An Early Hanukkah at Hillel

Even though students would be on break during Hanukkah, we couldn’t resist transforming our last campus Shabbat programs of the semester into one huge Hanukkah party!

We brought the sights, sounds and – most important – tastes of Hanukkah to Hillel early with latkes, jelly donuts, menorah making and dreidel scratchers, and the students had an absolute blast. Hanukkah is such a joyous holiday all about spreading light onto others,, and this was the best way to put a cap on a fun-filled semester.

Hillel also participated in the holiday display at USD with a large poster explaining Hanukkah, dreidels, gelt and a Chanukiah-all of which was displayed publicly throughout all of December.

Other Stories From Hillel

Why Hillel of San Diego Matters Right Now

December 19, 2025

As we enter the final days of Hillel of San Diego’s year-end efforts to raise $500,000 by December 31, our family is proud to stand with this community and publicly join this effort to strengthen Jewish life on San Diego’s campuses. We do so while holding two truths at once. We are celebrating the light and resilience of Hanukkah, even as we grieve the tragedies and violence that have shaken Jewish communities in recent days. Joy and heartbreak coexist. For Jewish students, that tension is not abstract but rather something they are navigating every day on campus

Not Our Grandparents’ Hillel

December 17, 2025

When we were children, our grandparents posed a simple but enduring question: If the Jewish people don’t take care of the Jewish people, who will? That question inspired our parents to lead and to give, and today, as third-generation Hillel supporters, it sits squarely before us.

A Proud Night for Hillel of San Diego

December 16, 2025

Hillel of San Diego and its CEO, Karen Parry, were honored with multiple excellence awards at Hillel International’s 2025 Global Assembly (HIGA) in Boston this week, earning recognition among a global network of 850 Hillels. The awards were presented by Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, during its annual conference which brought together more than 1,200 campus leaders, supporters, and sponsors from around the world to celebrate leadership, innovation, and commitment to Jewish life.

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