Meet Waylon.
Right after Waylon graduated from high school, his grandfather called to tell us that Waylon would be arriving at UCSD for his first year of college in September.
“My Hillel story started when I got a call from one of the Hillel staff over the summer. She wanted to hear about me and my interests.
That phone call got me really excited about Hillel. I wanted to get involved as soon as I could. I felt like I already had a Jewish campus community before I even got to college!”
Waylon came from a small, private high school, and the thought of finding his footing at a large public university was daunting. Hillel was there to guide him and help him make lots of friends.
Hillel’s weekly line-up of events made it easy. He came to the Welcome Back BBQ, and met up with Hillel staff and other students for weekly Bagels on the Sun God lawn and “Pizza and Parsha.” The best was going to Hillel on Friday nights for Shabbat. Waylon discovered that Hillel Shabbats are student-led.
“I joined the Shabbat Committee right away. Being a part of this group is such a fun way for me to tap into my creative side. I help pitch ideas for different Shabbat themes and come up with ideas for the menu, decor, and activities.”
Your support gives Waylon the resources and opportunities to create inclusive Jewish experiences that inspire more Jewish students to engage Jewishly and be in community together.
Waylon also wanted to engage with Israel. He joined Tamid, a Hillel student business club that offers hands-on consulting experience with Israeli start-ups. He realizes that the skills he is learning may be pivotal for his future career options. When Hillel recently organized a big networking event, Waylon and his friends from Tamid showed up!
I came to the Jewish Networking Hub launch party and met a UCSD alumnus who had also been a History major. He is now working in a business field that he loves. That was an invaluable connection for me. Networking with Jewish alumni from the local community is an opportunity I wouldn’t have had without Hillel.
Empowered by Hillel, I’ve stepped into the role of President of the FYSH Board (FYSH – First Year Students at Hillel). I love being actively involved in Hillel and was lucky to get connected early. I want to pay that forward. I know there are a lot of students who don’t even know where to start. They don’t know people at Hillel. They don’t know the schedule and all the fun ways they can come together with other Jewish students to share joyful Jewish experiences. I want to help more first-year Jewish students feel connected to their Jewish community.
You can transform our Jewish future by making your gift TODAY! Tomorrow is the last day to have your donation matched by Hillel of San Diego’s current and past board presidents. Don’t Miss Out!
Your generous gift creates a strong, vibrant Jewish community on campus.
JOIN THE PRESIDENTS’ CHALLENGE TODAY!
Don’t forget to make your end-of-year gift to Hillel of San Diego! Thanks to Hillel of San Diego’s current and past board presidents, all gifts up to $175,000 will be matched!
Thank you for your investment in young leaders like Waylon, who are making campus better. We can’t do it without you!
P.S. Help Hillel meet the Presidents’ Challenge! You can reply to this email to pledge and then send a check, allocate a grant through your donor-advised fund, send a QCD from your IRA account, or make a stock gift. 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.
