One of the best parts of my job is getting to just sit with a student and talk. I know when I went to Hillel […]

After JCC Maccabi, what’s next is…Hillel!

Jewish tradition is grounded in obligation and responsibility to ourselves, one another, and our community. As Jewish communal professionals and clergy, we understand Jewish approaches to autonomy and community have long protected the rights of reproductive freedom and justice, as exemplified by cases where health, wellness, and life are at stake.

Kol Yisrael Arevim, Zeh BaZeh- We are all responsible for each other.

It was such a joy to celebrate the remarkable leaders who make Hillel of San Diego impactful.

Right before the Israelites enter into the promised land, Moses recounts their journey from Mitzrayim (Egypt), through 40 years of wandering and struggle, to get them to that very moment. Moses himself cannot enter the land but that it is up to future generations to care for it and work for it, and he gives them his blessing.

We want students to leave our doors more equipped to connect to the next stage of their Jewish journey. That may be at a synagogue or going off to serve as leaders at Federation, the JCC, or ADL. We envision they will build donor advised funds with JCF, and volunteer at JFS…. simply to be connected to meaningful Jewish life through any and all organizations that help them continue to nurture their own Jewish identities.

So much is happening at Hillel right now. This year, there has been a constant theme – we are growing… fast! We are seeing more young people connect to the Jewish community through Hillel of San Diego than ever before.

In Deuteronomy 4:9 as we are given our final instructions, we are reminded to “take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously so that you do not forget what you saw with your own eyes…” In this moment, Moses teaches us to take care of ourselves so that we do not forget who we are. We were in the wilderness and we were resilient.

The Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) is a hallmark program of Hillel of San Diego. JLF brings together 10-15 people each week for 10 weeks to explore big issues through Jewish text. It’s a simple model with major impact. In the pandemic, many students felt like JLF was their lifeline. It allowed them to find deep and personal connections to other Jewish students in a time when their world was in chaos.

Blake grew up in a small town in Colorado. He and his family were the only Jews. They had to drive an hour to go […]

Meet Eitan. Eitan is a senior at SDSU, majoring in Sports Marketing. As a San Diego local, Eitan’s Jewish community was a big part of how he was raised. His father is Israeli and he and his brother grew up speaking Hebrew.