News

Celebrating Beginnings through Shavuot and Commencements: A Note from Adam Lehman

Author

Adam Lehman and Liora Knizhnik

Date

June 6, 2024

Dear Friends,

We will soon be celebrating the . Shavuot represents both a conclusion and a beginning. With the receiving of the Torah, the Israelites concluded a critical phase in their journey toward Jewish peoplehood. Shavuot also concludes the counting of the Omer, 50 days after the start of Passover. At the same time, Shavuot marks a beginning. When the Israelites received the Torah, they agreed to abide by its commandments before even knowing what these mitzvot entailed. Thus began a new era of Jewish life and peoplehood, infused and guided by Torah, for the Israelites and countless generations of Jews to follow.

In this way, Shavuot is well matched by season to the college graduations that take place in the spring. Graduations of course represent a culmination for students of all of their learning, work, and growth during their college careers. And yet graduations are also known as “commencements,” since they are the launching point for graduates into the rest of their lives, hopefully guided by the wisdom and experience they’ve gained during their four (or more!) years of undergraduate study. 

While this year’s commencements continue to reflect the celebratory nature of years past, in many instances, they are also unfortunately being disrupted by protests, walkouts, and other interruptions. These actions have served to mar milestone moments for many of the other graduates and attendees, and especially for many Jewish students and their family members whose beliefs and identities are being directly attacked by some of the messages and tactics of the protesters. 

Even with the attempts of protesters and agitators to disrupt and degrade graduations, we at Hillel have stayed focused on doing everything we can to protect and enhance academic and student life opportunities and experiences for all of the Jewish students we’re privileged to serve. 

As I’ve shared in previous updates, we’ve been pursuing these efforts across a wide range of different areas —  security, government, legal, academic, advocacy at student and administration levels, and of course through our core work at Hillel creating welcoming, safe, joyful, and inclusive Jewish community spaces and experiences. 

In recent weeks, we’ve  on how to mitigate or prevent the adverse impacts from graduation disruptions; we’ve  that’s accumulated more than 33,000 signatures,; and we’ve successfully advocated, together with partner organizations, to the Department of Education to issue clearer guidance to universities on the types of conduct that violate the rights of Jewish students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At a campus level, many Hillels have culminated their extensive support for Jewish students by hosting  for graduating Jewish students and their families,  for them to celebrate graduation.

As we look toward the next academic year, we know our work at Hillel will be more important than ever. And we are using these next few months to prepare accordingly: gathering key staff from across the Hillel field to share learnings and plans; coordinating with other relevant Jewish organizations to maximize the impact of our collective efforts; intensifying our advocacy and partnerships with university administrators so that they can be even more effective in maintaining a safe and welcoming campus climate for Jewish students and all students; organizing kick-off community pride and resilience programs and events to usher in the new academic year; co-designing with our student leaders proactive advocacy campaigns they can pursue on behalf of their campus communities in the fall; and investing in our professional talent across the Hillel movement, so they are both recharged and prepared with the necessary resources and expertise to support Jewish life on campus in the coming year.

Even with the unprecedented challenges faced by so many Jewish students this past year, a record-breaking number of students participated in Jewish life relationships and experiences at Hillel — more than 180,000 students in total. In my recent travels throughout North America and , I had the chance to spend time with some of these incredible student leaders.

Between the focused efforts that our Hillel teams will be making to prepare for the next academic year — and the strength, resilience, and inspiring courage of our students — I am confident we can move past the many challenges of this past academic year to a brighter year ahead.

Adam

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News

For Graduating Seniors, the Jewish Career Network Opens New Possibilities

Author

April Garnock and Liora Knizhnik

Date

June 6, 2024

As a recent college grad, I’ve found that going from the familiar routine of classes and extracurriculars into the new world of job hunting and career conversations has been more than a little overwhelming. 

For me, the biggest game-changer in my job search has been the . Created to bring together Jewish college students and graduates of all ages for mentoring, networking, and professional schmoozing, the Jewish Career Network helps users connect with others for career and industry advice, information about jobs in every sector, and introductions to employers, job seekers, and mentors within one’s local community or area of interest. 

And with more than 10,000 registered users, the Network – which just celebrated its one-year birthday! – is a treasure trove of opportunities for recent college graduates. After several months of working with the network in my role as ����vlogl’s alumni marketing Intern, I’ve been lucky enough to unearth some amazing usage tips that have made my job search a hundred times easier — and what kind of Hillel community member would I be if I didn’t share them with all of you?

Here are some of the top tips for networking, job hunting, and finding the perfect career opportunity for you on the Jewish Career Network!

1. Set Up — and Polish Up — Your Profile

Joining the only takes about 30 seconds. You can get by with a basic profile, but to get the most out of the connections you make on the Network, your profile is one of the most useful tools you have. 

Think of the Jewish Career Network as a platform just like any other — people checking out your profile should be able to get a sense of who you are, what you’re interested in, and why you’re there. Add as much information as you can, show off your best self, and start making connections right away. Don’t forget a photo!

