Hillel Stories

Jewish Identity

Jewish American Heritage Month: Honoring My Jewish Heritage By Speaking Up

Author

Lauren Robbins

Date

May 1, 2025

Lauren Robbins is a third-year student at the University of Florida, studying Public Relations. Lauren’s passion for speaking up on behalf of the Jewish community is a focus of her Jewish identity and heritage. In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we are honored to share Lauren’s story with you.

Growing up, I was the only Jewish girl in my elementary school class. I was six the first time I had to miss a birthday party because I was at synagogue for Yom Kippur. I loved my friends, but I always felt so alone. 

Then, the summer before fourth grade, I went to a Jewish sleepaway camp for the first time. I was surrounded by girls who also had missed birthday parties for the High Holidays and never eaten bacon. That first summer turned into 11 summers—each one deepening my connection to Judaism and my Jewish heritage. Through spending time with Israeli staff and campers, singing Birkat Hamazon (blessings said after eating) after every meal, dressing in white for Shabbat, and casually using Yiddish in conversation, camp became the foundation for my Jewish identity.

As the years passed and it came time for me to tour colleges, one of the things I prioritized was visiting the Hillel on every campus I saw. I was searching for a place that felt like camp—somewhere warm, Jewish, and full of community. And so when I arrived as a student at the University of Florida two years later, my first stop was Hillel.

During my freshman year, I participated in UF Hillel’s freshman leadership fellowship, and loved it so much that I stayed on as director of communication and outreach for two years. The fellowship gave me a tight-knit Jewish community in a huge school, where I made close friends and explored what my Jewish values meant to me. Through workshops on leadership, identity, and communication, I learned that being present, embracing who I am, and stepping up for others are what make a meaningful community and strong leaders. 

Another highlight from that time was when I first learned about Spread Cream Cheese Not Hate (SCCNH), a program to combat antisemitism at UF. I thought, “Cute name, an opportunity to fight antisemitism, bagels, and free t-shirts? Count me in.” On Bagel Day, SCCNH’s main event, I watched hundreds of students stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate. I felt so proud to be at a school that didn’t just accept Jews — it embraced us.

As a second-year student, the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel deepened my involvement with my campus Jewish community. I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt following the attacks. After all, if I were in Israel, like so many of my friends, I’d be serving my Jewish homeland. Instead, I was in Gainesville, Florida. I needed to take tangible action to support the Jewish people. So, I decided to become more involved in SCCNH by running their communications operation, responding to the dramatic spike in antisemitism that was occurring on college campuses. 

One of the most impactful encounters I had while being involved in SCCNH was a conversation with a student on Bagel Day 2024. The student shared with me that before coming to college, she had never met a Jewish person, but now, some of her closest friends are Jewish. She told me she’d seen SCCNH all over social media throughout the day (not knowing I ran the account), and she made a point to include our table on her running route so she could sign the pledge and ask how she could get involved next year. Just after our conversation, we hit 5,000 signatures on the SCCNH pledge, which students sign as a commitment to stand up against hate in their communities. My conversation with this fellow student reminded me why I care so deeply about being a Jewish American who believes in building bridges, correcting misconceptions, and making our community more visible and proud. 

I’m excited to continue this important work as chair of SCCNH for the 2025-2026 academic year, and to engage in conversation with more students about the importance of confronting antisemitism.

My Jewish American story has always been about community, action, and pride, whether at Hillel, on campus more generally, or in supporting Israel during times of need. I’m proud that my activism and leadership are rooted in the legacy of Jewish Americans who came before me. Jewish American Heritage Month honors our history and inspires us to write the next chapter. That chapter is on campus and in our communities, guided by the values of love, courage, and pride in our heritage.

The post Jewish American Heritage Month: Honoring My Jewish Heritage By Speaking Up appeared first on ����vlogl.

News

Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate Racks Up Over 5,000 Signatures Against Antisemitism

Author

����vlogl

Date

January 31, 2024

What’s even more Jewish than a bagel and cream cheese?

Taking a stand against hate.

This week, University of Florida (UF) Hillel hosted its fifth annual Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate event. Created as a program to combat antisemitism and all forms of hate, on-campus at the University of Florida and across all communities, Jewish and non-Jewish Bagel Day student volunteers set up stations across campus, inviting Gator Nation to sign the Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate pledge. Signers received a free bagel and cream cheese in appreciation. 

