Birthright Israel

Campus Trip

Brown University/Rhode Island School of Design

Trip Dates

1/3/2027-1/13/2027

Departure Location

NY Area

Campus Contact Info

Sam Posner,
samuel_posner1@brown.edu

This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel

The gift of a Birthright Israel trip is made possible thanks to an innovative partnership between Jewish philanthropists, Jewish communities and Federations, the people of Israel through the Government of Israel, tens of thousands of alumni, their families, and individual donors from around the world who believe in our mission.

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News

Reflecting on Transformative Trips to Israel

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

June 7, 2023

RootOne is an organization that helps thousands of Jewish teens travel to Israel during their high school years. Many of those students go on to become leaders in their campus Hillels. The stories of these transformative trips are a snapshot into what inspires students to become leaders who are proud of their Jewish identities. Stay tuned as we share more of their stories.

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Serena Schwartz is a second-year student at the University of Kansas with a major in Psychology and a minor in Applied Behavioral Science. With support from , Serena went to Israel in the summer of 2021 on a trip with , a Jewish educational program in Houston. She shared that the trip to Israel brought her closer to Judaism and allowed her to explore many different ways Judaism is practiced. After returning home, Serena wanted to pursue more opportunities to stay connected Jewishly, even while being away from her family and the synagogue she grew up in. She first heard about Hillel from friends at her synagogue and decided to get involved. Serena is now a programming intern at and is excited to continue to build her personal Jewish community through Hillel.

During the summer of 2021, Logan Draluck received funding from to travel to Israel with . Logan often reflects that traveling to Israel in high school inspired him to continue participating in Israel-related activities and to become an Israel advocate on campus. When Logan arrived on campus at the University of Central Florida as a first-year student, he immediately got involved in Hillel. Logan attends Shabbat programming at every week, participates in the Jewish Learning Fellowship, and volunteered at Hillel鈥檚 Israel Block party. He shared, 鈥淏eing able to spend a month in Israel with people who have become lifelong friends of mine, is something that I am very grateful for. I grew in my Judaism and life experience through this trip. It was the first time that I observed Shabbat for multiple weeks in a row and kept kosher for an extended amount of time, which inspired me to continue these practices in college. I am forever thankful for those experiences.鈥�

Hadassah Sternfeld’s trip to Israel, which was made possible through funding from , gave her the ability to travel with her closest friends and the opportunity to strengthen her connection to Judaism and Israel. She reflected, 鈥淚 felt so at home in Israel, and being able to share this experience with friends I cared about truly meant the world to me. Each and every memory from my trip will last a lifetime, and I am beyond grateful to have had the chance to take such an impactful journey.鈥�

Hadassah鈥檚 Israel experience gave her a sense of independence when it comes to her Judaism, and the has given her opportunities to further explore that independence. Hadassah started her involvement with UF Hillel through attending services, which later led to her current roles as Director of Conservative Jewish Life, Assistant Director for the Leaders of Change program, and a member of UF Challah for Hunger鈥檚 Executive Board.

Victoria went to Israel during the summer of 2021 with support from RootOne. She shares, 鈥淕oing to Israel was the best thing I have ever done. The trip connected me to my Judaism in ways I could have never imagined. I made lifelong friends who I am still in contact with today.鈥� While on the trip, Victoria realized that finding a vibrant Jewish community as part of her college experience was a high priority. This realization drew Victoria to Brown University to study public health. 

 Victoria got involved with Hillel on the first day she stepped onto campus. She is particularly proud of her leadership in Brown RISD Hillel鈥檚 Students for Israel club. Victoria connects her involvement in Hillel to her experience in Israel. She explains, 鈥淭he trip made me realize the importance of being involved in a vibrant Jewish community. I am now a strong advocate on my college campus for Israel’s right to self-determination and making sure that Jewish students feel proud and safe around campus.鈥�

In the summer of 2021, thanks to a grant from RootOne, Jess participated in BBYO’s International Leadership Seminar in Israel, which she described as a life changing experience. One of the most profound parts of the trip for Jess was her visit to the Western Wall, 鈥淭he moment that solidified my faith and pride in my heritage was the moment I touched the Western Wall for the first time. I felt the thousands of years of history before me, and it made me realize just how resilient our people are. After that, my friends and I stood further away from the Wall, put our arms around each other, and recited the Shema, my favorite prayer.鈥� 

Jess鈥檚 experience in Israel inspired her to choose a school with a vibrant Jewish community when applying to colleges. At University of Maryland, she got involved in Hillel shortly after arriving on campus. Hillel offered Jess the opportunity to explore other aspects of Judaism which has been an interest of hers since her trip to Israel. Jess also serves on the board of Ruach, the Reform Jewish student group at University of Maryland Hillel.

