Leah was hooked! She found the community and the people that were going to change her life. Inspired by the other Jewish women she met at Hillel and the strong Jewish greek experience available for men, Leah imagined founding a sorority for Jewish women at SDSU.
Leah got together with two of her Jewish friends and started working on relaunching the AEPhi chapter at SDSU. They discovered quickly that they needed guidance, so they asked Hillel staff for help.
“By going through Hillel, we gained a lot of credibility. I don’t think we could have met with the person who runs Greek life without Hillel.” They learned that applying to be a chapter of AEPhi involved a longer process than anticipated. Hillel staff helped Leah and her friends find a great alternative route and a roadmap for becoming eligible to apply for sorority status in the future.
Empowered by Hillel, Leah started a Jewish student club called “Achayot,” which in Hebrew means “Sisters.” This Jewish sisterhood club is grounded in the Jewish value of welcoming guests, hachnasat orchim.
“If there had been something like this when I was a freshman, I would have joined- 100%! I’m glad we have created this sisterhood space, especially for incoming students, because it’s an easy and great way to make friends.
We couldn’t have done it without Hillel. It’s less than a year later, and from what started as two friends and me, we now have 50 students participating.”
YOU, through Hillel, provide all the resources that Leah and her friends need to create the Jewish community THEY want on campus.
“Achayot is the first step in creating a new Jewish sorority, and we couldn’t have done it without Hillel. I am proud of what we’ve already done, and I am excited for all we can do. Because we are a part of Hillel, we joined with SSI, AEPi, and Mishelanu students to make the October 7th memorial event meaningful for the entire SDSU student community.
And we hosted a Krav Maga class that we did with the other Hillel clubs. I feel more confident because of it.”
Leah has ambitious plans for Achayot this spring. “I want us to organize a professional networking event with Jewish women, a banquet or formal to finish the year, and to create a big/little peer mentoring program.”
When you donate to Hillel, you are funding this program that Leah is envisioning. YOU are funding her dreams.
“As the President of Achayot, I want to ensure we are the most welcoming space for new students. If someone shows up who I haven’t seen before, I take the time to talk with them and make them feel comfortable. Our board members also follow this practice, so we make sure no one feels left out or unwelcome. We learned to do this from Hillel.”
Your care for Jewish students makes THE difference. Your support leads to student leadership, and innovation. YOU do that when you donate to Hillel. You fuel the dreams of students like Leah and so many others.
Your generous gift creates a strong, vibrant Jewish community on campus.
P.S. Today is THE LAST day to help Hillel of San Diego meet the Presidents’ Challenge. You can unlock additional funds to support Jewish college students by pledging now and sending your gift by check, through your donor-advised fund, a QCD from your IRA account, or by gifting stock. Hillel of San Diego’s Tax ID# is 33-0519225, and our office address is 5717 Lindo Paseo, San Diego, CA 92115. Please contact me at lkalal@hillelsd.org or 619-764-5992 with any questions.