Bagels might be the attraction, but the event itself is about so much more. Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate won the 2022 ����vlogl Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz Innovation Award, and has only grown in the years since. “We care about putting a positive message in the University, how it’s an accepting community and we will not tolerate any forms of hate,” UF Hillel student Ceci Edelberg said in a report about the 2023 event. “It’s also a big opportunity to lift student voices and for students to share their experiences.”

Since October 7, more students than ever have experienced antisemitism on college campuses across the country. Even more than in previous years, Jewish students need to know their peers have their back. Even before the event, the UF community heard them loud and clear: 61 campus partners — ranging from clubs to multicultural student groups to sororities and fraternities and more — signed up for the Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate Campus Partner Program to show their solidarity. 

Cadi Schwartz, Student Director of Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate, reflected, “My favorite part of the campaign is the questions we get to discuss with the people who sign the pledge.”

Last year, more than 4,000 students took the pledge. This year, UF Hillel anticipated an even greater turnout this year — and achieved it, with more than 5,000 total signatures. Good thing they ordered enough cream cheese to feed a crowd!

The post Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate Racks Up Over 5,000 Signatures Against Antisemitism appeared first on ����vlogl.

News

Samantha Brody and Gali Polichuk to Co-Chair 
2023-2024 ����vlogl Student Cabinet

Author

����vlogl

Date

March 30, 2023

Today ����vlogl announced the co-chairs of the eighth cohort of its Student Cabinet for the 2023-2024 academic year. ����vlogl’s Student Cabinet is composed of up to 22 student leaders from around the world that provide the student perspective to the lay and professional leadership of the organization.

Tasked with leading the Cabinet, the co-chairs will help guide the Hillel movement in the coming year, elevating the student experience and fostering new opportunities for student leadership. Gali Polichuk of the University of Florida and Samantha Brody of Brandeis University have been selected to lead the eighth cohort, serving as key leaders channeling the voices of students on the more than 850 campuses that Hillel serves around the world. As co-chairs of the Student Cabinet, Polichuk and Brody will also serve as members of the ����vlogl Board of Directors.

“Hillel student leaders are critical partners in how we create community and compelling Jewish experiences at Hillels around the world,” said ����vlogl President and CEO Adam Lehman. “As exemplary leaders on their campuses and in the Hillel movement, Gali and Samantha know what it takes to inspire their fellow students to action and engagement. I look forward to partnering with them in our shared mission of strengthening the Hillel movement and Jewish future in the process.”

Gali Polichuk is a junior at the University of Florida majoring in Sustainability Studies. Born and raised in Mexico City, Gali is a former ����vlogl Social Media Ambassador, and a current member of Hillel’s Israel Leadership Network and Student Cabinet. On campus, Gali has served as a service engagement intern at Hillel of UF and will soon serve as a peer leader for the Fact Finders trip, a program for non-Jewish student leaders to travel to and experience Israel.

“I am extremely excited to take on the role of co-chair of the ����vlogl Student Cabinet because as a passionate advocate for student voices, I believe in creating opportunities for all students, no matter their involvement level, age, location, or background,” said Gali Polichuk, incoming co-chair of the ����vlogl Student Cabinet. “My goal is to ensure that every Jewish student feels heard and valued within the Hillel community. I’m honored to give back to the Hillel community that has given me so much, and I can’t wait to see the impact we’ll make together.”

Samantha Brody is a junior at Brandeis University studying Near Eastern & Judaic Studies and Education Studies. From the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Samantha was an Israel Education Intern at ����vlogl and is currently a member of the Student Cabinet. At Brandeis Hillel, Samantha served as Israel Programs Coordinator and President. The upcoming academic year will be her third on the Student Cabinet.

“Co-chairing the ����vlogl Student Cabinet is an incredible opportunity to lead a strong group of passionate student leaders and to empower them to make the positive changes they hope to see in our movement,” said Samantha Brody, incoming co-chair of the ����vlogl Student Cabinet. “I look forward to inspiring the next cabinet to take initiative and bring the student voice to the forefront of the Hillel movement, and I can’t wait to learn from the incredible students, staff, and leaders that I will encounter throughout this experience.”

Polichuk and Brody will officially begin as co-chairs on July 1, serving throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.

The post Samantha Brody and Gali Polichuk to Co-Chair <br>2023-2024 ����vlogl Student Cabinet<br> appeared first on ����vlogl.