News

What is Tisha B’Av?

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

July 20, 2026

What is Tisha B鈥橝v?

Tisha B鈥橝v, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, is recognized as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is a day of mourning for tragedies across Jewish history, most particularly the destruction and loss of the first and second Temple in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago.聽Over the last 100 years, Tisha B鈥橝v has also become a day of mourning for the lives lost in the massacres of Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa, the pogroms of Eastern Europe, and the Holocaust.

Traditional ways to observe Tisha B鈥橝v

Throughout history, the Jewish people have mourned the loss of Jerusalem as a symbol of the loss of Jewish sovereignty and religious freedom. The traditional practices observed on Tisha B鈥檃v reflect that loss and make space for mourning, reflection, and a communal expression of grief. Here are some ways Jewish communities have traditionally observed Tisha B鈥橝v:

• Refraining from eating, drinking, listening to music, studying Torah, sitting on chairs, and wearing leather shoes. These are all drawn from traditional mourning practices that a person might observe when they lose a close family member. 
• Reading the book of Eicha, or Lamentations, as a community. Lamentations expresses the anguish the Jewish people experience during the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. 
• Spending the day in study and reflection of tragedies in Jewish history, such as October 7th and the Holocaust. 

Ways to think about observing Tisha B鈥橝v this year:

Looking for a way to connect with Tisha B鈥橝v this year? Check out the suggestions below:

• Jewish families often carry years of stories and traditions that survive, despite tragedy and upheaval. Think about speaking with relatives, family friends, or community members about their experiences over the last year or your family history as a way to connect with the historical aspect of Tisha B鈥橝v.
• What are you hopeful about for the coming year? Are there steps you can take or practices you can commit to in order to make that hope a reality?

As Tisha B鈥橝v ends and the calendar moves towards Rosh Hashanah, may the year ahead bring hope, and may our communities across the world find safety and joy in their Jewish stories. 

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News

Lessons from Shavuot: Finding a Path Through the Wilderness

Author

Rabbi Heather Paul

Date

May 20, 2026

鈥淢ay I be empty
and open to receive the light
May I be empty
and open to receive   

May I be full 
and open to receive the light
May I be full 
and open to receive鈥�

The holiday of Shavuot celebrates a moment of receiving. After wandering through the vast, empty desert, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah 鈥� the great revelation after liberation, the moment our tribes became a people.

The commentaries on this moment are remarkable for how broadly they describe the receiving of the Torah. 

• The Midrash Tanchuma teaches that the Torah was given in the wilderness because “just as the wilderness is ownerless, available to all, so too the words of Torah are ownerless, available to all.” 
• Another midrashic text, Shemot Rabbah, goes further, teaching that “not only those who were in the wilderness stood at Sinai, but also the souls of all future generations.” 
• The 19th-century Hasidic master Sefat Emet wrote that the divine voice was heard differently by each person, “according to their capacity,” and that the giving of Torah was both a singular moment and an ongoing, living one.

Together, these teachings say something radical: we were all there. Each of us received a message that was both personal and communal, belonging not to one person or one group, but to all of us, for all time. And each time we interpret, innovate, or uncover something new from within our tradition, we become part of the great unfolding story of Sinai.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, in conversations with graduating seniors facing what I can only describe as their own wilderness: the uncertainty of life after college.

A memory from my own time of wandering keeps coming back to me.

In June 2008, I had just finished a master’s degree in history at UC Santa Cruz. My plan had been to pursue a PhD and become an academic historian. But somewhere along the way, it became clear that wasn’t the right path. I didn’t know what else to do, and I was terrified. I was applying for jobs frantically, feeling lost in that wilderness, my story wide open.

Around that same time, a beloved rabbi was leaving Santa Cruz Hillel, where I’d been involved throughout my time as an undergrad and in graduate school. A committee asked me to help with the search for a new staff member. 

Then, after we’d interviewed a couple of candidates, one of the committee members turned to me and said, “Heather, why haven’t you applied for this position?”

It was my Sinai moment 鈥� a moment of personal revelation within the communal.

I had never considered working for Hillel. But the more I sat with the question, the better it felt. Hillel had always been a reliable, loving space for me, no matter what else was happening in my life. Why not give back to something that had given me so much, and create that kind of space for others? When I look back now, I realize that Hillel was also there for me in that moment, offering a path forward. 

Like Moses at the burning bush, it wasn’t just that I happened to be in the wilderness. I had to have the courage to own the uncertainty before the path forward could reveal itself.

That was 18 years ago. I’m still working for Hillel, now as a rabbi, a teacher of Torah.

This story has become part of my own Torah, a moment I return to when I’m facing a new wilderness, or sitting with a student who is facing theirs. When we’re feeling lost, it’s tempting to narrow our vision, to reach for the familiar because the unknown is frightening. But Shavuot reminds us that we are all standing at Sinai, each receiving the divine voice according to our own capacity. Sometimes it arrives through a friend or mentor who sees something in us we couldn’t see in ourselves.

As Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l taught, the divine broadcast is eternal; “the question is whether we have our receivers turned on and tuned to the right frequency.”

The Kabbalists also taught us to read the Hebrew word 鈥�midbar,鈥� wilderness, as 鈥�midaber,鈥� to speak, to tell, to create worlds with our words. Revelation is not only about what we receive. It’s about how we respond.

Many of my students, especially the graduating seniors, are standing in their own wilderness right now. With Shavuot approaching, I encourage all of you to tune in. Notice who is standing with you at Sinai. Open yourself to whatever message comes through. Torah belongs to all of us, and the messages and the teachings are still guiding each of us through our own personal and shared wilderness.

What is the message meant for you? And what will you do when you receive it?

Rabbi Heather Paul is the senior Jewish educator at Illini Hillel.

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News

Counting the Omer Together

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 8, 2026

In Jewish tradition, the period of time between Passover and Shavuot is called the Omer. During these 49 days, it鈥檚 traditional to 鈥渃ount鈥� the Omer 鈥� counting out loud all of those 49 days sequentially, with special blessings. 

At 糖心vlogl, we鈥檙e honoring this period with our second annual 鈥�Sefirat HaOmer鈥� project. Each day of the Omer, we share one-to-two minute videos from 49 Hillel educators as a modern way to practice this ancient tradition, learn a little bit each day, and get a great reminder to count. 

This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淏elonging.鈥� Check out some of the highlights:

Danielle Kranjec

鈥淏elonging is not just about feeling welcomed. It’s about building relationships where people can say, 鈥榊our people are my people,鈥� and know that it will be reciprocated. As we continue counting towards Sinai, may we help create communities where everyone can find their place and where belonging is not assumed, but actively and intentionally created together.鈥�

Danielle Kranjec is the associate vice president of 糖心vlogl鈥檚 Center for Jewish and Israel Education/Meyerhoff Center, responsible for designing educational approaches that help students develop and grow their Jewish knowledge, friendships, and identities.

Zion Nadav

鈥淛udaism teaches us to understand belonging not as an idea, but as an action. Time and time again, our tradition calls us to act in the name of belonging to community, to have the courage to leave what’s familiar and step into the middle of the sea, to be bound to one another and to God through covenant, to be vulnerable, to risk rejection, to refuse to stand idly by, and to choose again and again not to leave people standing outside of the circle.鈥�

Zion Nadav serves as the director of Jewish student life at . She is a Jewish educator, community builder, and writer who cares about creating spaces where students feel connected to Judaism, to each other, and to the world around them.

Jon Horowitz

鈥淗oly one, blessed be we.聽
Why do I, do we, need to be seen?聽
Is it because you are always just
around the corner,聽
or because our eyes have held the light of your Torah?聽
Or maybe we just need the world to focus its sight on us, to see
that we all are created in our image.鈥�

Jon Horowitz is the director of community engagement at , where he finds creative and meaningful ways to share his love of being Jewish with others, and helps students discover their own Jewish spark.

Katie Hamelburg

鈥淚n dance sessions all over the world, people are dancing the same steps to the same dances, to the same songs, almost like in prayer, when we’re reciting the same words to the same prayers with the same tunes鈥� My hope for each of us this Omer is to find our own pieces of joy. Where might our passions and our interests connect us with others? And how can these moments of dance, these moments of laughter, these moments of fun and of joy connect us further as we explore our own relationships within the larger community?鈥�

Katie Hamelburg is the associate director of Israel education at 糖心vlogl, where she uses her background in experiential Jewish education and engagement to create meaningful Jewish learning experiences.

Rabbi Noga Brenner Samia

鈥淲hen a group of people come together to count or to count down, it has a unifying effect. And when many groups of people or communities across the country or across the world all join the count together, it creates a sense of belonging to something even bigger鈥�  But maybe the most important countdown, the final countdown, is the countdown to peace. And here I’d like to invite all my friends and family and colleagues from around the world to join us in our countdown to peace. And may it be swift and speedy.鈥�

Rabbi Noga Brenner Samia is the CEO of Hillel Israel, where she leads the Hillels at seven university centers throughout Israel, helping to build a pluralistic Jewish identity among Israelis and connecting them to their counterparts in Jewish communities and at Hillels throughout the world.

Rabbi Seth Goren

鈥淎ll of us together left servitude in Egypt. We split the Red Sea and walked across on dry land. We made our way through the wilderness to arrive at Mount Sinai and to receive the Torah together. When we are counting the Omer, think about this as one of those formative moments that brought us all together so that we were all able to stand at Sinai together, past, present, and future generations of the Jewish people as a whole.鈥�

Rabbi Seth Goren is the CEO of , which works to amplify Jewish campus life across nine universities with a combined Jewish student population of 14,000. He has been creating and sustaining warm, inclusive, and meaningful communities for students and young adults for nearly two decades.