2. Optimize Your Search Results

Now that your profile is sparkling, it’s time to start making connections. The great thing about the Jewish Career Network — okay, one of many great things — is that once you join, you’re automatically connected to everyone! Unlike platforms like LinkedIn, where you have to send a connection request before starting a conversation, you can jump straight into searching for people in your desired industry and reach out to them instantly. 

Using the Directory, you can search for specific people, or use the filters to search based on work experience or education. Don’t make your search too narrow — if someone works in an interesting field but in a department that doesn’t interest you, connecting with them is still worthwhile!

Extra Tip! If you have a particular company or organization you’re interested in, you can look for any alumni who work there on LinkedIn and Handshake, and bring that search over to the Network to see if they’re part of the directory. 

3. Be Brave — Send That First (Short!) Message

Being the first one to reach out can be scary, but trust me, it pays off! 

Start by introducing yourself (include your name, college, etc.), then explain why you’re reaching out. Are you interested in learning more about someone’s job? Are they working for an organization you like? Keep your message short — leave those long essays behind at school. 

Extra Tip! If you do have a personal connection — like a friend of a friend — then it can be helpful if you first ask your connection to make an introduction. Personally, I like to put our mutual connection’s name in the subject line; that way whoever I’m reaching out to is more likely to open the email.

End the message by requesting to discuss their job or industry further. The worst thing that can happen is they don’t respond, so you have nothing to lose.

3B. Always, Always Follow Up!

After you initially reach out or talk to someone, follow up if you don’t hear back! 

You might be worried about bothering them, but according to the experts, you shouldn’t be. “What matters is that you have popped up in their email inbox and they continue to remember who you are,” said Stacey Kaye, job search skills coach at .

Help those connections remember your name, and don’t be bashful or feel bad about annoying them — you’re not. People are busy, and reminders help them keep you and what you’re asking for top of mind. 

4. When You Connect, Keep the Conversation Mutual

Once you make time to talk with someone, whether over email, over the phone, or out in the “real world,” it can be tempting to focus on what your connection can do for you. But even if you’re hoping they can help you find an entry point into an industry or organization, it’s important to come into the conversation as a listener, not a talker. 

“Asking for help with getting an internship or job is a conversation closer, while asking someone to talk about their job and career path is a conversation opener,” Kaye said. 

Ask questions about what your connection’s job is like, how they came to work where they do, what they love best about their role, where they get their industry news, and what kinds of cool projects they work on. Wait until the end of the call to ask for their help in making additional connections!

5. Send a Thank You Note!

Make sure to send a thank you note or email after your conversation! It doesn’t have to be long and detailed — remember that tip about leaving your essays at school — but you want to express your appreciation for their time and information. 

“A thank you note is one of the best ways to stand out, especially in someone’s crowded inbox,” advised Savannah Kannberg, associate director of alumni marketing at ����vlogl. “I always recommend sending one as quickly as possible — it will surely make them smile, too!”

The is an amazing source of connections, informational interview opportunities, mentorship and networking resources, and so much more. Remember, people who are part of the directory want to help you — all you have to do is reach out.

Wishing you (and me) the best of luck!

April Garnock is an alumni marketing intern at ����vlogl, and a recent graduate of George Washington University. She hopes to work in publicity for a book publisher.

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News

Why I Won’t Let the Lows Define My College Experience:
Reflections from ����vlogl Student Cabinet Co-Chair

Author

Samantha Brody and Liora Knizhnik

Date

May 15, 2024

I’m not going to lie – this is not the way I imagined graduating college. I always pictured graduation season as being freeing and exciting, a celebratory close to an incredible four years. But across the country, the last few weeks have brought protests and unrest that have made us anxious and uncertain once again.

It’s almost fitting for the class of 2024 to end this way. We arrived on campuses in the depths of the pandemic, feeling isolated and frustrated by our circumstances. Today, too, we are frustrated and feeling isolated from many of our peers. When our campuses are in turmoil due to protests and encampments, students are more divided than ever, and antisemitism is rising among our classmates and professors, it’s easy to feel alone. Jewish students have been harassed and intimidated, and even our safety isn’t guaranteed. We deserve better.

At the same time, as I reflect upon my college career, I refuse to let the last few weeks define my entire experience. I don’t want to leave campus with the memories of violence, antisemitism, and fear. I’d much rather remind myself of the good times and opportunities I’ve been afforded as a Jewish student: the incredible friendships I’ve made, the spirited Shabbat dinners, the places I’ve traveled, and the chance to become my best self.

When I think about my college experience, I want to remember how much I’ve grown. Thanks to the leadership opportunities I’ve been afforded through Hillel, I’ve overcome my fear of public speaking. I’ve traveled to five new cities, eight new airports, and visited the White House. I’ve dreamed bigger, learned more, gotten a job(!), and found more joy in my Jewish life than ever before. How can I possibly let anything get in the way of celebrating those moments? 

One of my favorite parts of being involved in Hillel has been celebrating the organization’s centennial this year. I had the opportunity to do research at Brandeis about Hillel’s history and have been so moved by the amazing people who made a difference during its first 100 years. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come as a movement since Rabbi Frankel first gathered a group of Jewish students at a barbershop in Champaign, Illinois. 

