Regardless of your stance on the crisis in the region, when Jews are targeted to express anger with Israel, that’s antisemitism. 

Now, more than ever, organizations like Hillel are critical to the Jewish community. Our Hillel staff has been working around the clock to support students during this deeply upsetting time. Students are now scared to say they are Jewish. They are confused by what they see their friends ignorantly post on social media. Many have had to step away from social engagements for fear that Israel will come up and they will be targeted. Students are not ok. 

At Hillel, we are empowering our students to feel connected to their Jewish identity, to feel supported by their Jewish community, and to develop their own personal relationship with Israel. Right now, as the school year is winding down, the need for Hillel is ramping up. Through our incredible staff, students are receiving opportunities to learn more about how what happens in Israel relates to them as American Jews. They are feeling supported and given the tools to advocate for themselves when they experience antisemitism and hate. One student shared with me yesterday, “Hillel right now feels like one of the only safe places for me. I had to turn off my social media because it was getting to be too much to see people posting such hateful things. It’s been really hard. But I’ve been talking to Hillel’s Israel Fellow a lot and they’ve been really supportive.” It’s crises like this that remind me why Hillel is so important. 

Today for the Day of Action Against Antisemitism, we are holding space for our students to come together and process what they are experiencing. We foster a beit midrash culture, meaning that we want students constantly to be learning about themselves and how they fit into this world. We are encouraging students to ask questions, grapple with their role as part of a Jewish minority on campus, and learn how they can advocate for themselves. Today we are encouraging students to write to their universities to demand action. We are leaning into our partnerships at each college in order to push administrations to better support Jewish students. 

Now more than ever we are also so grateful for our community partnerships with the ADL, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Community Foundation, Leichtag Foundation, Chabad, San Diego Jewish Experience, and many synagogues. We are proud to be part of a connected and supportive San Diego Jewish community. This connection matters to us and for our students because once they graduate, they need to have the tools to continue to connect to Jewish life.  A strong and thriving Jewish community is the ultimate fight against antisemitism. 

Lastly, building the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center at UC San Diego is mission critical to fighting antisemitism. The Glickman Hillel Center will provide a safe space for Jewish and in fact, all students, to feel at home. Our new Hillel Center will serve as a connector to the larger UCSD community to build bridges and foster allyship. 

We are facing very turbulent waters but our Jewish community is strong and Hillel is arming the next generation of leaders with that same fortitude. That gives me so much hope for the future.