FYSH stands for First Year Students at Hillel and serves as a Big/Little connection in which upperclassmen are paired with a freshman to help support their social connections at college. FYSH acts as a way to make a big college community feel smaller. Lisa Kalal met with Annabelle and Hannah to learn more about their friendship and connection to Hillel of San Diego.
Lisa Kalal (LK): I am delighted to introduce you to Annabelle and Hannah, two UC San Diego students who were brought together through Hillel of San Diego. Can you tell me what drew you to want to join the FYSH (First Year Students at Hillel) program?
Hannah Toperczer (HT): I joined FYSH in my third year of college, because I wanted to be a mentor to help an incoming freshman learn about the really big Jewish community at UC San Diego and feel like they belong. I wanted to mentor them through their first year and through the Jewish community.
Annabelle Simble (AS): In a kind of similar way, I joined because I was looking for guidance when I came here. The school is so big that I just didn’t know where to start in terms of making it smaller and finding a community. I thought that this would be a good, easy way to gain some guidance and friendship.
LK: Last year you got to hang out in person and now you’re seeing each other but socially distanced. How are you managing and keeping your relationship?
HT: Before COVID, we hung out at each other’s apartments, on campus and off campus. (We got a lot of boba!) And now, during COVID, I drive up to campus and we sit on Annabelle’s balcony at her campus apartment, socially distanced and wearing masks. We just talk or go for walks around campus.
AS: It’s definitely been an adjustment and it’s also been good. I’m really glad that we were able to hang out so much before COVID, because I feel like that really helped us maintain our friendship, when we couldn’t see each other at the beginning. and so I feel like the fact that we both put so much work into FYSH and our friendship really helped during COVID. It’s been nice to continue to hang out. We’re very lucky that we’re both in San Diego and we’ve been able to see each other in person.
AS: I think it’s probably very hard to show up and put yourself out there, even though, like it’s definitely way harder without being in person. I think it will end up helping you out in making friends. Everyone still wants to have human connection with new people during this time. It’s not just a one-way street. You’re not trying to make friends where everyone’s like “No, I have enough friends, thank you!”
LK: Oh, that’s excellent! Is there anything that’s coming up for FYSH that’s an organized event or specific support that our team at Hillel is doing?
AS: We’ve been consistently doing events every other week, so our next one is next week.
LK: What’s going to happen?
AS: We’re meeting about that today. Jasmine Elisha, who founded FYSH, is going to graduate in June so she started transitioning the leadership of FYSH to me and another student. We, unfortunately, haven’t been able to meet in person, even socially distanced, because a lot of people are living at home and not on campus or even in San Diego. Our events have all been on Zoom but we’re utilizing breakout rooms and taking the time to really go around to connect with everyone.
Opportunities to build a Jewish community are fundamental to Hillel of San Diego’s mission and serve as an easy way to help the next generation continue to connect Jewishly. Thank you to the generosity to every donor who invests in Hillel of San Diego. You are fueling Hannah and Annabelle’s Jewish journey.