Most of all, though, I’ve been inspired by the resilience and leadership of Jewish students. In every decade, we can find examples of students teaching courses on Jewish topics, rallying around important causes, leading services, and setting up Shabbat tables. We have always been stronger than the circumstances that challenge us, and we have always found moments of Jewish joy. 

As I graduate, I want to continue that legacy. In all my research, what stood out weren’t the hard times, they were the high points: the student gatherings, the innovative programs, and the meaningful connections made between students. I want to think about the new experiences, the relationships I’ve built, and the ways my peers have inspired me to become my best self. If being a part of Hillel has taught me anything, it’s that my Jewish story is mine to tell. These are my memories, and nothing can take them away.

If you’re a fellow member of the class of 2024, mazel tov! I know it hasn’t been easy, but I am so proud to be graduating with you all. To you and to every current student, I hope you don’t let the lows define your Jewish college experience. Hold your favorite memories close, and create as many positive memories as you can: college doesn’t last forever, and for every rainy day, there are twice as many with sunshine.

And to incoming college students, take advantage of every opportunity. Go to Shabbat dinner, take on a leadership position, and embrace each chance to celebrate being Jewish. Seek out moments of Jewish joy, and know that when times are hard, Hillel has your back. I know the future feels uncertain, but take it from someone who’s been through it: Jewish students are strong, we are resilient, and whether we are graduating now or just starting our journeys, we will always be proud to be Jewish. 

Samantha Brody is a graduating senior at Brandeis University and co-chair of the ����vlogl Student Cabinet.

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News

What Even IS the Omer?! Ancient Spiritual Refinement for Modern Times

Author

Stephanie Goldfarb and Liora Knizhnik

Date

April 25, 2024

What is the Counting of the Omer? The Omer is a period of seven weeks, or forty-nine days, from the second Passover Seder to the summer holiday of Shavuot. This year, the Omer period runs from the evening of April 23 to June 11. When we say we “count” the Omer, we really mean counting out loud all of those 49 days sequentially with special blessings. 

Since October 7, many of us have been counting the days that hostages have been held in Gaza. As Pesach continues and more than 130 people have remained captive for more than 200 days, adding the practice of counting the Omer brings a stark reminder of how long the hostages have been praying for release. While we know that counting the Omer will end on the 49th day, as we celebrate Shavuot and the revelation of the Torah at Sinai, we count days without an end to captivity in sight for the hostages.

Why is counting the Omer significant? 

• Agriculturally: This period of time marks a transitional moment from season to season, spring to summer. Thousands of years ago when the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, this was the period of time when Jews brought their new barley crops as a sacrificial offering. The word omer literally means “sheaf” and refers to these early offerings.
• Biblically: The Omer period connects the anniversary of the Exodus from Egypt (Passover) with the festival that commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (Shavuot). Tradition teaches us that enslaved Israelites were so comforted by the promise of receiving the Torah 50 days after fleeing Egypt that they began to count the days, saying each time, “Now we have one day less to wait for the giving of the Torah.” Miraculously, this promise was kept, and the Omer period has since symbolized the eagerness with which the Torah was received by the Israelites.
• Practically: Jewish wisdom teaches us that seasonal shifting is a profound opportunity to check in on our relationships with ourselves, with the people in our lives, and with the world around us. As the world turns, so do we and so do our relationships! 
• On a metaphysical level: It is said the Omer period is also a special opportunity to connect to the divine through many different mystical channels. 

What’s the deal with all the colors, values, and names of people? 

Jewish mystics imagined God as having multiple faces or attributes called sefirot, including chesed (love or expansiveness), gevurah (strength, severity, or judgment), etc. The mythic characters of the Torah represent these attributes. For example, Abraham represents chesed, while Esther represents malchut (majesty, and the presence of the indwelling feminine face of God known as the Shekhinah). Some Jews who studied the kabbalistic system saw the counting of the Omer as a way to meditate on seven of these sefirot and include them in one’s own life. 

But people aren’t the only ones who contain these qualities. Mystically speaking, so do colors, foods, and even parts of the body! One modern understanding is that each of us embodies the divine in a unique way. Through understanding that God appears in many different earthly outlets, we can move beyond the idea that God is only one thing — only a father, only a king, only male, has human features — and come to understand that God moves through our world in multiple ways.

A time of emotional complexity 

On the one hand, the Omer period is a time to connect deeply to the divine and to celebrate a daily escalation of closeness with the Torah. On the other hand, many massacres recorded in Jewish history purportedly took place in the spring months:

• The first spring tragedy began with the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva and his students and continued through the three Crusades (1096-1192). 
• The last great deportation to the gas chambers, that of the Hungarian Jews, took place during the period of the counting of the Omer.
• The Israeli Knesset named the 27th day of Nisan as a national Memorial Day (Yom Hashoah) for those slaughtered by the Nazis during World War II. 
• In addition, the day before Israel Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut) is called Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) for those who died in the War of Liberation. 

