“Dos pintele yid, ‘that little point of a Jew,’ refers to that spark of Jewishness in each of us that we can’t quite manage to ignore, no matter how hard we may try,” writes Sarah Hurwitz.

Dos pintele yid has been on our minds at Hillel every day, especially now. Our organization has radically expanded after October 7th. This is not a crisis. This is the new normal, and what it means to be Jewish on campus has also changed.

Hillel of San Diego’s mission, rooted in connecting the next generation to Jewish life, community, and Israel, has never been more critical. And now, as our students face the biggest onslaught of Jewish hate on campus, Hillel is uniquely positioned to lead. We are the driving force behind change on campus, and through your support, YOU are a part of that change, too. After years of establishing strong relationships with the top administrators on campus, Hillel is the leader in ensuring our universities support Jewish students. At Hillel, we’re the ones who are empowering the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Hillel supports the voices of students, so through your support, YOU support the voices of students. Students like Hodaya who created an antisemitism tracking system that allows administrators to respond to incidents directly. Students like Ori and Anna who rallied non-Jewish allies to speak alongside them at an Associated Students meeting. And students like Kira and Eytan, who at this moment, found their dos pintele yid and are now much more actively involved in their Jewish community through Hillel.

The Hillel of San Diego that you support now has two critical pillars of our purpose to support a vibrant and thriving Jewish future- first as the hub for Jewish life on campus and second as the leading effort to curb the tide of antisemitism on campus. Both have expanded in scope and critical importance. And this isn’t for the short term; this is the new normal for us.

Now is the moment that Hillel of San Diego is shining as the leader on campus, fighting hate, empowering the next generation to lead, and continuing to spark JOY in Judaism. This is thanks to your commitment. Your investment right now means you are a part of the change Hillel is ensuring will happen on campus.

We are making universities safer and more inclusive for Jewish students. We are fighting antisemitism. We are enriching the lives of thousands of Jewish students who will go on to enrich the world…. And you get to be a part of that through your support of Hillel of San Diego.

Now is the time to step up for our future with Hillel of San Diego. When you give to Hillel of San Diego, you give directly to the students leading on campus.

Hillel of San Diego is the only organization where your donation goes straight to students.

That’s something you can be proud of. Your gift not only changes lives, it will change the future course of campus life.

May 2024 be brighter for all of us.