We’re very busy. It’s a phrase I keep saying when people ask what’s going on. How do I answer that question concisely?
Do I say every single day, we are dealing with another incident of antisemitism? Like when Hillel of San Diego at CSUSM was being honored by the County Supervisors and while I was talking about how Hillel provides a safe space for students, someone in the audience decided to shout “Free Palestine”– as if caring for Jewish students had anything to do with it.
Or do I say, we put together a beautiful on-campus Empty Shabbat Table to honor the hostages and bring awareness to UCSD. Do I share it was Hillel staff that organized the effort– including renting a U-Haul and schlepping tables to campus? Or that Chancellor Khosla came to support Jewish students?
Do I share about our coordination for Bassem Eid to speak at both UCSD and SDSU?
Do I talk about the anti-Israel teach-ins at USD and our work with the administration there to protect Jewish students and ensure they feel supported?
Do I say that we are staying with students all day and all night, on the phone, while they cry– editing their speeches for student government– providing them with the coaching and mentoring to center their voices and their leadership on campus?
Do I talk about convening professors to work in partnership and leveraging diverse spheres of influence? Or do I talk about our weekly meetings with university administrators to push again and again for our Jewish students? That we are tracking as many antisemitic incidents as possible and holding our universities accountable to act?
Do I talk about the work we are doing in collaboration with other Jewish organizations and synagogues?
Or do I share the JOY I see when our students are hanging out at the Melvin Garb Hillel Center or Glickman Hillel Center? They are making sugar cookies and watching silly movies, sharing a Shabbat meal, or now– lighting the Chanukiah together before going back to studying for finals.
Or do I talk about taking students to coffee, lunch, frozen yogurt- whatever they need whenever they need it?
I know I could be updating the community about all the work that is happening to improve our campus climates more. I know I should be sharing more that the good work you are investing in when you give to Hillel is directly fueling what our students want and need. Gifts to Hillel are a way to give directly to students.
I know I should be screaming from the rooftops that I am so beyond proud to work for an organization that centers students and empowers them to lead through everything we do.
But I don’t share it enough because… well, we’re very busy.
Thank you for being in it with us, with our students. It matters and makes a difference. Happy Hanukkah– may it be filled with so much light… And hopefully some peace!