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News

Your Guide to Lag Ba’Omer

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

May 4, 2026

?
Spoiler: Yes! It’s Lag Ba’Omer!

What is Lag Ba鈥橭mer? 

Lag Ba鈥橭mer is the 33rd day of the Omer, the period of time on the Jewish calendar between Passover and Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Omer is traditionally a time of mourning when people may abstain from listening to live music, cutting their hair, and attending celebrations like weddings or engagement parties. Lag Ba鈥橭mer marks the end of that mourning period and is often a time when couples will get engaged or married, and other deferred life cycle moments will be celebrated.

Where did these practices come from?

Rabbi Akiva, a prominent Mishnaic and Talmudic sage, was one of the great teachers of Torah in his time. The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) writes that Rabbi Akiva was such a prolific teacher that he had 12,000 pairs of students, or chavrutot, that studied with him. The Talmud goes on to share that all of Rabbi Akiva鈥檚 students lost their lives in a plague that started on Passover and ended on Lag Ba鈥橭mer. The mourning practices of the Omer are in commemoration of the loss of life and Torah knowledge described in this story.聽

In the face of the devastating loss he faced, Rabbi Akiva was determined to reestablish the community of learners that he built. He gathered five new students to start the process and community once again. 

One of Rabbi Akiva鈥檚 new students, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, became a Torah scholar and  a forefather of Jewish mysticism. On the day he passed away, Lag Ba鈥橭mer, he named that day to be one filled with his joy. In honor of his teaching, Lag Ba鈥橭mer has become a day of joy and connection for Jewish people around the world. 

How do Jews around the world celebrate Lag Ba鈥橭mer?

Over the years, Jewish people developed the custom of spending Lag Ba鈥橭mer outside in appreciation and wonder of the natural world. Here are some traditions that Jewish communities celebrate all over the world:

• Picnics with family and friends
• Field days for young students 
• Bonfires and barbecues 
• A custom specific to Israel is to hold Lag Ba鈥橭mer celebrations at the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron to fulfill his wish that the day be filled with joy

While the Lag Ba鈥橭mer stories are from thousands of years ago, the symbolism and meaning behind them still resonate today. Finding joy and meaning in our identities and sharing that joy with others is core to Jewish life at Hillel. 

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News

What Are the Spring 鈥淵amim鈥�?

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

April 20, 2026

The Hebrew word yamim (讬诪讬诐) is the plural form of the word yom or 鈥渄ay,鈥� and can refer to a time, a specific age, or a season. In Israel and in the Jewish diaspora, when folks talk about 鈥�the spring yamim,鈥� they are generally referring to three national holidays on the Israeli calendar: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). All three of these yamim, or days, fall sequentially in the late spring, and although distinct, they are grouped together on some level in the consciousness of Jews all around the world.

Yom HaShoah:聽

• The details: The full name of the day commemorating the victims of the Holocaust is 鈥�Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah鈥溾�� literally the 鈥淒ay of (Remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism.鈥� It is marked on the 27th day in the Hebrew month of Nisan 鈥� a week after the seventh day of Passover, and a week before Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for Israel鈥檚 fallen soldiers). This year, Yom HaShoah will be observed from the evening of April 13 to the evening of April 14. 
• Yom HaShoah themes: The overwhelming theme that runs through all Yom HaShoah observances is the importance of remembering 鈥� recalling the names and memories of the victims of this catastrophe, and ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again. The Shoah (Holocaust) posed an enormous challenge to Judaism and raised many questions: Can one be a believing Jew after the Holocaust?  Where was God? How can one have faith in humanity? 
• Yom HaShoah observances: Yom HaShoah has been marked in Israel by the sound of two sirens since the early 1960s; one at sundown as the holiday begins, and once again at 11 a.m. the following morning.  The sirens stop traffic and pedestrians for two minutes of silent reflection. All radio and television programs exclusively offer Holocaust-related content, and theaters, cinemas, pubs, and other public venues are closed throughout Israel in solidarity with the tone of this day. 

Many Jews in North America observe Yom Hashoah within synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and in other spaces as well. Commemorations include prayer services, communal vigils and educational programs. Many Yom Hashoah programs feature a talk by a Holocaust survivor or the descendant of a Holocaust survivor, recitation of solemn songs and readings, or viewing Holocaust-themed films. Some folks light a yahrzeit (memorial) candle on this day as a physical embodiment of grief and memory.

