large and active Jewish population. But when Thalia Sass, 21, began attending Mizzou, it seemed like another world. At home in St. Louis, Sass, now a senior, didn’t have to belong to be part of the Jewish environment.

By contrast, “Mizzou is less than 2 percent Jewish,” she says. “So Hillel became my Jewish connection.”

This is her second year as president of Hillel’s Jewish Student Organization, and she is one of the leaders of Jewish-led Shabbat services.

“They’re mostly Reform with some Conservative elements,” she says. “That’s the background of most students.”

Students generally use the Conservative Sim Shalom prayer book. But it’s in the student-initiated theme of the service where participants inject the most self-expression.

“There was Israel Shabbat, Camp Shabbat and Solidarity Shabbat — because of how much unrest there was on campus,” says Mizzou sophomore Paul Kodner, 19, who leads services with his twin brother, Jordan.

(Last fall, protests against racism led to

Queens college’s “night in Bukhara” brings together Jews from different cultural traditions.

hillel.org/guide 21

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• Jewish Life on Campus

was Better Then?” “Yoga Meets Dance with Hebrew Music” and “Shimmering Hamsas.”

The day was part of Ott’s ongoing Jewish exploration. “It helped me establish my Jewish identity,” she explains. “I grew up in a secular household,” and her contact with Jewish religion and culture at Arizona is helping her “to find my place in Judaism.”

For Thalia Sass, at the University of Missouri, whichever approach a campus takes, the result will be rewarding.

“There’s value in a service led by a rabbi and one led by a college student,” she says. “I think we can all learn from these experiences.” H

PHOTOS PROvIDED

“My beliefs haven’t changed,” he says of his university experience, “but my sense of community has changed. In St. Louis, our community was always around us. Here, you have to make your connections. I did this on my own. I didn’t inherit it from my parents.”

Recognizing that for many Jews of Sephardic ancestry, spirituality is initimately connected to their culture, at Queens College in New York, the Hillel is creating student leaders to engage those not represented in the predominant American Ashkenazi culture. Of the school’s 4,000 Jewish students, at least 1,500 are of Sephardic or Mizrachi descent — whose families came from North Africa, the Middle East or Central Asia, says Ruben Shimonov, Queens Hillel’s cross-community engagement coordinator.

There are 1,000 Bukharian Jews alone, students who trace their ancestry to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They and the other Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews don’t connect culturally or religiously with the school’s Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors came from Eastern Europe and who are primarily Orthodox.

So Hillel’s Bukharian Student Leaders Development Fellowship enlists 14 students for monthly meetings. “They’re learning about history, about issues that are pertinent to them,” according to Shimonov. And Choikhona (teahouse) lunches serve as a platform for discussions about Bukharian identity, community and culture.

Shimonov points to these and other efforts as bringing Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews into greater participation, thereby weaving their cultural heritage into a richer Jewish life on campus.

“We’re mixing it up,” he says.

Student-led services at the University of Arizona in Tucson have a Reform and a Conservative option. Bridget Ott, a 19-yearold sophomore from Phoenix, attends the Reform service. Prayers are accompanied by guitar and it’s “very relaxed.”

Some 30 to 40 students attend one of two services. “We light candles, split for services and come back together for dinner,” Ott says.

In January, Ott was one of 10 Arizona students to venture to rival Arizona State University in Tempe for the Limmud AZ day of Jewish learning. The program, open to Jews of all ages and backgrounds, included sessions such as, “What if Everything Really

Queens college hillel’s Bukharian student leaders development fellowship counts 14 participants, who devise programs celebrating the school’s 1,000 Jewish students of Bukharian descent.

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Hillel at Butler University DIVERSE IN: Interests | Perspectives | Backgrounds

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Change the World with

2,000 Jewish students at the University of Vermont

UVM Hillel welcomes students from Jewish, interfaith, and all backgrounds to develop leadership skills and connect with your passion to make a difference.

UVM Hillel Develops Leaders

591

students had a highimpact experience with UVM Hillel last year.

Our signature programs include kayaking tashlich on Lake Champlain, ski and snowboard Shabbatons, and alternative spring break programs right here in Vermont.

100s

COME CURIOUS When you ‘Come Curious’ to the University of Minnesota, you will experience a unique combination of benefits: • Top public research university and member of the Big 10, offering 140+ majors.

• Home to University of Minnesota Hillel, whose vision is to inspire every student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel.

• Offering Bentson Family Scholarship giving preference to students of the Jewish faith.

• High retention rates, low debt burden, and high graduate salaries earned us the top “rising star college” title from Forbes magazine in 2014.

• Great location in the Twin Cities with a thriving economy, vibrant arts scene, and excellent quality of life.

Visit h p://z.umn.edu/virtual to take a virtual campus tour and sign up for more info, or call 1-800-752-1000.

of students have developed their own Jewish programs with our microShabbat initiatives

Commitment to Jewish Life of the students we impact say

being Jewish will continue to be

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important

to them after graduation

Hillel Delivers the

Jewish Future

“If Not Now, When?i—Hillel (Pirkei Avot 13:4)

facebook.com/uvmhillel twitter.com/uvmhillel instagram.com/uvmhillel Visit uvmhillel.org or call: 802-540-1087

hillel.org/guide 23

TEL AVIV comes to you Fellows bring a little slice of Israel back home to America

BY JOSH MARKS

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• Jewish Life on Campus

PHOTO By MICHAEL CASHELL

T

TYPICAL ISRAELI STREET SCENES involve such cultural classics as falafel and hummus, hookahs and the Middle Eastern rhythms of doumbek. But to enjoy it all, you typically have to travel there. Now, one program is bringing Israel right to North American students — such as hosting singer-songwriter Idan Raichel as part of a celebration of all things Israel at George Mason University.

