As the season of graduation fills the air with a mix of emotions, we celebrate the incredible journey of our Hillel students, their transition evoking both heartfelt moments and excitement. Even with summer break upon us, our commitment to their Jewish path continues beyond the campus.

Hillel of San Diego is a pipeline. We help Hillel students connect to our amazing synagogues, the Jewish Federation, Lawrence Family JCC JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Foundation, Leichtag, and countless other organizations and resources within our San Diego Jewish community. All of this reminds us just how vital a role Hillel of San Diego plays in building the future of our Jewish community. Our mission is to ensure that every Jewish college student makes a lasting commitment to Jewish life, Jewish learning, and Israel. And that means that their Jewish experience doesn’t end when they leave Hillel. On the contrary, it is only the beginning.

We also invite our young alumni to join the new Hillel Alumni Network – a brand new platform to help them stay connected to their fellow alumni and engage with the Jewish community wherever they may land next!

This summer is busy with THREE incredible Hillel of San Diego programs in Israel. The Fact Finders Mission brought a group of 17 non-Jewish student leaders along with five Jewish student leaders to the region to expose them first-hand to the complexities and beauty of Israel as we help them unpack the issues facing Israelis and Palestinians on the ground so that they can return as allies. We are also bringing a full bus of 40 students on a Birthright trip for a profoundly impactful experience introducing the next generation to building a personal relationship with Israel.

We are thrilled to be launching a brand new summer program in partnership with the Jewish Federation of San Diego County and the municipality of Sha’ar HaNegev. We have designed a unique month-long internship program in Israel for 10 students, who will engage in hand-selected internships in our sister-city that are specific to their career aspirations. In addition, they will live on kibbutizm, socialize with their peers from Hillel at Sapir College, and spend weekends traveling and exploring Israel. It will be an incredible and unique experience that will truly allow students to live, learn, and love Israel.

As we celebrate the personal growth of our new graduates, this summer is also about Hillel of San Diego’s organizational growth. We are in the process of expanding our team to serve the increasing demand at all four of our campuses. With three new student-focused staff we will be able to care for even more young people as our campus communities continue to flourish.

There is A LOT to be excited about at Hillel of San Diego, and it is thanks to YOU that thousands of young people are connecting to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. YOU make all this possible, and for that, we are so grateful.