Yom HaZikaron:

• The details: The fourth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, the day preceding Israel鈥檚 Independence Day, was declared by the Israeli Knesset (parliament) to be a national Memorial Day. This year, Yom HaZikaron will be observed from the evening of April 20 to the evening of April 21.
• Yom HaZikaron themes: Originally, this day was set aside to mourn those who lost their lives in the struggle that led to the establishment of the State of Israel, and for all military personnel who lost their lives in active duty in Israel鈥檚 armed forces. Today, Yom HaZikaron also encompasses mourning for people who have lost their lives in terror attacks. For many Israelis, Yom HaZikaron is not an abstract memorial; they are remembering friends and family members who fell in defense of the State of Israel. 
• Yom HaZikaron observances: Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Memorial Day, is different in its tone and mood from the American Memorial Day. For 24 hours (from sunset to sunset) all places of public entertainment (theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, etc.) are closed. A siren is blasted twice, during which the entire nation observes a two-minutes 鈥渟tandstill鈥� of all traffic and daily activities. The first siren marks the beginning of Memorial Day at 8 p.m., and the second is at 11 a.m., before public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries and ceremonies are held in schools and communities. All radio and television stations broadcast programs portraying the lives and heroic deeds of fallen soldiers. Most of the broadcasting time is devoted to Israeli songs that convey the mournful mood of the day.  Many Israelis wear a Yizkor (remembrance) sticker as a way of outwardly reflecting their grief.

Yom Ha’atzmaut

• The details: Israel鈥檚 Independence Day is celebrated on the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, which is the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the State of Israel. (The original date corresponded to May 14, 1948.) This year, Yom Ha’atzmaut will be celebrated from the evening of April 21 through the evening of April 22.
• Yom Ha’atzmaut themes: Yom Ha’atzmaut is both a celebration of Israel鈥檚 independence and a joyous opportunity to revel in the country鈥檚 achievements in all spheres of life. It鈥檚 a time of emotional release after Yom HaZikaron, the previous day of mourning, and an opportunity for friends and family to be together in a joyous embrace of life.
• Yom Ha’atzmaut observances: In Israel, Yom Ha’atzmaut is a national holiday, so everyone has the day off of work. In the Jewish diaspora, many Jewish communities default to celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut on the following Sunday in order to accommodate the majority of people who do not have the official holiday off from work. Israelis celebrate Yom Ha鈥檃tzmaut in a variety of ways. Local governments produce public shows and events attracting large crowds. Some spend the evening dancing Israeli folk dances or singing Israeli songs. During the daytime, many people go out on hikes and picnics. Army camps are open for civilians to visit and learn about recent technological achievements of the Israeli Defense Forces. Yom Ha鈥檃tzmaut is concluded with the ceremony of granting the 鈥淚srael Prize,鈥� recognizing individual Israelis for their unique contribution to the country鈥檚 culture, science, arts, and the humanities.

The 鈥淪witch鈥�: The 鈥渟witch鈥� refers to the stark energetic shift between Yom HaZikaron, a solemn day or mourning, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, a joyous day of celebration. Joining these two days together conveys a simple message: Israelis owe the independence and the very existence of the Jewish state to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. The official 鈥渟witch鈥� from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha鈥檃tzmaut takes place a few minutes after sundown, with a ceremony on Mount Herzl, the site of Israel’s national cemetery, in Jerusalem. The Israeli flag is raised from half staff (due to Memorial Day) to the top of the pole, indicating the succession of Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut, and 12 torches are lit to symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel. For many, the 鈥渟witch鈥� embodies the dichotomy of the national Israeli spirit, finding ways of embracing and celebrating life even amid tragedy and loss.聽

In the global Hillel community, the sentiment of 鈥渢he switch鈥� is particularly resonant in light of rising antisemitism on and off their campuses. Throughout these challenges, students continue to show up and bring their fullest selves to Hillel, seeking strength, wisdom, connection, ritual, and belonging with fellow students and Hillel staff. This manifestation of strength and vulnerability is at the heart of each yamim day, and is unique in this particular moment in Jewish experience.

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News

At Hillel UW, Passover Offers Something for Everyone

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

April 6, 2026

Passover is one of the biggest holidays on the Jewish calendar, and on college campuses around the world, Hillels are pulling out all the stops to make sure students have a home away from home to celebrate.

For Jewish students involved with Hillel at the University of Washington, that means a packed week of meals, learning programs, and Passover rituals. 

鈥淧assover is one of my favorite times of year at Hillel UW,鈥� shared Rabbi Lauren Kurland, senior Jewish educator at Hillel UW. 鈥淲hether we are learning about and making different types of charoset, or singing Dayenu together while (gently!) hitting one another with green onions in the Afghani Jewish tradition, there are tons of smiles, an incredible sense of community, and lots of matzah crumbs to be found!鈥澛�

Hillel UW鈥檚 Passover programming kicked off before the holiday even began, hosting multiple 鈥淧assover Pop-Ups鈥� on the campus quad starting in the middle of March. Students were able to pick up a box of matzah and get the rundown on all the upcoming Passover events 鈥� and for non-Jewish students, it was an opportunity to learn about the coming holiday, ask questions, and maybe even try a bite of matzah themselves.

Matzah is probably the food most associated with Passover, but there are plenty of others 鈥� including , a traditional mixture of fruit, nuts, and wine (or grape juice) that symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelite slaves in Egypt. 

