On Friday, we celebrated the Melvin Garb Hillel Center’s 10 Year Anniversary at Shabbat with students and some special guests. We hosted a tour of the beautiful center with students who shared how each of the spaces impacted their Jewish experience. Students shared the business plans they created in the Sophie and Arthur Brody Library and the Jewish women’s club, Achayot, explained that they are working to establish an AEPhi Chapter at SDSU in the Harold R. Stern Student Leadership Room. AEPi took up the ping-pong table of the Price Family Lounge and Mishelanu and SSI hosted their programs in the Galinson Family Conference Room. Then over one hundred people gathered in the Elene and Herbert J. Solomon Community Hall to share a Shabbat meal.
After dinner, a student came up to me and shared, “Tonight reminded me of how much I’ve accomplished through Hillel. I was just so proud of the leadership opportunities I’ve had, the learning that has taken place here, and just how this space really feels like home.”
That’s exactly what Hillel is all about- centering students in their Jewish journeys. More than just bricks and mortar, our Hillel Centers (both the Garb Hillel Center at SDSU and the Glickman Hillel Center at UCSD) have become the heart of Jewish life for thousands of students. It’s where Shabbat dinners are shared, where friendships are formed, and where students have had the chance to explore their identities in a supportive and nurturing environment. From leadership programs to all our Jewish clubs, from Torah study to being the central address in fighting antisemitism on campus, Hillel has been the catalyst for countless transformative experiences.
And speaking of transformative experiences, thanks to the generosity of a donor, this weekend we sent a bus of 50 Jewish and non-Jewish students from all four of our campuses up to L.A. to experience the 06:29 Nova Exhibition. Students were supported by Hillel staff which included a mental health professional to help with processing. One student told our Israel Fellow, “I wasn’t really involved in all the pro-Israel programs at Hillel last year but now, I feel like it is my obligation to connect people to this. This experience has motivated me to be more vocal with my non-Jewish friends so that they really understand what happened.”
Another student said, “This experience reminded me of why Hillel is just so important. First, they are the organization that is taking care of us and thinking of our well being. Like the fact that you thought to bring a mental health professional just shows that you really care. But also that Hillel is a home for Jewish students and really thinks about education.”
It’s that simple. Hillel is a home for Jewish students. The challenges we face are very real right now. Antisemitism continues to be a spreading virus on our campuses. But the values we instill here at Hillel—community, responsibility, learning, and Tikkun Olam—will continue to guide us this year and far into the future.
This is only possible because of YOU- the community who believes in investing in our Jewish future through Hillel. Help fund more meaningful experiences through Hillel by doubling your gift this fall. We are currently looking to raise $25,000 by Rosh Hashanah that will be matched dollar for dollar if we reach that goal. If you can help us get there, you will be helping support programs like our trip up to the Nova Exhibition and Shabbats at our two beautiful Hillel Centers.