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100 Years of Hillel Stories

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 22, 2023

Hillel is turning 100! In honor of this milestone and to mark the launch of the Hillel Alumni Network, we asked alumni from throughout Hillel鈥檚 rich history to share their memories with us. We鈥檝e compiled their memories into a Hillel Scrapbook and are excited to share these excerpts with you:

Susan Fendrick, Brown University 鈥�84: During my first week of classes at Brown University in September 1979, I went to a meeting to organize Reform High Holiday services. I met Sharon, a sophomore, and by Yom Kippur morning services鈥攚hen I arrived late, ran quickly up to the bimah, sat next to her, and we both started giggling鈥攐ur friendship was sealed. 

Sharon and I spent the year shuttling between Hillel (Shabbat services and dinners) and progressive organizations (a radical student newspaper and anti-nuclear activism), between her Grad Center suite and my Morris-Champlain dorm room. She went to Israel the following year, and I went the year after that; we lived in a group house when I returned, and she stayed in Providence after graduation, and our close friendship was a constant thread in our lives.

Over the past nearly 44 years, we have been through and shared relationships lost and found, the tragic deaths of several dear friends, living together, moving up and down the Northeast Corridor, getting married, the death of parents, the arrival of children. We have logged many hundreds (thousands?) of hours of intense phone conversations and countless emails, communicating about everything under the sun: Israel, moral quandaries, progressive politics, the endless parsing of interpersonal dynamics…and laughing, always laughing.

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld and I have lived in the same city for the past two decades. She is the President of Hebrew College; I am also a rabbi, a Judaic studies editor, and a spiritual director. We are not as close as we once were, but we are forever connected, our friendship a testament to the fact that a lifelong relationship can have many parshiyot (chapters).

And it all started at Hillel.

Andrea Hoffman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 鈥�96: In 1986, I was sitting in the Hillel lounge with a few friends watching the space shuttle Challenger launch, and then tragically collapse. Our Hillel鈥檚 Executive Director, Rabbi Mark Mulgay was there with us and I honestly don’t remember much about that day other than total shock and his calming presence. Flash forward to 2012 when I was the Executive Director at the University of Chicago Hillel and a student walked in with his father, Rabbi Mark Mulgay. I reminded him of that day in 1986 and we shared an amazing moment. I told Mark that while I hoped we never faced that type of tragedy while his son was at UChicago, I promised I would try to be the same kind of presence for his son that he, Mark, was for me.

Judy and Michael Turk, Brooklyn College 鈥�70: There used to be a saying at Brooklyn College Hillel, 鈥淚 met my spouse in Hillel House鈥�. We met there more than 50 years ago and we鈥檙e still friends with some of the wonderful people we met at Hillel.

Robin Frost, Arizona State University 鈥�75: My husband and I met on Shabbat, March 7, 1971. It was love at first sight for me.  I even have a picture of him standing next to the candles as they were lit.  We were married for nearly 30 years before he passed away.  I loved my time spent with friends at Hillel; so many adventures and so much fun!

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News

Jillian Lederman of Brown University to Chair 糖心vlogl鈥檚聽Israel Leadership Network

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 19, 2023

Lederman to guide largest Israel student leadership body through spring 2024

糖心vlogl, the world鈥檚 largest Jewish campus organization, today announced the selection of Jillian Lederman, a rising senior at Brown University, to serve as chair of the Israel Leadership Network. Hillel鈥檚 Israel Leadership Network (ILN) is the largest pro-Israel student leadership body, consisting of more than 130 top student leaders representing more than 100 university campuses across the United States. Each of these leaders is personally recommended by their campus Hillel. The majority are also leaders of their campus Israel group, or the Israel Chair at their campus Hillel.