That鈥檚 why, as part of the programming leading up to Passover, Rabbi Kurland also hosted 鈥淪weet Traditions: Charoset From Around the World,鈥� a hands-on learning experience exploring the story, symbols, and meaning of the holiday through one of its sweetest traditions. In addition to learning about charoset and its role on the seder plate, students were able to make and taste-test charoset recipes from across the global Jewish community.

The pre-Passover deliciousness didn鈥檛 stop there. The Monday before the holiday began, students gathered at Hillel UW for a 鈥淐hocolate Seder鈥� 鈥� an evening much like a regular seder, but with classic elements like parsley and horseradish swapped out for chocolate-covered strawberries and sour candies. Students got into the Passover spirit while taking traditional customs and sweetening them even more by dipping them in fudge.

鈥淚 love how UW really cares about making Passover a fun yet educational experience through our unique programs鈥攅specially the 鈥楥hocolate Seder鈥� and the main seder for undergraduates,鈥� said Susana Mogil, a second-year student at UW. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful time where students I don鈥檛 tend to see as frequently show up. Some have done their own Pesach seder every year, while others have never learned about it before. No matter what our experience is going into it, we all end up learning a lot more about ourselves, our community, and the Exodus story.鈥�

While many of the pre-Passover programs put fun twists on traditional practices, there were plenty of more conventional options once the holiday began. Hillel UW hosted a , the customary burning of any remaining (leavened products) on the morning before Passover. That evening, students came together for Hillel UW鈥檚 annual first night seder 鈥� a night of tradition, fun, and, of course, delicious food. Designed to appeal to students with a broad range of Jewish backgrounds, the seder was interactive, thought-provoking, and sometimes even a little funny, and included plenty of storytelling, great conversation, and the traditional lively hunt for the .

Holiday programming continued through the rest of the week, with a special Passover Shabbat meal on Friday night and two community Passover lunches. The holiday will conclude with one last celebration, 鈥淏reaking Bread: Mimouna Shabbat,鈥� where students will enjoy some post-Passover bread products while learning about , a Sephardic tradition that marks the end of Passover with food, blessings, and community.

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News

For Students at Penn Hillel, Every Meal is a Celebration

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

March 30, 2026

At the center of Jewish life at the University of Pennsylvania is the Falk Dining Caf茅, the kosher dining hall located on the first floor of Penn Hillel. Falk has become a home away from home for Jewish Quakers, in large part thanks to the delicious food, hospitality, and the hard work of Chef Jason Ewen and his team.

鈥淥ur dining hall at Hillel acts as a true heartbeat of campus, providing a warm space where Jewish students find home with one another while naturally building bridges with their non-Jewish peers,鈥� said Rabbi Gabe Greenberg, executive director of Penn Hillel. 鈥淚t stands as a unique crossroads where students of all backgrounds can interact and share perspectives, proving that a shared meal is the most natural foundation for a lasting sense of community and belonging.鈥�

Penn has a Jewish population of about 1,300 students, and many of them find their way to Falk, which serves a fully Glatt kosher menu,  throughout their time on campus. After all, it鈥檚 more than just a place to eat 鈥� it is a place of trust, familiarity, and friendship. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a much more communal atmosphere than you might expect at a college cafeteria,鈥� Ewen explained. 鈥淲e know probably 85% of the students who come through here by their first names.鈥�

鈥淭he students are fantastic,鈥� he added, noting that the staff and students both look out for one another. 鈥淭hey know that if it鈥檚 a busy day, and the guys are on the line pumping out, you know, 500 chicken wraps, and they’re all hot and sweaty, and the students will be like, 鈥楬ey, Elijah, you want something to drink?鈥� And they鈥檒l go to the soda fountain and get them a soda. Everyone takes care of each other here.鈥�

Ewen prides himself on paying close attention to the students who come to dine, especially because there are some who solely keep kosher 鈥� meaning Falk is the only place where they can sit down with friends for a full meal. His goal is to make sure that kosher students and those with other dietary needs have as many opportunities to enjoy their food as any other student.

鈥淚 met Chef Jason one of the first times I went into Hillel. He asked me why I wasn鈥檛 into the famous chicken wraps, and I told him that I was gluten-free,鈥� said Jordan Davis, a third-year Penn student studying biology. 鈥淚nstead of making a face or questioning why, he made sure to stock the kitchen with gluten-free wraps for meat days and pizza crusts and bread for dairy days. 

鈥淎s someone with a food allergy, I have always been viewed as a problem or extra work for a kitchen but he didn鈥檛 blink an eye,鈥� she went on. 鈥淗e wanted to make sure I had the same experience as the rest of my classmates and he is one of the main reasons I am always in the dining room.鈥�

For Passover this year, Ewen and his team buckled down for the intense cleaning and reorganizing process required to . To help keep everything on track, Falk has two full-time , or kosher supervisors, on staff, as well as about a dozen rotating student mashgichim, who work in the kitchen on a daily basis to ensure that everything stays kosher.