These sad events are traditionally memorialized by refraining from participation in joyous events during the Omer period. According to the Code of Jewish Law, Orakh Hayim 493:2, no weddings should take place, and it is customary not to cut one’s hair with one exception: Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is observed as a semi-holiday, and suspends many of the mourning customs for 24 hours of the Omer period.

Some ways to observe the Omer period this year:

• Count! Begin counting on the evening of April 23rd. You can learn how to count the Omer on and you can download apps on your phone () or even visit a to find all the blessings to count every night.
• Turn inward: For the kabbalists (Jewish mystics), the Omer period became an ideal time for introspection and self-perfection, with each week in the process dedicated to one of the sephirot, or cosmic aspects of being – Pure Giving; Boundaries; Balance; Eternality; Ephemerality; Bonding; and Manifestation. Consider adopting a 49-day journaling practicefrom the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks) during the Omer and reflect on these qualities for a few minutes each morning.
• Learn something new: The Omer is a wonderful invitation to start a new practice or establish new connections with your spiritual self. Check out to get some ideas for how to connect this season.
• Give tzedakah: While there is never a bad time to support the causes you care most about, the Omer period is an auspicious moment to invest in the world you want to live in.

Decrease in joy: Some folks have the custom of avoiding hair cuts (including shaving and waxing), using perfumes, listening to live music, and even attending parties during the Omer period as a way to connect to the historical sadness of the moment. Others make an extra intention to refrain from telling jokes, watching funny shows or movies, or eating luxurious meals. What might it be like for you to tap into these customs as a way to deepen your own Omer experience?

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News

Food and Resilience on Passover

Author

Rabbi Melissa Simon and Liora Knizhnik

Date

April 22, 2024

On college campuses and around the world, the Jewish community is preparing for Pesach (Passover), during which we recall yetziat mitzrayim – leaving ancient Egypt, or sometimes interpreted as “a narrow space”.

There’s a common refrain that comes to mind during Passover and other Jewish holidays: “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!”

This theme runs through Purim, during which we recall Esther’s bravery and the Jewish people’s survival through foods like hamantaschen or folares (pastries with cheese and egg), as well as Hanukkah, where we recall the Maccabees’ triumph over the ancient Greeks through foods like latkes, sufganiot (jelly doughnuts), and bimuelos (fried dough fritters).

Passover too has a story of triumph over persecution. From the bravery of the midwives Shifra and Puah defying Pharaoh’s decree to kill all first-born Jewish male infants, to Pharaoh’s daughter rescuing baby Moses from the Nile, to the courage of Moses raising his voice and declaring “Let my people go” — the story of Passover is full of moments where the ancient Israelites overcome the odds, survive, and thrive … and now we eat matzah ball soup, charoset, or macaroons at our Seder meal.

It’s important to note the constant thread in all of these holidays: the resiliency of the Jewish people. Whether in Persia, ancient Jerusalem, or ancient Egypt, despite adversity, the Jewish people endure and flourish.

On college and university campuses around the world, we are facing our own serious challenges – metaphorical Pharaohs, Antiochuses, and Hamans. And just like our ancestors, Jewish college students and Hillel staff are demonstrating bravery, passion, and courage.

They are coming together for cohort learning like Kol Yisrael, a six-week course about Israel, to develop a resiliency grounded in Jewish text. They are celebrating Shabbat, engaging in the historic Jewish way of marking holy time and taking a break. They are building relationships, creating Jewish community, and developing a sense of connectedness to Jewish peoplehood.

At Hillel we are not just surviving but thriving … and eating lots of matzah ball soup, charoset, and macaroons at the hundreds of Seders that Jewish students will joyfully attend.

May we all pass through these narrow places in our lives to a space of abundance and fullness. May this be Z’man Tikvateinu, a season of our hope.

Rabbi Melissa Simon is Director of Israel Education at ����vlogl.

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Highlights from Hillel’s Centennial Celebration: A Note from Adam Lehman

Author

Adam Lehman and Liora Knizhnik

Date

April 19, 2024

Dear Friends,

Spring is upon us, which means it is also the season of Passover. Passover is often described as Z’man Heruteinu, the season of freedom, as we recount and celebrate the journey of the Israelites from slavery to liberation during the Seder.

However, in light of current circumstances, it is particularly difficult to think of this moment as a time of freedom. Many hostages remain captives of Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. All of Israel remains subject to the threat of further attacks from Iran and its proxies. And many Jewish students lack the freedom to fully express their Jewish identities without facing harassment and discrimination on their university campuses.

Given these challenging conditions, we can shift our focus this Passover to thinking about the season as Z’man Tikvateinu, a time of hope. Of course, even hope can be difficult to muster in a time such as this one; nevertheless, we hope and pray for the release of all hostages and the ultimate defeat of Hamas in a way that ushers in a period of greater safety, security, and thriving for Israelis and Gazans alike. And when it comes to Jewish life on campus, I have even greater hope for the future after celebrating our 100th anniversary earlier this week.