Lederman currently serves as ILN鈥檚 vice chair and will assume her new leadership role on July 1. With a goal of maintaining a thriving community for students who are committed to a vibrant, Jewish, and democratic Israel, these student advocates convene virtually to share best practices, incubate ideas and navigate challenges together.

鈥淓levating student leadership is a key part of how we effectuate our work in relation to Israel engagement and represents the fundamental mission of the Israel Leadership Network (ILN),鈥� said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 糖心vlogl. 鈥淯nder Jillian鈥檚 leadership, I have no doubt that ILN will continue to grow in the coming year as a vehicle for Israel student leaders to learn, inspire and connect with one another, strengthening the overall base of the next generation of advocates for Israel鈥檚 future.鈥�

Complementing virtual programming, ILN hosts and recruits for several in-person leadership opportunities, including the Israel Summit, Content Creators Forum,, and iMission. All programming is exclusively student-run and serves the larger purpose of strengthening student leadership on positive Israel engagement and addressing anti-Israel activity on campus and online.

Reflecting on her appointment to lead the initiative in the coming academic year, Incoming ILN Chair Jillian Lederman shared, 鈥淚 am absolutely thrilled and honored to serve as the Executive Chair of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Israel Leadership Network this coming year. The pro-Israel campus movement has inspired and infinitely enhanced my college experience, and it means the world to me to expand my involvement alongside hundreds of passionate and intelligent students from campuses across the country.鈥�

Each Israel Leadership Network meeting includes an outside speaker or training activity, followed by a group discussion and peer learning opportunities. Past speakers have included Arizona State Rep. Conseulo Hernandez, former Chief International Spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces Amnon Sheffler, and Amanda Berman of Zioness Movement. The Network has also heard from geopolitical experts Amb. Dennis Ross and David Makovsky, along with others.

The experience of being chair of the 糖心vlogl Israel Leadership Network is something I will cherish for the rest of my life,鈥� said outgoing ILN Chair Jasmine Beroukhim, 鈥淚 am so excited that Jillian is taking over, and I am confident that ILN will reach new heights under her leadership.鈥�

Learn more about Jillian here. 

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News

Hillel Raises $100M to Mark Centennial

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 12, 2023

75+ Campus Communities are Participating in The Promise of a New Generation Campaign 

As Hillel, the world鈥檚 largest Jewish campus organization, marks 100 years since its founding, a global centennial fundraising effort has now eclipsed $100M raised to enhance the lives of Jewish college students well into the future. , a campaign which continues through 2024 and aims to raise $150M, seeks to meet a bold vision: securing the future of Jewish student life now, and for generations to come. 

Top philanthropists at local and national levels responded in an unprecedented show of support for Jewish students, reaching the nine-figure mark in expanding Hillel鈥檚 reach, programming, and critical services. Since the campaign was launched at the 糖心vlogl Global Assembly (HIGA) in December 2022, more than 75 Hillel campus affiliates have joined 糖心vlogl in raising funds to mark Hillel鈥檚 centennial year. The $100M milestone was announced on Thursday at Hillel鈥檚 Founders Dinner in New York City, an appreciation event attended by many of the organization鈥檚 top funders to kick off the centennial.

鈥淩eaching this $100 million milestone to support Jewish life on campus and the Jewish future is a testament to both the dedication of our supporters and the continued vibrancy and relevance of the Hillel movement,鈥� said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 糖心vlogl. 鈥淭hese new resources will enable Hillels to support transformative Jewish experiences for even more students, creating lasting memories and relationships, all as a direct result of The Promise of a New Generation campaign. As we enter Hillel鈥檚 next 100 years, this campaign will help us innovate and grow to ensure all Jewish students can proudly develop and express their diverse Jewish identities.鈥�  