The Israel Fellows program was started by the Jewish Agency for Israel, which has partnered with Hillel International since 2003. Raz Tidhar is one such emissary, known in Hebrew as a shlicha, sent by the agency to develop Israeli content for student activities at the Hillel-serving campuses throughout Montreal.

“My job is mainly to make good connections with students,” says Tidhar, one of 75 such Israel Fellows to staff campuses in North America. “I see my job as bringing my Israel to the students.”

Israel Fellows act as a resource for Jewish students curious about Israel and participate in Birthright trips. Above all, they represent a living link between students and Israeli society.

Soon after arriving last fall, Tidhar brought to Montreal a quintessential Israeli celebration: “White Night in Tel Aviv.”

“It’s just a party to come to be together,” she says.

Five hundred students showed up to White Night, a big enough sign of success that Tidhar decided to throw another one in the spring.

Israeli programming is something of a specialty at many campuses, including the celebration of Israel at George Mason in Fairfax, Va. “These programs are meant to present Israel on campus as a country that is more than what we read in the newspapers and in the headlines,” explains Mason Hillel executive director Ross Diamond. “Often, Israel is portrayed as a black and white country that has one issue, which is the con-

george mason University hillel executive director ross diamond, left, with israeli musician idan raichel after his april 20, 2015 performance on the fairfax, va., campus.

CLOCKWISE fROM TOP: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/zHEKA-BOSS; SHAI RODITTy; ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ vIOLLETA; ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SEDMAK

clockwise from top: hookah pipes, the idan cohen dance company, the tel aviv waterfront and falafel are all signature elements of israeli culture, and they could be coming to a campus near you.

flict, and our role on campus is to educate students and present Israel beyond the conflict, because it’s a country that’s rich with culture and is exciting to be a part of.”

Diamond also brought Persian Israeli pop singer Rita to campus last year for a talk and performance in Farsi and Hebrew that had people dancing in the aisles.

“Students were blown away by her diversity. They didn’t understand the story of Israel as this complicated place that has people from countries all over the world, and this was a little piece to add more context and information for them to understand more about what Israel is as a country,” says Diamond.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Israel Fellow Vered Juhl’s role is important not only in bringing new sides of Israel to students, but also in serving as that much-needed connection between Jewish life here and Jewish life in Israel.

“Vered is the reason I got involved with Israel on campus,” says Pittsburgh freshman and social work major Avigail Schneiman. She added that while she was growing up, Israel seemed more abstract and far away, but working with Juhl has made her want to be more active on the issue.

Lisa Armony, executive director of the Hillel Foundation of Orange County, says that Lihi Gordon, the Israel Fellow at California State University, Fullerton and two other Orange County campuses, has done a bang-up job making “Israel alive and relevant to students.”

Gordon, who holds an M.A. in diplomacy from Tel Aviv University, “engages students by running discussion groups about Israeli culture, society and current events, screening Israeli films and programs and more,” says

PHOTO By DAvID STuCK

Armony. “She also serves as an adviser to pro-Israel campus groups and to Hillel’s student chair of Israel programming.”

Nearby, UC Irvine’s Hillel and Gordon have hosted Israeli and Palestinian speakers such as Palestinian peace activist Mohammed Dajani and retired Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak; brought Israeli performers to campus such as Idan Raichel; and thrown Israeli-themed parties with Israeli DJs to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. This spring, UCI will host the Idan Cohen Dance Company.

Idan Raichel also performed at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, at a program co-sponsored by Hillel and the Black Student Union, says Amir Bavler, the local Hillel’s Israel Fellow. “My agenda is to expose Israel to Jewish and non-Jewish students. I want them to see that Israel isn’t just a conflict.”

And according to his students, he’s gone above and beyond — becoming an integral part of Hillel and Israel-related groups on campus as well as in students’ lives.

“We’ve worked very closely,” says Johns Hopkins senior Michael Weiss, who is majoring in international studies. “I no longer consider him just a professional mentor, but a close friend.”

“He’s so passionate, and his passion really infects all of us,” says Daphna Varadi, a sophomore public health major at Johns Hopkins. “It’s contagious, you know? I can’t really imagine him not being here.”

When Bavler accompanied some students to Israel, including Varadi, he even opened his family’s home to them, giving them a real taste of life in Israel.

Nearby, at Towson University, Israel Fellow

left: Jewish students at towson University outside Baltimore rave about their israel fellow, lee cohen (second from left); right: as a Jewish agency for israel fellow in montreal, raz tidhar, right, engages Jewish students at campuses across the canadian city.

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• Jewish Life on Campus

Johns hopkins University israel fellow amir Bavler receives an award from hillel international ceo eric fingerhut.

Lee Cohen says her job is “to educate and be a resource for students. I help them work out their Jewish identities. I’m here to answer their questions — anything Israel related.”

One of her projects is a leadership program. Students meet biweekly to learn about Israel and plan projects to lead.

Another is the year-old Jews and Muslims group, or JAM. “We focus on peaceful dialogue,” she says.

Monthly events take place in a “safe space.”

Back at Mason, Diamond says he is excited about bringing more Israel experiences to campus, building off programs such as Made in Tel Aviv that Diamond says was organized to give students the taste and flavors of Tel Aviv without needing to get on a plane. The event featured a cooking demonstration by Israel chef Janna Gur and a presentation about the Israeli hip hop and music scene by Israeli DJ Eyal Rob. Diamond says the programming is not just for Jewish students but presents an opportunity to show another side of Israel to the broader community. For example, when Rita came to campus, the Bahá’í Faith and Persian student groups were invited to the concert.