鈥淓verything is scrubbed and sanitized, and if it鈥檚 a stainless steel surface, it is blowtorched,鈥� Ewen said, explaining the process of preparing the kitchen for Passover. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 plastic, it is sanitized with boiling water. Then every surface is covered in a layer of foil, then a layer of paper.鈥� 

Penn Hillel hosted seders on both the first and second nights of Passover, and Falk served meals every day of the holiday. 鈥淲e operate every day for Passover, so if there鈥檚 a student on campus who needs Passover food, this is where they come to get it,鈥� Ewen said.聽

Ewen and his team are embracing Passover traditions, which he says are always special. But despite the amount of preparation and cleaning and care that goes into the holiday, for Ewen, every day he shows up to work is just as meaningful as any other.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a homey feeling,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y wife and kids stop in here all the time. The students know my family. We really have what feels like a home here.鈥�

Still, he says, some memories do stand out. Sharing a story about a recent Shabbat dinner where almost 600 students packed into Steinhardt Hall, requiring two buffet lines on three different floors, Ewen recounted how his team ran up and down the stairs to refill buffet trays, the crowd constantly keeping things moving.

鈥淚t was chaos, but it was fun chaos,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody was happy seeing that many people in one spot, celebrating together 鈥� eating good food and having a good time. It鈥檚 special.鈥�

To find kosher dining on a college campus you鈥檙e considering, check out the 糖心vlogl College Guide. 

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Hillel Stories

Holidays

Insights for the Seder: Throughout Generations, We Are Here

Author

Eliana Birman

Date

March 25, 2026

Eliana Birman is a second-year student at Barnard College, studying cognitive science and music. In honor of Passover, she shared moments of insight from her time at Hillel that she鈥檚 bringing to her Seder table this year.聽

There is a line in the Passover Haggadah that is often sung at the Seder,鈥�Ve鈥檋i she鈥檃mda la鈥檃votenu v鈥檒anu,鈥� a paragraph that reminds us in every generation, there are those who rise up against the Jewish people 鈥� and in every generation, we survive. Often, when we think about the persecution that the Jewish people have faced, we think of big moments in history: the Holocaust, the Spanish Inquisition, or the October 7th attack against Israel. But 鈥渆very generation鈥� isn鈥檛 a symbolic nod to those big moments. It鈥檚 a real reflection of each generation鈥檚 experience with persecution 鈥� and resilience. And it may be closer to home than we realize.

As a college student, I discovered my family鈥檚 story, one I had barely known before. 

My father was born in 1973 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into a third-generation Argentinian Jewish family. Just three years later, in 1976, a military junta overthrew the government and began a violent campaign that included 鈥渄isappearing鈥� dissidents who aligned with the opposition. People taken from their homes, from buses, from universities, never to be seen again. According to estimates, up to 30,000 people 鈥渄isappeared鈥� during this time.

What struck me most was learning how disproportionately Jews were targeted. Around , even though Jews made up less than 1% of the population. Some were suspected dissidents, but many were targeted simply for being Jewish. My family didn鈥檛 wait to find out if they would be next. In 1976, my grandparents fled Argentina with my three-year-old father and moved to Israel. The risk of staying 鈥� of disappearing into silence and persecution 鈥� was too great.

My grandparents went on to have four children and 13 grandchildren. They spent years teaching in Jewish day schools and volunteering in Israel and the United States, helping educate and shape the lives of so many Jews 鈥� including mine. 

Last winter break, my family returned to Buenos Aires to revisit our history. We saw the neighborhoods where my grandparents grew up, the shul where they were married, and the museums commemorating the desaparecidos, or 鈥渢he missing,鈥� and Jewish victims of the junta鈥檚 purge. Standing in those spaces, the story that had once seemed distant suddenly felt so immediate.

At the same time, my own Jewish identity was being shaped in a very different kind of environment: my university campus. As a college student during an especially difficult period, I experienced firsthand what it meant to be visibly, unapologetically Jewish in a space where that can feel challenging. I began to speak up more directly for Israel and my Jewish community, participating in the 糖心vlogl Content Creators Forum and other opportunities within Hillel and beyond. Through these experiences, I learned not only how to speak up, but why it matters.

Columbia Barnard Hillel is central to my Jewish growth and confidence. It gave me a community where I felt supported and proud to express my Jewish identity, even when doing so openly on the broader campus felt harder. It pushed me to engage more deeply 鈥� with Israel, with Jewish history, and with my own family鈥檚 story. Advocacy, for me, is not separate from identity; it grows from the deep roots that make us who we are. The more I learned about my family’s history, the more I felt a responsibility to share, to educate, and to stand confidently in who I am.

My family鈥檚 story is not the kind of history we usually name when we list moments of Jewish persecution and resilience. But it鈥檚 part of the same pattern that the Haggadah points to 鈥� a lived piece of history that every Jewish family carries with them: a story of fear, of survival, and of rebuilding through perseverance.