To cap off our Centennial year at Hillel, we gathered 1,000 Hillel professionals, student leaders, lay leaders, partners, and supporters for two days of celebratory events in New York City, including meaningful conversations about how we can best fulfill Hillel’s mission in our second century.��Our Centennial programs reinforced my deep sense of hope and optimism at several levels.

Our time together underscored our overall strength as a Hillel movement. When we complete a book of the Torah, we recite “Chazak, Chazak, ��‵����ٳ��󲹳����” — be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened together. Those same words can be applied to the Hillel movement, as we close out this chapter of our story and turn the page toward our second century.

Chazak – We are supporting, inspiring, and empowering more students than ever before — with 180,000 students engaging in Hillel relationships and experiences this year alone.

Chazak – We have more talented and committed Hillel professionals working on behalf of Jewish students than ever before — nearly 1,300 in total supporting students on more than 850 campuses around the world. Each professional is making an enormous difference in the lives of their students and campus communities. 

��‵����ٳ��󲹳���� – We are meeting the unique challenges of this school year as only Hillel can. We are the critical source of comfort, support, and advocacy for students encountering issues of campus antisemitism. And we are leading the way in driving real solutions that can ensure a safer, more supportive campus environment for Jewish students and all students. Finally, we are continuing to do what Hillel does best – enabling positive and joyful Jewish experiences for students that strengthen their Jewish identities and promote their resilience.

My hope was further bolstered by seeing the vitality and strength of the leaders who came together for our Centennial celebrations: 

• Student leaders like Rebecca Weiss, a student at Ben Gurion University. Building on her commitment to strengthen global Jewish peoplehood through her role on the ����vlogl Student Cabinet, Rebecca also just joined Hillel Israel in a full-time professional role to oversee a nationwide volunteer initiative aiding senior citizens evacuated from their homes and communities due to the current war.
• Professional leaders like Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, who after serving as a successful Hillel executive director at Ohio University for 15 years, has dedicated her substantial talents to strengthening dozens of other Hillels in her role as a ����vlogl campus support director.��
• Volunteer leaders like ����vlogl Board Chair Lee Dranikoff, who, in reflecting on Hillel’s impact, shared the following at our Centennial Summit: “This institution has impacted millions of lives, and those students have gone on to great things in the broader Jewish community. Today, there isn’t a Jewish federation, synagogue, or camp that doesn’t have its leadership steeped in experience with Hillel.” 

Simply put, our work at Hillel has never been more relevant and more resonant. Hillel is the answer to so many of the needs of young Jews today – the need for belonging, the need for a safe and inclusive community, the need for meaning and purpose, the need for insight, and the need for a platform that enables their overall personal growth and thriving. We are that platform, and we will continue to be there for Jewish students and campus communities for our next century and beyond.

It’s no coincidence that Passover is the most celebrated of the Jewish holidays and one of the most famous stories of hope and liberation in recorded history. Passover shows how divinely-inspired hope, leadership, and initiative enabled the Israelites to emerge from their dark moments of slavery and subjugation and chart a path toward the Promised Land.

This Passover, I will be reflecting on the many ways we can tap into our own sources of hope, leadership, and inspiration to overcome the challenges of this season, on our journey to a stronger and more vibrant Jewish future.

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach, and wishing everyone a Zissen (sweet) Pesach. 

Adam

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News

Depolarization Should Be a Focus on Campus and Elsewhere

Author

Dani Levine and Liora Knizhnik

Date

April 18, 2024

When was the last time you made the choice to sit down and listen to people you disagree with? 

Debate and disagreement are as much a part of Jewish tradition as challah on Shabbat. Going back to Talmudic times, Jews have sat down together for deep discussions that encouraged lively and sometimes heated debate. Their ability to come together and hear opposing opinions allowed for stronger communities that incorporated different points of view into tradition and practice.

Today, we live in an increasingly polarized and fractured world, where it’s generally easier to avoid those with whom we disagree than truly engage with them. But learning to disagree, to connect and listen, and build relationships across differences is more important than ever. It’s not an impossible task (even though it sometimes feels that way) — it’s a skill that can be learned, if we’re willing to lean into discomfort.

As director of social impact at ����vlogl, I had the honor to represent Hillel’s at last month’s , which took place in conjunction with in Washington, D.C. The highlight of the event was , discussing the ways justices of our nation’s highest court create and maintain a culture of congeniality and colleagueship, even during profound disagreements. 

As the political discourse in our country today often seems uncivil at best, I was curious — like most of the rest of the audience — to see some perceptible tension among the Supreme Court justices on stage. 

Instead, I lost count of the number of times I heard Justice Barrett say, “I completely agree,” or Justice Sotomayor say, “She’s exactly right.”

I listened as the justices described the norms they follow when discussing cases:

1. Sit in a circle or around a table, in assigned seats. Don’t sit down randomly — we naturally gravitate toward those who we are least likely to disagree with.
2. No one speaks twice before everyone has spoken once.
3. No interrupting.
4. No yelling.
5. Disagree on the merits of the discussion at hand, not the character of the person you disagree with.
6. If you learn that something you said or wrote has offended another person in the group, apologize. Apologizing is not about a “feeling,” it is a choice that prioritizes strengthening ongoing relationships.
7. Eat lunch together every day, in assigned seats, and don’t talk about work during lunch.

