Yesterday was October 7th- 

Yesterday Hillel of San Diego supported on-campus vigils and education programs at each of our four campuses- SDSU, UCSD, CSUSM, and USD. We then paid for buses to take students to the incredible Community Vigil at the JCC.

Yesterday was a testament to student leadership at each of our campuses. Students used their voices, were empowered, and felt seen. You should feel so proud of what the next generation is accomplishing in the face of adversity. 

Notice in these pictures our students’ resilience and Jewish pride. 

I’m not here to highlight that at one vigil a student was spat on, or that at another event a photo of students was taken and then posted with clown faces on social media. Those aggressions are disgusting and we are working with the appropriate law enforcement and administrative partners to address them. They reflect a continuation of antisemitism on college campuses that we know has not gone away just because it’s not a regular part of the 24-hour news cycle. 

What you should remember is that students spoke out about their pride in being Jewish, about being connected to Israel, and about teaching others. One student shared a story of her friend that was murdered at Nova. Another led a beautiful prayer in Hebrew. Another student invited non-Jewish students to learn more. Students were eloquent when speaking to the media and getting their story out there. Three student leaders spoke at the Community Vigil as well and highlighted the importance of looking forward. These sparks of Jewish student leadership should give you so much hope.

When you support Hillel, you are supporting these incredible student leaders. You are giving them the resources to create meaningful experiences and educational opportunities that will shape the rest of their lives and impact their campus communities. 

Thank you for being a part of it. 

Shana Tovah,
Karen