“The goal of these programs is not to serve just the Jewish community,” he says, “but to serve the campus as a whole for anyone who is interested in this land that is full of history and meaningful for many world cultures and religions.” H

Cleveland Hillel Foundation The Cleveland Hillel Foundation is the center of Jewish life for Jewish undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who attend 11 colleges and universities in greater Cleveland.

We invite you to visit us in the brand new Albert and Norma Geller Hillel Student Center at Case Western Reserve University, which boasts: • Student lounge and games area

T

This new student center is the culmination of a joint effort between Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Hillel Foundation to support, maintain and strengthen Jewish life on campus.

• Central fireplace • Free Wi-Fi network • Increased campus visibility in the heart of the CWRU campus • Classroom space for daily CWRU academic classes • Kantina: a Kosher café/restaurant • Flexible spaces for weekly Shabbat dinners, holiday meals, social programs, and more • Multi-purpose space for lectures, student events, parties, and university gatherings • Office space for Hillel leadership and staff

We also offer Jewish student life opportunities at Cleveland Institute of Art; Cleveland Institute of Music; Baldwin-Wallace University; Cuyahoga Community College; Ursuline College; Notre Dame College; Lakeland.

For more information, visit us online at clevelandhillel.org or contact us at 216-231-0040 or via email at info@clevelandhillel.org

Hillel @ Case Western Reserve University | Hillel @ Oberlin College | Hillel @ Cleveland State University | Hillel @ John Carroll University

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.

hillel.org/guide 27

m l a e Te hill Sports provide another way to build Jewish identity on campus

BY MELISSA APTER

››› There’s more to Hillel than Shabbat services. Hillels are home to Jewish a cappella groups, Israel advocacy clubs and, increasingly, intramural sports teams.

Sports, explains Eric Garfinkel, a former Hillel student president at Hofstra University, are “a good way to get people who aren’t normally engaged in Jewish life to be a part of something where they can be with people who share their interest and who are Jewish.”

With the help of Rabbi Dave Siegel, executive director at the university located in Long Island, N.Y., Garfinkel became chair of the athletics committee and created teams to compete in Hofstra’s intramural league.

Though the ultimate goals were to connect Jewish students and have fun, Garfinkel and Rabbi Dave, as the students call him, can’t help but be proud of the five-on-five intramural basketball championship the Hillel won two years ago, as well as the best sportsmanship award they won three years ago.

“Our goal from the beginning was to

have fun. It didn’t matter to us whether we were going to win the championship or not,” says Garfinkel.

During the third game of the season, when they were up by 25 points, they realized they had a real shot at winning the league and going on to the championship.

“We were pushed, but every time it looked like we were faltering, we remembered our motto was ‘have fun,’” says Garfinkel.

Winning with his Jewish friends from Hillel was a special experience.

“I realized there was something about this team. We were all playing as one giant family team,” he explains. “Collectively, we had a few seniors on the team who had never won, and for them it was extremely exciting and proud to win in their last semester.

“It’s pretty cool to win,” he adds. “It’s even better to win with your friends.”

When Garfinkel was a freshman, Hillel fielded two teams; now Hofstra’s Hillel fields teams for just about every sport the

university offers, says Benny Gabel, who has taken over the reins with Garfinkel’s graduation this past spring.

Gabel, a freshman radio production studies major and Jewish studies minor, takes seriously the goal of the sports committee “to foster connection through sports.”

He is fielding requests to organize Hofstra Hillel softball, volleyball, flag football, indoor soccer and basketball teams while working with his committee to bring back the Gaga Tournament, which had been successful in previous years; he is also advertising “Shabbos Ball,” the pickup basketball or kickball games that take place on Saturday afternoons by the gym.

Across the country, the University of Southern California intramural basketball team at Hillel has drawn attention not only for its team’s hardscrabble game, but also for its unique name — the Matzah Ballers.

Brennan Wise, a senior business major who was one of the founders of the team, says he

michigan state University's hillel fields a variety of intramural teams, including outdoor soccer, left, and flag football ...

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• Jewish Life on Campus

... while its broomball and indoor soccer also prove popular with students.

and his friends wanted to become involved with Hillel through sports. When Wise was a sophomore, he and his friends approached USC Hillel’s executive director with their idea, and she immediately backed them, ordering the fledgling team 100 uniforms.

Though Wise had played basketball most of his life, he wanted to take a different tack than other intramural teams in the five-onfive league organized through the school’s

“We’re a bunch of short Jews, but we run the ball fast ...”

— Brennan Wise

athletic department. He could have easily recruited the best players from his fraternity brothers and friends, but he wanted a more diverse team.

“We took players from different Jewish fraternities and different backgrounds; girls, too,” said Wise. “We started a culture where everyone who joins is joining a team with a definite tight-knit culture.”

In the three years that the Matzah Ballers have been active, they’ve not had a problem recruiting 11 to15 players needed for a season.

“You have a team that you can play on for free, it’s fun, you’ve got good players,” says Wise. “Of course, you’re going to want to join. It’s great!

“We’re playing fast basketball, having fun and being respectful of other teams,” he

adds. “We’re a bunch of short Jews, but we run the ball fast, and we win by playing the game fast and hard.”

A USC intramural championship has thus far eluded the Matzah Ballers, but according to Wise, they’ve come pretty close.

They’ve also taken their team on the road, having traveled in the past to the East Coast to play in the National Hillel Basketball Tournament at the University of Maryland, College Park each spring.

And the results of the program reverberate outside of school, too.