These are some of the first rules we all learn as we grow up, and at first, seemed overly simple. But the more I thought about them, I realized that what made them so profoundly effective was their simplicity.  Justices Sotomayor and Barrett didn’t negate the fact that their disagreements were real and incredibly consequential. Instead, they offered a roadmap for how to be in community, how to care for one another, despite profound ideological differences. I left that conversation with so many questions, but also with a renewed sense of hope that what I saw modeled on stage by the two associate justices could be replicated on campuses and in communities throughout our country. 

Cultivating Student Connections

On college campuses across the country,  polarization has never felt more intense.  There seems to be no shortage of opportunities to reduce all disagreements to a simple us vs. them narrative. As the war between Israel and Hamas stretches into a seventh agonizing month, dehumanization and polarizing rhetoric is everywhere, coinciding with a dramatic increase in both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents. 

Despite this tension and escalation, across our campus communities, there are students and professionals pushing back on polarization, following the models offered by our Supreme Court justices. One example is Syracuse University, where Hillel Rabbi Ethan Bair and Syracuse Imam Amir Durić are leading a to help students find common ground. This semester, the month-long fellowship connected 10 Jewish and 10 Muslim students together for weekly discussions focused on building empathy and trust. Students and professionals are hungry for nuance and compassion, invested in building relationships, and determined to open doors for the dialogue our communities so badly need.

This spring, ����vlogl launched a new initiative called Cultivating Student Connections, aimed at opening those same doors. More than 1,500 students at over 50 campuses are participating in programming designed to bring students together across differences. The initiative supports Hillel professionals with tools they can use to help create environments where relationships can endure across ideological differences, and where all students feel seen and heard. There are multiple program offerings available, from facilitated town-square style conversations in partnership with Resetting the Table, to non-verbal creative processes in partnership with the Jewish Studio Project. All the programs create opportunities for listening and learning, bettering relationships and fostering stronger communities.  

If we can do our part to begin listening, to address the toxic polarization on campus, we can model those skills for our broader communities at the local, state, national, and even global levels. 

So I’ll challenge all of us, just as I was challenged by Justices Sotomayor and Barrett, to make an active choice to engage with people we disagree with – to listen — truly listen — to each and every person at the table.

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News

Finding New Meaning in “Am Yisrael” After Oct. 7

Author

Talia Segal and Liora Knizhnik

Date

April 5, 2024

Am Yisrael Chai – a song I sang, danced, and clapped along to at my Jewish preschool but never took the time to consider the deeper meaning of.  Yet here I am, six months after October 7, no longer taking for granted the power of those words.  The nation of Israel lives.  In a period of rampant antisemitism across the globe, the nation of Israel lives, just as we always have.

As I reflect on the past six months, I can’t help but think about this idea of Am and what it truly means to be a nation. I think about how I felt lying in bed glued to my phone at 1 a.m. as the first videos of Hamas terrorists on white pickup trucks in the streets of Israeli neighborhoods began to surface. I remember the fear, heartbreak, shock, and disbelief. I felt that my own family was under attack. It’s a strange experience to be physically in one place with your heart thousands of miles away, but it made sense to me; Israel is home.

I also remember the shock and betrayal of realizing that classmates who I’d worked on group projects with were justifying and celebrating the attack. In the week following October 7, a friend of mine overheard a conversation in the dining hall about the war, which quickly devolved into the student saying he “hates Jews.” Though I have never been ashamed of my Zionist identity, I started thinking twice before mentioning Israel in conversation and checking my shoulder when I did. More than ever, I needed to find or build spaces where that wasn’t the case.

When I arrived in Israel in mid-December to see my family and volunteer, despite everything going on in the war, I found that space where I felt safe to be my full Jewish, Zionist self the same way I had during visits before the war. As antisemitism surged to unprecedented levels in the United States, in Israel, the people around me inherently understood me before I even spoke a word. But I’ve come to realize that in the past six months, I have felt this sense of community and belonging many times.

Just six days after the attack, a group of 20 student leaders from ����vlogl’s Israel Leadership Network convened for a Shabbaton in Denver to begin planning the 2024 Israel Summit. Though the gathering had been scheduled months before, there was much uncertainty as to how a post-October 7, pro-Israel student leadership conference would look. With each other’s support, we got to work planning and strategizing what could be done on the campus and national levels. But that moment was about more than preparing for the summit. After six days of chaos on our respective campuses, we were finally able to step away and build a space to start processing and mourning together. Our bland, beige hotel conference room had quickly become a refuge.

The feeling was similar in Washington, D.C. as I joined the 290,000-person crowd for the March for Israel in November, and I’ve found myself catching glimpses of it on campus at Georgia Tech with my Jewish friends at Bagel Break or Shabbat.