In another section of the Haggadah, we are asked to see ourselves as if each of us personally left Egypt. For me, that invitation has taken on a more concrete dimension. I am the daughter of a man who escaped a regime that wanted him to vanish. I am the granddaughter of people who chose Jewish life over the safety of silence. My presence on campus today 鈥� as a leader, as an advocate, and as a Jew 鈥� is the direct result of those choices.

This Passover, when I sing the words, 鈥�ve鈥檋i she鈥檃mda,鈥� I鈥檒l be thinking about my family 鈥� and all the family stories like ours that remind us what the journey from survival to thriving really looks like. I鈥檒l also be thinking about the role that communities like Hillel play in helping us find, understand, and take pride in those stories, even in challenging moments. The community and voice I found on campus is just the latest chapter in a very long book of resilience and joy that leads us to say, 鈥淭hroughout generations, they have tried to silence us, but we are still here.鈥澛�

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News

Service, Fun, and Jewish Joy at Campus Hillel Purim Celebrations

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

March 6, 2026

This week, campus Hillels around the world celebrated Purim with dance parties, Megillah readings, carnivals, service programs, and many other events marking this holiday that centers Jewish resilience and pride.

鈥淧urim is鈥� the ultimate reminder that our happiness and our success will pave our future, not [someone else鈥檚] darkness,鈥� said Tess Hewitson, a student leader at  

Finding joy in the midst of darkness feels especially relevant right now. Students in Israel are continuing their studies while navigating sirens and shelters, and students in the United States are closely following developments and potential security concerns related to the conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. But moments like these can make it even more important to focus on Jewish resilience and joy.

At the University of Colorado at Boulder Hillel, Purim programming centered on one of the four traditional mitzvot of the holiday: matanot la鈥檈vyonim, giving gifts to the poor. In many communities, that mitzvah has expanded to include broader service and volunteer opportunities. CU Boulder Hillel’s Purim Service Carnival blended meaningful service with the festive spirit of a carnival.

Alongside classic Purim activities like mask making and a photo booth, 50 students packed meal kits for Circle of Love, which serves meals to unhoused people at the Boulder Bandshell, and wrote letters to isolated seniors through Letters to Our Elders.

鈥淭he carnival celebrated Purim through both joy and giving,鈥� said Shira Finke, program manager at CU Boulder Hillel.

鈥淭he Purim story represents Jewish resilience and the power of responding to darkness with light and celebration,鈥� Finke said. 鈥淏eing able to bring that spirit to our students, especially through a program that extends joy to others in need, feels incredibly meaningful.鈥�

Purim carnivals are a longtime tradition in many Jewish communities, and Hillels are no exception. At Rutgers Hillel, students embraced the holiday by reconnecting with childhood joy.

More than 175 students arrived in costume to play classic carnival games like ring toss, 鈥渇ind the special duck,鈥� and bean bag toss. Game tickets could be redeemed for prizes that felt straight out of childhood, including paint-your-own-mug kits, magic grow capsules, themed rubber ducks, and bubble wands.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 Purim Carnival was a real joy to create and was inspired by childhood carnivals,鈥� said Alex Prowisor, Rutgers Hillel holiday chair. 鈥淚t was so fun watching many young adults put on their 鈥榗hild鈥� costumes to play games and win prizes.鈥�

At Oregon State University, Hillel hosted its annual McMenamins Purim Party at the Pacific Northwest landmark McMenamins restaurant. The top floor was transformed into a celebration worthy of Queen Esther, complete with a Megillah parody play, competitive games of pool, and a crowd-favorite costume contest.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had students dress as their favorite Hillel staff, [bring to life] current memes鈥�, and super creative students who make their costumes from scratch,鈥� said Yael Raich, a student leader at OSU Hillel. 鈥淭he McMenamins Purim Party is a staple of OSU Hillel tradition, and we鈥檙e excited to see how its legacy lives on.鈥�

Other campuses put a unique spin on the holiday. At the University of California, Santa Cruz, Hillel hosted its second annual Purim-themed murder mystery, 鈥淎 Night of Masks and Mischief.鈥�

During the event, staff and board members became actors portraying characters from the Purim story. Students stepped into the role of investigators, questioning suspects, analyzing clues, and working together to identify a culprit. The evening included costumes, a dramatic coronation scene, Persian Jewish food, raffle prizes, and a photo wall.

鈥淲e were most excited to give students a meaningful and memorable way to connect with Jewish tradition by combining immersive storytelling with joyful Purim celebration,鈥� said Zion Tunstall, director of Jewish student life at UC Santa Cruz. 鈥淪tudents got to engage with the story of Purim in a new, fun, and exciting way, connecting with their Judaism through creativity and community.鈥�

One student participant summed it up, saying, 鈥淭his is honestly my favorite event of the year. I鈥檝e been looking forward to it since the first murder mystery we did last year, and I already can鈥檛 wait for next year.鈥�

Food also played a central role in many celebrations, reflecting the Purim tradition of sharing festive meals and treats. At John Carroll University, the Hillel community joined the campus-wide Tower Time tradition, a weekly midweek gathering by the clock tower on Saint Ignatius Plaza hosted by a different student group each week.

