Save a Child’s Heart Fundraiser

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One of SDSU Hillel’s favorite annual traditions is to raise funds for Save a Child’s Heart, an organization in Israel that brings kids from all over the world to Israel for free to receive life-saving heart surgery. This year, in partnership with AEPi fraternity, we raised $400 selling donuts and roses for Valentine’s Day!

Our Birthright trip visits Save a Child’s Heart every summer and the experience has always been a highlight for the participants, who learn that since 1995, Save a Child’s Heart has treated over 5,460 children suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart disease. The children suffering from heart disease come from around the globe, from 62 countries where adequate medical care is not available. Approximately half of the children treated are from the Middle East, including the Palestinian Authority, (West Bank and Gaza), Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Morocco. More than 40% are from Africa and the remainder from Asia, Eastern Europe and the Americas.

Other Stories From Hillel

A Proud Night for Hillel of San Diego

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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.

We’re standing with Bryan, Sheava, and Hillel

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On Monday, you heard from our son Bryan and his wife Sheava about why they support Hillel of San Diego and why they are committed to helping raise $500,000 for Jewish college students by December 31, the first $50,000 of which will be matched, dollar-for-dollar. Their message of why this moment matters and why supporting our young adults is so urgent reminded us of the responsibility we all share to lift up this next generation. That is why we are joining them in this effort.

What Could Go Right?

December 8, 2025

As we help kick off Hillel of San Diego’s year-end fundraiser, I can’t help but reflect on the moment that first made me and Sheava believe in this important work. It was the day the Glickman Hillel Center at UCSD opened its doors after twenty years of persistence. I saw what it means for Jewish young adults to have a place they can count on, and what a community can accomplish together. That is why Sheava and I became supporters, and why we remain committed as Hillel of San Diego has grown into one of the most impactful Hillels in the country.

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