In February, at the Israel Summit in Atlanta, I found that sense of home once again. On the way to the conference, I physically tensed when my Uber driver asked for details about the nature of the event. And yet when I arrived, I was greeted by 799 other students who shared my beliefs, who I didn’t have to hide from, and understood exactly how I felt.

There seems to be something magical about sharing these safe spaces with each other. I had been saying that they felt like being in Israel, but perhaps that is exactly the point.  Israel is where the Jewish people come together as a people and as a nation – whether on campus, in a hotel conference room, or in a crowd of thousands. That is what it means to be an Am.

Being an Am also means that when some of us are hurting, all of us feel it. When 134 of our people are held captive by Hamas in Gaza, we all cry out. I think about the hostages: my friend’s cousin, Ofer Kalderon; Omer Shem Tov’s piercing blue eyes; the way Omri Miran danced with his daughter before he was brutally taken from his family. These are just three hostages whose families I’ve met. On this solemn, six-month anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, we must continue to urge that these members of our community – of our Jewish family – are brought home. And we must continue to stand together as a people, even amid heartbreak, and move forward with solidarity and purpose, building spaces where we feel that sense of Am once more. 

Talia Segal is a fourth year Biomedical Engineering student at Georgia Tech where they serve as President of Hillel and has been a member of ����vlogl’s Israel Leadership Network since 2022.

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News

How to Fight BDS on U.S. Campuses and Win

Author

Jeremy Davis and Liora Knizhnik

Date

March 21, 2024

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in on March 21, 2024.

Is your university facing a boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) resolution in student government targeting Israel?

Earlier this year, The Ohio State University grappled with a BDS referendum, and the outcome proved unprecedented. 

����vlog a month ago, students in the OSU Undergraduate Student Government (USG) heard that a group of anti-Israel students sought to place BDS on an annual campus-wide general election.

Students from an official student organization, and OSU Divest, an unofficial student organization, launched a concerted effort to petition 1,000 signatures to put BDS on the ballot.

Together with students from the Student Coalition for Accountable, Responsible, and Legitimate Elections Today (SCARLET), I submitted formal complaints to the USG judicial panel, highlighted several by-law infractions, and successfully nullified hundreds of petition signatures to guarantee BDS’s removal from the ballot, weeks before the election began.

Sunday night before the election, in a weak, spineless, and corrupt decision-making moment, the Judicial Panel reversed its previous ruling, confirming BDS on the ballot after significant pressure and a (late and, therefore, unlawful) appeal from SJP and OSUDivest. Voting began Monday at noon and was scheduled to end Wednesday at midnight.

The pro-Israel community mobilized and jumped into action. Student leaders rallied the community, crafted a strategy, and built an ongoing “war room” inside OSU Hillel. That same day, anti-BDS students tabled on the main Oval, built a social media campaign, and reached out to critical stakeholders in the community, including university administration and local politicians.

Early Tuesday morning, as the election was ongoing, the university administration pulled the BDS initiative from the ballot and communicated their intention to hold a “special hearing.” All parties, including SCARLET and SJP, could aptly present their case for the viability of a “special election” concerning, exclusively, BDS. 

On Tuesday evening, SJP pugnaciously disrupted a private weekly USG meeting entirely unrelated to the election drama. Even further, SJP planned to speak at the USG General Assembly of senators during their public forum Wednesday night.

Supporters of Israel refused to idly stand by and allow slanderous attacks unabated, including false accusations of genocide, apartheid, and the new, 21st-century blood libel: colonization. For nearly four hours, SJP and the pro-Israel community exchanged narratives about the election turmoil, campus life, and the impact of the Israel-Hamas war, filibustering the General Assembly and inhibiting any tangible legislation from being passed. 

Wednesday, the university administration inquired with the Ohio Attorney General concerning BDS, citing USG’s adherence to state law in which Ohio Revised Code Section 9.76 affirms that the university “may not divest wholesale its interests in Israeli assets. Further, the university may not adopt or adhere to a policy of refusing to deal with or otherwise limit commercial relations with Israel or with any persons or entities associated with it.” Pulled from the ballot altogether, BDS was resolutely defeated!

What strategic, repeatable, and implementable ingredients are needed to fight BDS and win?

The Strategy to Fight BDS in Three Steps

First, the pro-Israel community must establish positive working relationships with state and federal government officials. Constant updates on campus life concerning the pro-Israel community, including antisemitism, should be provided. Staffers, state senators, Congressional representatives, and those in the Governor’s office possess relationships with university administration and can exert external pressure on university policy.

Second, the pro-Israel community, similar to its relationship with government officials, must invoke ongoing communication, education, and relationship-building with key decision-makers in university administration, including the Office of the President, Board of Trustees, and Student Life.

American universities are massive corporate bureaucratic organisms; if they are not growing and surviving, they are dying. They fear losing money, incurring lawsuits, and experiencing unfavorable press, staining their reputation and prompting organizational decline. 

Playing on the interests and fears of the university administration to exert internal pressure, students and professional staff should work within the system. To be effective, it is necessary to scrupulously document all communications with the university administration and government officials.