Former USC Hillel student president and founding member of the Matzah Ballers Sam Fein, for instance, has gone on to develop Hebrew Hoops in his hometown of Seattle.

Like the members of the Matzah Ballers, Jacob Weichert, a sophomore finance and economics double major at the University of Delaware, grew up playing sports and wanted to start an intramural soccer team as part of his activities as a Hillel campus engagement intern.

“I thought it was a very easy, laid-back way to meet people and involve students,” says Weichert. “Honestly, sports are a good outlet. It relieves stress, and it’s only a once or twice a week commitment.”

The coed Hillel Football Club, as they’re known, brought together approximately 15 players, mostly Jewish, who heard about the team through the Hillel newsletter; they were recruited by Weichert or, in one or two cases, had parents who pushed them to give it a try.

Though they lost all four of their games this season, they “had fun and that’s all that matters,” says Weichert.

Weichert describes being proud of the number of freshmen who jumped right into the fray: “I’m a sophomore and

others on the team were sophomores and juniors, so the freshmen were able to reach out and get some guidance, which is something I would have loved to have had as a freshman.”

“The atmosphere was cool, very exciting,” agrees Landon Mittler, a freshman sports management major who joined the University of Delaware team. “I got to play a sport I love and grew up with and with people who have a common interest with me.”

Mittler, a Real Madrid fan, describes himself as not very religious, so he appreciated having a nonreligious environment to connect with other Jewish students.

Says Mittler, “For soccer, for sport, at least, we all come from a similar background. It gives us a way to connect with people, and it makes us want to be part of something rather than having to be a part of something.” H

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in its sixth year, the national hillel Basketball tournament at the University of maryland hosted 50 intramural teams from 35 schools.

B-ball tournament fetches record numbers BRINGING IN MORE than 2,400 Jewish collegiate basketball players, coaches and fans from around the country requires an ambitious checklist, even for 18 students willing to fill their time with the details and work required to host a competitive tournament followed by concerts by Matisyahu and Nadim Azzama.

And don’t forget all that Gatorade.

The National Hillel Basketball Tournament, hosted annually by Maryland Hillel, completed its sixth year in March when more than 50 teams from 35 schools came together in College Park outside Washington, D.C., with two things uniting them: Judaism and basketball.

“What’s unique about NHBT is that we’re a tournament with a board of 18 students that starts the first week of the school year in September and we work until the tournament happens,” said Joseph Tuchman, chairman of the tournament and a graduating senior at the University of Maryland. “These are 18 students who are all go-getters from other organizations around campus.”

Tuchman, 24, got involved as a freshman and has run the show for three years straight. The event, which is fully student-run, had a budget of $100,000, all raised and distributed by students.

“To do that you need to have incredible trust in everyone on the team,” said Tuchman.

The payoff? What started with 25 teams, 200 athletes and one sponsor has blossomed into an event that brought 600 people to the tournament’s kickoff Shabbat dinner. —JuSTIn KATz

yeshiva’s aggressive defense put it on top.

in the women’s final, emory University defeated stern college for women, 28-15.

PHOTOS By gEOffREy W. MELADA

Players from Baruch college and Princeton University fight for a rebound after a missed shot.

a george washington University player attempts a layup in the men’s final game against a team from yeshiva University. yeshiva won, 46-40.

teams from emory University and stern college for women faced off in the women’s final.

yeshiva University’s men’s team celebrates its win.

george washington University’s men’s team huddles during the men’s championship game.

hillel.org/guide 31

FIND

YOURSELF

HERE

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32

• Jewish Life on Campus

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

PHOTOS COuRTESy Of MICHIgAn STATE unIvERSITy HILLEL AnD BROWn RISD HILLEL

FOOD

chicken soup for the sick student’s soul

˝ It’s that time of year again when everyone seems to be getting sick, but for the first time your parents aren’t there to wait on you hand and foot. Fortunately, a number of Hillels have begun to play the role of caretaker by implementing free meals-onwheels soup programs for sick students.

At Penn State Hillel, the Jewish Penicillin Hotline gives students the option of ordering either kosher-style matzah ball soup or a

been pretty successful and amazing.”

The Penicillin Hotline is available to all students across campus and is supported entirely through donations from parents.

Chakoff says parents usually place an order for their sick child and then follow up with an email to make sure that the soup was received. Since most students at Penn State don’t have a car, deliveries are made either on foot or by bus.

“At home, chicken soup always makes me feel better, so I love the idea of providing that for my friends.”

— ALLISOn ROSEnBAuM

vegetarian-friendly version. The program was started last year by engagement director Leah Chakoff, who got her inspiration from a similar program at the University of Central Florida’s Hillel. So far, she says, the hotline delivered more than 300 soups across campus. “This has been pretty new to our campus, but it’s

“It is a service that we’re very happy to provide, and we’re very happy to have it on campus,” she says. “The students aren’t close to their families, and this sort of gives it that homey feel.”

Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Brown University’s Hillel, says the organization’s soup delivery program has

been active for a few years; it provides chicken, vegan and gluten-free options.

“Students make the deliveries,” says Einhorn. “It comes with a little pocket pack of Kleenex and ChapStick and hopefully sets students back on their way to recovery.”

At Brown, a team of student volunteers is in charge of making the soup in large batches that can last for two months by being frozen and reheated in individual portions.

Because the Hillel serves Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design, students from both universities may order the soup.

Nonstudents may also order soup at a small charge.

“It was a no-brainer to get involved with this,” says student coordinator Sarah Joffe.

“You’re doing chesed and the students are so grateful when they open the door.”