For their Purim edition, Jewish students brought hamantaschen from a local bakery and invited their friends to decorate masks while learning about the holiday.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have many Jewish students on our campus, so we don鈥檛 get to have many campus-wide events around holidays,鈥� said Orli Peleg, a student leader at John Carroll University Hillel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to have the campus community come together for an event about a Jewish holiday.鈥�

Hamantaschen were also front and center at Hillel of Metro Detroit鈥檚 celebrations, which included a baking competition and a poker-themed event called 鈥淗old 鈥檈m and Hamantaschen.鈥�

鈥淪eeing how hyped different groups on campus are for the perfect Purim chaos is unique,鈥� Hewitson said. 鈥淚t has been energizing to see people who usually stay in their own lanes, the poker crowd, the bakers, the competitive types, all get excited about the same event.鈥�

Because Hillel of Metro Detroit serves students across multiple campuses, organizers aimed to create an event big enough to bring everyone together.

鈥淭o me, Jewish joy is extremely inclusive,鈥� Hewitson said, 鈥滻t鈥檚 so meaningful to me to prove that everyone is welcome to the party and that being inclusive makes our own community stronger. When the whole campus is having a great time, it makes our Jewish students feel like they are part of something vibrant, visible, and worth standing up for.鈥�

However your campus celebrated, all of us at Hillel hope you had an amazing Purim. 

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News

How Hillel Israel is Finding Joy

Author

糖心vlogl

Date

March 4, 2026

On college campuses around the world, Jewish students celebrated Purim with carnivals, service activities, dance parties, and a variety of other programs focusing on bringing their communities together for this holiday centered on Jewish joy and resilience.

But for Hillel communities across Israel, Purim looked very different this year. With the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, large Purim gatherings were replaced with neighborhood Megillah readings, tiny costume parties, and exchanges of food and gifts 鈥� all happening in miklatim, or shelters, as missiles continued to fall.

鈥淥ur daughters are six and three, and they were so excited for their school Purim parties 鈥� especially after weeks spent carefully preparing a costume,鈥� said Grace Baker, director of development for Hillel Israel. 鈥淲e celebrated at home while doing our best to create moments of joy and stability, mainly by baking together and filling our days with creative Purim activities. But it isn鈥檛 the same as being surrounded by classmates and teachers in a festive classroom.鈥�

Most colleges in Israel are on break right now, so students are home with their families, but Hillel staff members are regularly reaching out to check in and offer support. And while the majority of programs planned for Hillel students were cancelled, some shifted to online programming instead. 

For Purim, Yishai Goldflam, deputy director of Hillel Israel, hosted a small megillah reading in his living room for a few elderly neighbors with limited mobility, and between sirens, Hillel Israel Executive Director Noga Brenner-Samia read the megillah on Zoom in her shelter, accompanied by her neighbors.

鈥淲e are not giving up on costumes and hamentaschen,鈥� Goldflam said, joking that he hoped the sirens would synchronize with mentions of Haman during his reading, replacing the usual need for groggers and noisemakers.

Hillel is also supporting students and professionals who were traveling in Israel when the conflict began. 鈥淚n my little world, I was blessed to be able to give support to two amazing Hillel professionals from Krakow, Poland who got stuck here,鈥� said 糖心vlogl Associate Vice President of Global Israel Experiences Esther Abramowitz. 鈥淭hey were actually at Ben Gurion airport on Saturday morning when the missiles started and the airport shut down. They were brought to Jerusalem, but their luggage wasn鈥檛!鈥� Abramowitz was able to help them safely evacuate with a group of Maccabee Task Force participants from the University of Michigan. 

A student from Hillel Ben-Gurion University (BGU) who is currently stranded abroad has remained in close contact with Yehudah, a Holocaust survivor he volunteers with through Hillel BGU, over the last few days. When a missile struck Be’er Sheva and damaged Yehudah鈥檚 home, the student mobilized the Hillel BGU community, recruiting volunteers to help Yehudah move his belongings from his damaged apartment to a nearby hotel.

Other Hillel professionals are managing challenges closer to home. Reut Noyman, deputy director of Hillel Israel, had her apartment severely damaged in one of the first missile attacks, and has been called up to reserve duty.

鈥淎t this point, I am just thankful that no one [in my building] was hurt,鈥� she said.

Despite the anxiety, uncertainty, and constant interruptions of daily life, Hillel Israel staff are still doing all they can to support students from afar and finding ways to spread joy: sharing mishloach manot (bags of treats traditionally exchanged on Purim) with neighbors in their shelters, and honoring the mitzvot of Purim by reading megillah in small groups or together on Zoom.

Capturing the full range of her experience over the last few days, Abramowitz reflected, 鈥淚 am alive and living in Jerusalem and that is my complicated, beautiful, grateful, joyous and upside down reality.鈥�

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