Third, grassroots fighters can rally the pro-Israel community to mobilize around defeating BDS. Two types of student leaders can rally the community: students within Jewish organizations and those involved in other parts of campus life. Chabad and Hillel student board leaders can help inspire the Jewish community internally because they are a significant segment of the pro-Israel movement on campus.

Externally, pro-Israel student leaders connected to Greek life, Christian life, and middle/right-wing political groups can locate and persuade respected heads to join the cause. Anti-BDS leadership must develop a unified, compelling, and simple messaging campaign focused on why BDS hurts the university and a comprehensive outreach plan on whom, how, and why to target a person and/or organization. To start, “BDS is illegal, ill-intentioned, and irresponsible.”

Finally, with unrelenting efforts, investigation, and prudence, any campus can be turned into the right environment to defeat BDS. 

Thirty-seven states have anti-BDS laws, including California and New York, which are home to some of the worst antisemitic campuses. Ohio State’s decision to remove BDS from the ballot by turning to state law, the first of its kind since October 7, 2023, sets a precedent for other schools to do the same. 

Universities can thereby rid themselves of increased antisemitism, hostile and divisive environments, and the poor press that tends to arrive in tandem with BDS resolutions. Universities should not want BDS on their campus. 

State law gives them the means and justification for scrapping BDS trash altogether.

In all likelihood, SJP will attempt to bring BDS to student governments across the country. Now is the time to prepare. 

Heeding the wise words of military strategist Sun Tzu, “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.”

Jeremy Davis is a senior at Ohio State University and president of OSU Hillel.

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News

Leadership Matters: A Note from Adam Lehman

Author

Adam Lehman and Liora Knizhnik

Date

March 13, 2024

Dear Friends,

Leadership matters. This maxim applies in all contexts, though it’s especially true in times of challenge. Unfortunately, Jewish college students are familiar with such difficult times, as they continue to face extreme conflict and related violence, harassment, intimidation, and threats directed at them on campus.��

In this context, it was truly inspiring to be with more than 800 student leaders and 200 professionals at our 2024 Israel Summit in Atlanta. The Israel Summit provided these student leaders with a much-needed opportunity to be in community with their peers from colleges and universities across the country; as Student President of Georgia Tech Hillel Talia Segal (‘24) noted, “Sharing a space with students who have all dealt with antisemitism on their campuses was like coming up for air after months of being trapped underwater.” 

Even more so, Hillel’s Israel Summit provided students with invaluable access to top scholars, geopolitical experts, and community leaders through three mainstage plenaries and 56 masterclass breakout sessions to help them deepen their understanding and hone their leadership skills. Faculty and keynote speakers ranged from human rights icon and former Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky, to former Vice Prime Minister of Israel Tzipi Livni, to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dennis Ross, to Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy, to author and former White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz.��

Beyond these meaningful and intensive learning moments, students had the opportunity to dance, sing, and celebrate together during a private concert featuring Netta Barzilai, the Eurovision-winning Israeli songwriter and musician. Throughout the two-day Israel Summit, I was inspired by the thoughtfulness, compassion, and commitment of the students. Leadership matters, and these students are already leading the way. You can see more of my thoughts on the Summit in this .��

I traveled directly from the Israel Summit in Atlanta to our latest convening of college and university presidents and administrators participating in our to counter antisemitism on campus. More than 100 participants from 30 universities joined us in Cleveland for a convening of CCI participants.��

Just as we will depend on the inspiring leadership of our Jewish students, we are also counting on our university leaders to step up. We’ve now surpassed 1,000 incidents of harassment, threats, vandalism, assaults, and targeted hate speech directed at Jewish college students since 10/7. More than ever, we need university administrators to show leadership in reasserting authority on their campuses to ensure a safer, more welcoming learning environment for the students being subjected to these unacceptable expressions of antisemitism.��

In turn, our CCI Summit provided participating higher education administrators with practical guidance on how they can improve their policies and procedures to address and prevent these issues. Program highlights included hearing from Catherine Lhamon, the assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, Ohio State Representative Terrence Upchurch sharing reflections on his travels to Israel, and a “Tuesday Night Shabbat” Dinner at Temple Tifereth Israel to help participants understand the role of Jewish ritual for their students. Just a week later, we kicked off our fifth cohort of CCI campuses, extending CCI’s reach to more than 70 major universities engaging in this critical work.��

While I know news from campus tends to be dominated by the challenges described above, it’s also important to remember that Hillel and Jewish students are creating positive Jewish experiences and relationships each and every day on campuses across North America and around the world. More students than ever before — 180,000 this school year alone — are participating in joyful and meaningful experiences like Shabbat and holidays, Jewish learning opportunities, challah baking, and wellness programs with Hillel. To that end, I’m also sharing a for prospective college students and their families, so they can pursue a holistic view of Jewish life on the campuses they’re considering.��

In speaking about leadership in our work, I would be remiss not to mention and share gratitude for your leadership. Without your engagement and support for Hillel, we would not be able to do our work supporting, inspiring, and empowering Jewish students through all of the ups and downs of this academic year.��

May we all go from strength to strength,

Adam

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