Allison Rosenbaum, another student staffer, agrees.

“Everyone remembers the first time they got sick away at school. It’s not fun.” she says. “At home, chicken soup always makes me feel better, so I love the idea of providing that for my friends and others on campus.” —DAnIEL SCHERE

hillel.org/guide 33

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 21 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

university of Florida D rutgers university, New Brunswick Dw university of central Florida w university of Maryland, college Park Dw university of Michigan D indiana university D university of Wisconsin, Madison Dw cuNY, Brooklyn college Dw Pennsylvania state univ., university Park Dw Queens college w Arizona state university w Binghamton university california state university, Northridge D Florida international university D Michigan state university Dw university at Albany D university of texas, Austin D Florida state university university of Arizona D university of ill. at urbana-champaign Dw university of Western ontario D York university university of california, santa Barbara w McGill university Dw ohio state university Dw university of california, Berkeley D university of california, Davis D university of california, los Angeles Dw university of Massachusetts, Amherst D Florida Atlantic university Dw los Angeles Pierce college, Woodland hills D towson university Dw Queensborough community college san Francisco state university D university at Buffalo D university of colorado at Boulder university of connecticut D university of Delaware university of Vermont university of Washington w Virginia tech Dw los Angeles Valley college, Van Nuys D temple university, Main and Ambler D stony Brook university D university of Pittsburgh Dw cuNY, Baruch college Dw university of california, santa cruz D university of oregon cuNY, hunter college w ryerson university university of houston w university of kansas university of Minnesota D university of toronto, st. George w university of Georgia san Diego state university D James Madison university university of Minnesota, Duluth D cuNY, college of staten island w university of california, san Diego D

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

33720 34544 52532 27056 28395 36419 31289 14115 40541 15773 39968 13412 35206 40974 38786 12929 39523 32948 32987 32959 22357 47000 20238 27035 44741 27126 27728 29663 22252 25209 22226 18807 16182 25938 19829 26426 18395 18141 10992 30672 24247 19126 28408 16480 18757 14857 16277 20559 16879 35700 32915 18872 34351 68114 26882 28362 19144 10079 13465 24810

6500 6400 6000 5800 4500 4200 4200 4000 4000 4000 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3220 3000 3000 3000 3000 2750 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2400 2300 2300 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 1800 1750 1700 1700 1600 1600 1600 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1400 1215 1200 1200 1100 1080

19% 19% 11% 21% 16% 12% 13% 28% 10% 25% 9% 26% 10% 9% 9% 27% 9% 10% 9% 9% 13% 6% 14% 9% 6% 9% 9% 8% 11% 10% 10% 12% 12% 8% 10% 8% 11% 11% 18% 7% 8% 9% 6% 10% 9% 11% 10% 8% 9% 4% 5% 8% 4% 2% 5% 4% 6% 12% 8% 4%

16630 13834 8278 10554 15230 9997 11904 3275 6499 3537 10390 3283 4925 8729 11299 4344 11790 8278 9249 12181 2977 6000 2813 9510 13581 10439 6780 13606 6383 5155 0 2712 0 3527 10115 5654 8146 3729 1864 14112 6977 0 9380 8127 9860 3233 1589 3537 6233 2300 7999 5740 16796 16442 8315 5121 1711 1162 976 4849

D DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS THAT HAVe JeWISH AGeNCY FOR ISRAeL FeLLOWS TO HILLeL. w DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS ReCOGNIzeD FOR ACHIeVeMeNT BY OTHeR HILLeLS.

34

• Jewish Life on Campus

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE %

JEWISH COURSES

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS

1500 1000 800 800 2000 900 1000 500 500 331 340 250 650 160 500 1800 500 888 300 1000 500 500 450 1050 350 500 1050 600 500 460

9% 7% 10% 8% 13% 9% 8% 15% 8% 9% 3% 8% 13% 2% 4% 41% 4% 11% 3% 8% 17% 8% 16% 11% 3% 5% 15% 4% 8% 9% 0% 15% 0% 13% 8% 6% 6% 3% 21% 7% 3% 0% 19% 15% 5% 9% 10% 7% 0% 7% 4% 2% 2% 9% 2% 6% 2% 34% 24% 10%

77 50 15 40 120 60 75 43 80 46 40 30 25 15 25 20 30 30 48 61 25 62 40 100 100 12 23 50 75 7

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

400 450 800 350 450 100 400 1000 200 1750 1200 500 300 151 250 150 300 100 400 1500 200 300 40 400 230 500

32 0 40 10 15 5 20 8 15 14 14 35 6 30 14 32 15 30 12 10 10 60 20 15 8 10 1 58

JEWISH EDUCATORS

ISRAEL ABROAD

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

Yes

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

45 50 45 54 51 50 49 42 54 45 56 52 46 44 50 52 48 45 48 56 43 42 47 41 53 48 42 44 51 43 46 40 47 44 55 56 50 42 45 48 58 40 49 54 50 52 47 48 35

55 50 55 46 49 50 51 58 46 55 44 48 54 56 50 48 52 55 52 44 57 58 53 59 47 52 58 56 49 57 54 60 53 56 45 44 50 58 55 52 42 60 51 46 50 48 53 52 65

51 51 49 45 43 45 41 55 44 49

49 49 51 55 57 55 59 45 56 51

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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

Yes Yes Yes Yes

University sponsored program

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

Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad creditsl Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel

Yes

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

Yes Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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

Yes Yes Yes

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

Yes None Minor, Major

University sponsored program

Yes Unknown Yes Yes

% 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 35

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 21 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

