Today, you can boost Jewish students’ well-being

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Day 1 of Hillel Global Giving Week is Here!

This past year has been a journey of resilience and transformation for many Jewish college students. Today, you can help shape those journeys. When you give during Hillel Global Giving Week, your donation will be MATCHED dollar for dollar up to $55,000 thanks to the Leichtag Foundation and Hillel International.

Meet Shayna.

Shayna is a second-year psychology student at UC San Diego. Even before setting foot on campus, she knew she wanted to find a strong Jewish community—and she found that at Hillel. From the summer after her high school graduation, Shayna jumped in, eager to connect and contribute.

As she immersed herself in campus life, she became passionate about mental health and emotional well-being. She brought her ideas to create a student-led wellness initiative to the Hillel team at UCSD, who welcomed her vision with open arms.

I was met with a community that wanted to make my wishes come true.

Working within Hillel’s Wellness program, Shayna  launched the Weekly Wellness Hour—a recurring Monday evening program for students to relax, recharge, and reconnect. From sound baths and paint nights to vision boards and meditation, Hillel’s Weekly Wellness Hour has quickly become a much-needed sanctuary for Jewish students on campus.

I felt a sense of empowerment that I don’t think I would feel anywhere else.

Your gift today makes stories like Shayna’s possible. 

Did you know that Hillel of San Diego, through a collaboration with JFS, provides free mental-health therapy for Jewish students thanks in part to an anonymous community grantor and donors just like you? Your support helps students feel seen, heard, and supported.

Give now and double your impact for students like Shayna.

P.S. Many people choose to give from their assets- stocks, mutual funds, gifts from their IRA, and grants from their donor-advised funds. Please contact Lisa Kalal, Senior Advancement Officer, at lkalal@hillelsd.org and 619-764-5992 to learn more.

Other Stories From Hillel

Not Our Grandparents’ Hillel

December 17, 2025

When we were children, our grandparents posed a simple but enduring question: If the Jewish people don’t take care of the Jewish people, who will? That question inspired our parents to lead and to give, and today, as third-generation Hillel supporters, it sits squarely before us.

A Proud Night for Hillel of San Diego

December 16, 2025

Hillel of San Diego and its CEO, Karen Parry, were honored with multiple excellence awards at Hillel International’s 2025 Global Assembly (HIGA) in Boston this week, earning recognition among a global network of 850 Hillels. The awards were presented by Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, during its annual conference which brought together more than 1,200 campus leaders, supporters, and sponsors from around the world to celebrate leadership, innovation, and commitment to Jewish life.

We’re standing with Bryan, Sheava, and Hillel

December 10, 2025

On Monday, you heard from our son Bryan and his wife Sheava about why they support Hillel of San Diego and why they are committed to helping raise $500,000 for Jewish college students by December 31, the first $50,000 of which will be matched, dollar-for-dollar. Their message of why this moment matters and why supporting our young adults is so urgent reminded us of the responsibility we all share to lift up this next generation. That is why we are joining them in this effort.

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