鈥淭hrough gifts large and small, the Hillel movement has loudly affirmed our commitment to the future of Jewish student life,鈥� said Matthew Bronfman, chair of the 糖心vlogl Board of Governors, who made a gift to support a new $10 million Innovation Fund as part of the campaign. 鈥淭he Jewish students of today face a new array of challenges and opportunities, making a robust, well-funded Hillel on their campus all the more essential. It is incumbent on all of us who passionately believe in the value of a vibrant Jewish future to support this campaign. The Promise of a New Generation will allow us to meet this critical need for years to come.鈥�

In addition to the 糖心vlogl Innovation Fund, which will drive the creation and piloting of new programmatic initiatives, many gifts to the campaign are supporting the creation of new Hillel buildings and the renovation of existing buildings that serve as the center of Jewish life on their campuses:

In Chicago, philanthropists Abel and Judy Friedman have made a critical contribution to Northwestern University Hillel to fund its renovation to make the space even more engaging for students, and have also made a transformational gift to BASE Chicago, a program of Metro Chicago Hillel, to fund its new house. 

Cornell Hillel, the only Ivy League Hillel currently without a building, has raised millions of dollars toward a new building fund through the campaign, including a lead gift from Elena Neuman Lefkowitz, Jay Lefkowitz, and Herbert Neuman to turn that vision into a reality.

鈥淲e鈥檙e honored to help Jewish life on campus continue to grow and thrive by supporting a brand new Hillel building that will serve as the home away from home for Jewish students at Cornell,鈥� said Elena Neuman Lefkowitz. 鈥淚nspiring more students to connect with Jewish life and learning during their college years is vital to ensuring the Jewish future we all envision.鈥�

Other supporters of the campaign include Tom Tisch (Brown RISD Hillel), Melissa and Ricky Sandler (University of Wisconsin Hillel), the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation (Berkeley and UCLA Hillels), Joe Pedott (University of Illinois Hillel, Hillel at Davis and Sacramento, and Hillel 818), and actress Mayim Bialik (UCLA Hillel).

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News

Running with Ritzah

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

March 29, 2023

鈥淚鈥檓 Jewish and I love to run鈥� is the unifying passion shared by each student organizer of Ritzah: The Jewish Running Project. From across the United States and Israel, these enthusiastic runners came together in early 2022 to find ways to lift up other students who were searching for ways to integrate their Jewish identities with their love of running. 

Aaron Siff-Scherr and his co-founder, Jesse Edelstein, are both lifelong campers and lifelong runners. Both varsity runners and active Hillel students at Brown University, they approached Rabbi Josh Bolton at Brown RISD Hillel for guidance on how they could connect with similar students at other campuses to bring their vision to life. Rabbi Josh helped Aaron and Jesse pull together a network of passionate Jewish runners across the country who, together, became Ritzah. 

Ritzah focuses on three areas of support and engagement for Jewish runners. They are developing a digital storytelling project to help Jewish runners all over the world create their own brands and tell their stories. They also help Israeli students navigate the process of applying to American schools and working with the National Collegiate Athletic Organization (NCAA) to be able to run track in the United States. The final, and most significant, project is a camp for Jewish high school student runners.

Camp Ritzah, the original inspiration for the Ritzah organizers, is designed to encourage students to weave together their Jewish and running identities. Aaron believes that, 鈥淲hen we bring our Jewishness into our competitions and our love for running into our Jewish spaces, we enrich every aspect of our lives.鈥� 

The Ritzah team hopes that Camp Ritzah will give high school students an opportunity that they felt was missing in their high school experiences. Jesse reflected that, 鈥淎s an athlete growing up, my Jewish identity and my identity as an athlete were rarely given the opportunity to cross paths and I often felt like being a successful Jewish athlete was seen as a novelty.鈥� Jesse hopes that teaching young athletes to be proud of their Jewish athleticism and to understand how athletics celebrates Jewish values will help more Jewish students find a love for running.  

When thinking about the last year of work that has gone into developing Ritzah and the dreams that these students have for their organization, Sydney Ginsburg, Director of Camp Logistics, said, 鈥淲hen I think of things in life that make me feel connected, strong, and fulfilled, running, Judaism, and camp are the main ones come to mind. I鈥檓 so grateful that Ritzah combines all three.”

Interested in learning more about Ritzah? Visit their !

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