New York university w Boston university D Yeshiva university George Washington university D cornell university Dw university of Pennsylvania D syracuse university tulane university Dw university of Miami D university of southern california Dw columbia university D Brandeis university Washington university in st. louis harvard university American university D university of hartford Yale university D Northwestern university Dw hofstra university emory university tufts university long island university, Brooklyn campus Vanderbilt university Brown university w Northeastern university D university of rochester Drexel university w oberlin college Barnard college D lehigh university university of chicago Dw Muhlenberg college D claremont colleges Duke university D ithaca college w stanford university D Wesleyan university Full sail university w Johns hopkins university Dw elon university Nova southeastern university Dw Princeton university Dw Georgetown university Vassar college skidmore college carnegie Mellon university Dw Pace university university of tampa w Goucher college Dw Dartmouth college clark university Bentley university DePaul university Dw Franklin & Marshall college sarah lawrence college union college Middlebury college emerson college rice university Massachusetts institute of technology w

NYU Hillel, Bronfman Center Boston University Hillel Foundation Yeshiva University (YU) Hillel at The George Washington University Cornell Hillel University of Pennsylvania Hillel Syracuse University Hillel Tulane Hillel Hillel at the University of Miami University of Southern California Hillel Foundation Columbia/Barnard Hillel Hillel at Brandeis University Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis Harvard Hillel American University Hillel University of Hartford Hillel Yale University Hillel Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University Hofstra University Hillel emory Hillel Tufts University Hillel Foundation Hillel of Long Island University Vanderbilt Hillel Brown RISD Hillel Northeastern University Hillel Hillel at the University of Rochester Hillel at Drexel University Oberlin College Hillel Columbia/Barnard Hillel Lehigh University Hillel Society University of Chicago Hillel Muhlenberg College Hillel Hillel at the Claremont Colleges Jewish Life at Duke Hillel at Ithaca College Hillel at Stanford Wesleyan Jewish Community Central Florida Hillel Johns Hopkins University Hillel elon University Hillel Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach Princeton Hillel, Center for Jewish Life Georgetown Hillel Vassar Jewish Union Skidmore Hillel Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh Pace University Hillel Hillels of the Florida Suncoast Goucher College Hillel Dartmouth Hillel Clark University Hillel Bentley University Hillel Metro Chicago Hillel Franklin & Marshall Hillel Hillels of Westchester Union College Hillel Middlebury College Hillel emerson College Hillel Houston Hillel M.I.T. Hillel

24985 18017 3076 10740 14453 9746 15224 8353 11273 18740 8860 3729 7401 6694 7706 5180 5477 9177 6904 7829 5177 4871 6851 6548 17400 6266 16896 2961 2400 5062 5681 2440 6000 6646 6124 7089 2928 21400 5365 5782 4699 5391 7595 2418 2632 6309 5969 6823 1471 4289 2301 4264 16153 2209 1437 2242 2526 3765 3926 4512

6000 5000 3076 3000 3000 2500 2500 2250 2000 2000 1800 1750 1750 1675 1600 1500 1500 1400 1350 1300 1250 1200 1050 1000 1000 900 900 850 800 800 800 750 700 700 700 700 680 650 600 600 574 550 550 500 500 500 500 500 450 450 400 400 400 370 350 350 350 350 350 350

24% 28% 100% 28% 21% 26% 16% 27% 18% 11% 20% 47% 24% 25% 21% 29% 27% 15% 20% 17% 24% 25% 15% 15% 6% 14% 5% 29% 33% 16% 14% 31% 12% 11% 11% 10% 23% 3% 11% 10% 12% 10% 7% 21% 19% 8% 8% 7% 31% 10% 17% 9% 2% 17% 24% 16% 14% 9% 9% 8%

24289 14095 3621 14873 7397 11550 6268 5178 5501 23729 18800 2216 6947 4109 5355 1637 6859 11931 4049 6940 5740 3483 5835 2633 6855 4794 9463 17 0 2057 6877 0 1000 8379 463 11380 296 0 1941 701 19449 2697 10263 0 2612 6976 2577 860 643 2009 1122 4190 7646 2182 324 0 0 3757 2695 6807

D DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS THAT HAVe JeWISH AGeNCY FOR ISRAeL FeLLOWS TO HILLeL. w DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS ReCOGNIzeD FOR ACHIeVeMeNT BY OTHeR HILLeLS.

36

• Jewish Life on Campus

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE %

JEWISH COURSES

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS

JEWISH EDUCATORS

ISRAEL ABROAD

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

5000 500 780 1500 500 3000 500 500 1500 1500 3500 445 1000 2500 1100 350 1500 1200 1500 600 500 300 200 200 300 150

21% 4% 22% 10% 7% 26% 8% 10% 27% 6% 19% 20% 14% 61% 21% 21% 22% 10% 37% 9% 9% 9% 3% 8% 4% 3% 0% 0% 0% 5% 22% 0% 10% 8% 5% 10% 3% 0% 10% 6% 11% 9% 10% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 31% 5% 4% 0% 5% 0% 31% 0% 0% 0% 7% 9%

70 65 138 30 46 50 20 50 15 14 25 60 60 40 25 20 50 35 14 61 25

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

Yes

University sponsored program Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits

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

43 39 54 44 50 50 45 42 49 49 53 43 49 53 38 50 51 50 46 44 50 31 50 49 50 49 53 45 0 55 53 40 52 50 43 53 48

57 61 46 56 50 50 55 58 51 51 47 57 51 47 62 50 49 50 54 56 50 69 50 51 50 52 47 55 100 45 47 60 48 50 57 47 52

51 41 31 51 45 44 41 56 39 44 33 51 41 60 47 50 29 54 49 39 52 54

49 59 69 49 55 56 59 44 61 56 67 49 59 40 53 50 71 46 51 61 48 46

100 1500 100 700 25 1100 10 200 40 2106 250 1000 0 300

200 100 50 20 412 100

0 200 600

35 30 38 8 5 23 25 29 30 25 20 16 12 50 15 17 30 20 20 20 8 4 8 5 28 10 19 4 10 15 20 20 12 1 23 1

Minor Minor Minor, Major None Minor Major Minor, Major Minor Minor None Minor None

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel Sponsored programs, study abroad credits

Yes Yes Yes

University sponsored program

University sponsored program University sponsored program

Yes Yes Yes

Approved programs, study abroad credits

Yes Yes

Sponsored program, study abroad credits

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

University sponsored program University sponsored program University approved programs University approved programs Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel University approved programs

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

University approved programs University sponsored program Does not accept credit for study abroad in Israel

Yes Yes Yes Yes

University approved programs University sponsored program

Yes Yes Yes

University approved programs

Yes Yes Yes

University sponsored program

% 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 37

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 21 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 Barnard college D Muhlenberg college D Goucher college Dw university of hartford oberlin college cuNY, Brooklyn college Dw George Washington university D Boston university D Yale university D university at Albany D tulane university Dw Binghamton university university of Pennsylvania D Queens college w haverford college harvard university long island university, Brooklyn campus sarah lawrence college tufts university New York university w Washington university in st. louis hampshire college Wesleyan university university of Maryland, college Park Dw American university D cornell university Dw Vassar college columbia university D hofstra university university of Florida D skidmore college rutgers university, New Brunswick Dw university of Vermont university of Miami D clark university Franklin & Marshall college emory university kenyon college syracuse university university of Michigan D lehigh university union college Vanderbilt university Bryn Mawr college Brown university w Northwestern university Dw suNY college at oswego university of rochester university of chicago Dw Middlebury college university of california, santa Barbara w university of Wisconsin, Madison Dw university of Western ontario D New college of Florida w trinity college Amherst college

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

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

3076 200 110 3729 2400 2440 1471 5180 2961 14115 10740 18017 5477 12929 8353 13412 9746 15773 1194 6694 4871 1437 5177 24985 7401 1376 2928 27056 7706 14453 2418 8860 6904 33720 2632 34544 10992 11273 2301 2209 7829 1662 15224 28395 5062 2242 6851 1308 6548 9177 7193 6266 5681 2526 20238 31289 22357 750 2255 1792

100% 100% 100% 47% 33% 31% 31% 29% 29% 28% 28% 28% 27% 27% 27% 26% 26% 25% 25% 25% 25% 24% 24% 24% 24% 24% 23% 21% 21% 21% 21% 20% 20% 19% 19% 19% 18% 18% 17% 17% 17% 17% 16% 16% 16% 16% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 14% 14% 14% 14% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%

3621 249 125 2216 0 0 643 1637 17 3275 14873 14095 6859 4344 5178 3283 11550 3537 0 4109 3483 324 5740 24289 6947 0 296 10554 5355 7397 0 18800 4049 16630 2612 13834 1864 5501 1122 2182 6940 0 6268 15230 2057 0 5835 401 2633 11931 841 4794 6877 0 2813 11904 2977 0 95 0

D DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS THAT HAVe JeWISH AGeNCY FOR ISRAeL FeLLOWS TO HILLeL. w DeNOTeS CAMPUSeS ReCOGNIzeD FOR ACHIeVeMeNT BY OTHeR HILLeLS.

38

• Jewish Life on Campus

3076 200 110 1750 800 750 450 1500 850 4000 3000 5000 1500 3500 2250 3500 2500 4000 300 1675 1200 350 1250 6000 1750 325 680 5800 1600 3000 500 1800 1350 6500 500 6400 2000 2000 400 370 1300 275 2500 4500 800 350 1050 200 1000 1400 1050 900 800 350 2750 4200 3000 100 300 225

JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS

JEWISH GRADUATE %

JEWISH COURSES

JEWISH STUDIES OFFERINGS

780 249 125 445

22% 100% 100% 20% 0% 0% 31% 21% 0% 15% 10% 4% 22% 41% 10% 8% 26% 9% 0% 61% 9% 31% 9% 21% 14% 0% 3% 8% 21% 7% 0% 19% 37% 9% 0% 7% 21% 27% 4% 0% 9% 0% 8% 13% 5% 0% 3% 0% 8% 10% 0% 3% 22% 0% 16% 8% 17% 0% 0% 0%

138 150 50 60 25 25 28 20 23 43 30 65 50 20 50 30 50 46 5 40

Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major Minor, Major

200 350 500 1500 500 1500 1800 500 250 3000 331 2500 300 100 500 5000 1000 10 800 1100 500 3500 1500 1500 0 1000 400 1500 50 600 500 2000 100 200 200 1200 150 1500 450 1000 500

20 25 70 60 4 15 40 25 46 20 25 14 77 8 50 8 15 19 15 61 5 20 120 29 20 35 3 30 35 8 30 12 40 75 25 3 10 4

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

JEWISH EDUCATORS

ISRAEL ABROAD

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel

Yes Yes

University approved programs

University sponsored program University approved programs University sponsored program

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

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

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

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

Yes Yes Sponsored & approved programs, study abroad credits Yes

Yes

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

Yes Yes

Approved programs, study abroad credits Accepts credit for study abroad in Israel

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Approved programs, study abroad credits University sponsored program

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

Yes University approved programs

KOSHER OPTIONS

% MALE

% FEMALE

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes

54 44 41 43 0 40 33 50 45 42 44 39 51 52 42 52 50 45 47 53 31 29 50 43 49

46 56 59 57 100 60 67 50 55 58 56 61 49 48 58 48 50 55 53 47 69 71 50 57 51

48 54 38 50 44 53 46 45 41 50 45 49 41 50 44 45 45 51 55 54 50 0 49 50 51 49 53 49 47 49 43

52 46 62 50 56 47 54 55 59 50 55 51 59 50 56 55 55 49 45 46 50 100 51 50 49 52 47 51 53 51 57

47

53

*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 39

these trips offer way more than just a ‘break’

˝ Spring break is all about soaking up the sun, lounging in the sand and cooling off in the surf, right? Uh-uh, say a growing body of students seeking meaning in addition to tans for their week off of school. Take the contingent from Boston University heading to Oaxaca, Mexico this year with Project TEN. As participants in the Jewish Agency’s global tikkun olam initiative, they’re helping Israelis living in the Central American paradise with projects in health, education and agriculture.

According to Ethan Sobel, director of student life at BU’s Florence and Chafetz Hillel House — which coordinates the trip — the idea is to build an appreciation for the Jewish narratives of other people.

“Immersive trip experiences are perhaps the most potent tool we have as extracurricular educators to engage students in figuring out who they are and what they want in life. Especially when it comes to Judaism,” he says.

Alternative break trips can also be a way for students to give back to the less fortunate.

Such was the takeaway for

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LAST WInTER, PEnn STATE HILLEL HEADED TO HOnDuRAS TO HELP THE POOR COMMunITy Of LA COLOnIA.

junior Liz Binstein, who just returned from a Hillel trip for contingents from Syracuse University and Rutgers University to flooddamaged areas of South Texas.

Binstein says that they got up close and personal with the damage — retiling destroyed bathrooms and reinstalling drywall — and got families back on their feet.

“This experience has taught me a lot about individuals’ strength and the importance of listening to their stories,” she writes in a Rutgers Hillel blog entry. “It was a privilege to embark on this journey with my peers, and I have certainly learned the necessity of leaving behind our self-centered bubbles to understand others’ hardships and walk outside of our comfort zones. We must always be cognizant of what we are fortunate to have and remain grateful.”

Last winter, Princeton Hillel took a group of 14 students to Mumbai, India to visit holy sites, visit with senior citizens and engage in service work around hunger relief, literacy support, hygiene education and public health. The Hillel plans alternative trips during other breaks as well; past trips have included going to New Orleans, the Navajo Nation and New York, and two Muslim-Jewish dialogue trips took students to Spain and Detroit.

Says Ya’arah Pinhas, the Hillel’s social justice fellow: “These trips have all made students want to learn more about Judaism and its connection to their identity and the place of social justice in their lives and on campus.” —MARC SHAPIRO

PHOTOS COuRTESy Of TEMPLE unIvERSITy HILLEL, HILLEL JEWISH unIvERSITy CEnTER Of PITTSBuRgH AnD RuTgERS HILLEL

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• a Center for Jewish Studies • an undergraduate Jewish Studies degree, minor and certificate • hundreds of social, cultural, educational, political and religious opportunities each school year • study abroad and travel scholarships • partnership with Ben Gurion University Phone: 513.523.5190 E-mail: admin@muhillel.org Website: www.muhillel.org Facebook: Hillel: Miami University Smartphone App: Hillel Miami University

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FACES OF HILLEL

capturing the moment

˝ Everyone has a story. At Hillel, learn how to tell a great one. Hillel International’s Social Entrepreneurship Department launched an artistic fellowship this semester called Jews of the University. This national fellowship trains and mentors student photojournalists to promote Jewish diversity by interviewing students on campus about their varied Jewish backgrounds and sharing their stories on social media. The project is a scaled up version of the wildly successful Jews of Brown Facebook page, founded by Hillel alumna and 2015 Brown University graduate Rebecca Carrol.

“I think sharing someone’s story can be a reflection of both that person as well as yourself,” says Nikki Haddad, Brown University Class of 2016. “Being a photojournalist for Jews of

Brown and Jews of the University has tremendously helped my photography and interview skills. More important, it has enhanced my social skills. Now, I feel totally comfortable walking up to a complete stranger and engaging in a conversation with him or her. In fact, I love it.”

Currently, there are JOTU fellows working on eight college campuses throughout the world, from the University of Missouri to the University of Haifa. Check out the cover of this magazine.

Like that shot of Jewish students doing yoga at the University of Vermont Hillel? Credit goes to JOTU photog Jamie Goldberg, UVM Class of 2018. Meet the photojournalists behind the lens and learn more about JOTU by going to Hillel’s website at Hillel.org/JOTU. —gEOffREy W. MELADA

Paige krUg “if you like something and it makes you happy, do it. my parents were skeptical about me choosing to go into special education, but if i enjoy what i do every single day, i’d rather do that than make a million dollars.”

University of Kansas photographer: Dani Malakoff

matthew segil “guilt is not a productive emotion. feeling responsibility and taking action are the ways to make an impact. instead of just shutting down when you feel defensive, take that energy, put it somewhere purposeful and restore balance.”

University of Vermont photographer: Jamie Goldberg

orit toledo “my mom is deaf. when i was a teenager, i had no patience for her. But suddenly one day, when i was in the army, i felt i could see reality through her eyes. this made me realize other things, too. the more you are open and tolerant to others, the more you are able to understand where they are coming from and why they act or think the way they do. thanks to my mother, i changed my perception of the world, which allowed me to see people in a different light.”

University of Haifa photographer: Anna Arutiunian

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