Hillel Stories

Jewish Joy and Belonging

America at 250: Serving My Country and My Community

Author

Olivia Raykhman

Date

July 1, 2026

Olivia Raykhman is an Air Force officer, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a graduate of Stanford University where she earned her master’s in communication this past June. In celebration of America at 250, she shared how she creates community for Jewish service members and cadets.   

Some of my clearest memories of West Point are not from the parade field or the classroom. They are from Friday nights at Hillel, walking past a wall of names of every Jewish graduate since Simon M. Levy in 1802, and into our sanctuary. Once inside, the ark stands between an American flag and an Israeli flag, and the room is full of Jewish cadets trading stories from the week before settling in for Shabbat dinner.

For four years, that community was my anchor. It was the first place I regained my “speaking privileges” during Week 1 of Beast, our cadet basic training. It was where I put on my Air Force officer uniform for the first time on the day I graduated. Most importantly, it was where I learned that I could be fully an American soldier and fully a Jew. Since joining the military, I have never felt like I had to choose between the two.

My family came to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, as refugees from the Soviet Union, where they had been denied their rights as Jews and their voices as humans. They taught me that freedom is not free and that America’s democracy has endured for 250 years only because each generation chooses to preserve it. 

My father taught me what that responsibility looks like in practice. He became a physician because he believed a life is not only for yourself; it is for service. I thought I would follow him into medicine. However, attending high school blocks from the World Trade Center and later spending a semester in Israel – two places where the cost of freedom is not abstract – drew me toward national security instead. West Point’s Jewish community helped complement both my faith and love for my country by becoming a place where my service and my Judaism reinforced each other.

That balance wasn’t always so easy to find. To many of the cadets I’ve trained alongside, I was the first Jew they had ever met. To many people in my Jewish community back in Brooklyn, I was the first service member they had ever known. For a long time, I assumed that was simply my story — a quirk of growing up in one cultural world and choosing to serve in another. Then I started listening to other Jewish cadets, and I realized it wasn’t just my story. It was many of ours.

West Point Hillel is unusual. It sits inside a military academy, its rabbi assigned by the Army, its Shabbat services shift depending on who is serving in that role. But in many ways, it does what every Hillel does: it welcomes observant and secular students, lifelong learners and those just beginning to explore their identities. As co-president, I ran Shabbat, holidays, and sometimes three events in a single week; I mentored underclass cadets finding their footing as Jewish Americans in uniform. In return, Hillel gave me the thing every Jewish student deserves — a community where I never had to explain who I was. 

I thought every Jewish cadet had what I had. Then, I led Jewish Warrior Weekend, an annual gathering that brings Jewish service academy cadets together for a weekend of military, spiritual, and social programming. The one we built was the first to include a significant contingent of ROTC cadets. It became the largest gathering of Jewish military-affiliated students in recorded history.

That weekend changed my understanding of the challenges Jewish service members face outside of West Point. As I spoke with ROTC students from civilian campuses across the country, I kept hearing the same thing: they felt like they were on an island.

While my West Point peers had a thriving Hillel community alongside nearly 200 Jewish cadets, many ROTC cadets found themselves confronting a different reality. They were often one of few Jewish students in their detachment and, at the same time, one of few military-affiliated students in their campus Hillel. While there were wonderful organizations designed for Jewish students and those designed for service members, almost none existed for students who were both.

So I built one.

I called it Nesharim, Hebrew for “eagles,” an organization devoted entirely to supporting Jewish cadets and midshipmen, so none have to feel like outliers in either of the communities they belong to.

This past year, as a master’s student at Stanford University, I hosted virtual gatherings and in person programming to help Jewish cadets at over a dozen campuses connect with one another. These Jewish cadets are scattered across ROTC detachments nationwide, often without knowing that the others exist. Much of my year has gone into the un-glamorous, essential work of finding them, introducing them to one another, and giving them a reason and a place to gather.

The clearest picture of what we are building came at a Shabbat dinner at UCLA Hillel. Behind that one evening were weeks of planning with UCLA Hillel student leaders Delilah Hirshland, Valerie Munerman, and Kendall Bristol, who were immediately motivated by Nesharim’s vision. Valerie is the daughter of an Army Ranger. Kendall hopes to serve as a JAG officer after graduation. Delilah is spending the summer at the Department of Justice at the intersection of Jewish life and national security. Each knew the importance of service to the country and simultaneously recognized that Jewish ROTC students on their campus had been moving through college without a clear place to belong.

Invitations went out to the ROTC detachment, the veteran’s club, and Jewish student groups on campus. The evening was designed around one goal: to bring together communities that overlap constantly but rarely meet. We welcomed Shabbat with candle lighting, blessings, and a joyful dinner. Then I gave everyone one instruction: find someone different from you and start a conversation.

Chairs shifted, strangers turned toward one another, and introductions began. By the end of the evening, the room no longer felt like separate groups of civilian students and ROTC cadets. It felt like one community. Watching those conversations unfold brought me back to my own first Shabbat at West Point.

After all, that sense of community is what Hillel gave me. And that is what Hillels across the country have made possible for Nesharim. When I wanted to bring Jewish cadets together, Hillels including Dartmouth, UVA, and Stanford gave us a table to gather around, literally and figuratively.

And there is so much more we can do. Imagine a world where every Hillel knew which of its students were ROTC cadets and welcomed them by name. Imagine a Jewish cadet moving across the country for training who already knows there is a Hillel community waiting on the other side — one where they wouldn’t be anyone’s “first.”

I believe that every Jewish cadet I meet is a future leader who will go on to lead platoons, formations, wings, and fleets. Especially since October 7, Jewish students everywhere have needed one another more than ever, and Jewish cadets, often the most isolated, need it most. We get to decide whether the next Jewish cadet has to be someone’s “first,” or whether they walk into a detachment, or a Hillel, and simply find their people already waiting.

This is my call to the Jewish cadet who is certain they are the only one in their detachment, and to every Hillel professional with the power to prove them wrong: you are not alone; you are not on an island.

Calling all Jewish cadets: come find us. We have been waiting for you.

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News

The Virtual Hillel Leadership Institute Builds Student Leadership and Community

Author

����vlogl

Date

June 4, 2026

On a campus with just under two thousand students, finding Jewish community can sometimes feel challenging.

That is part of what drew Sam Scherzer, a student at Franklin & Marshall College, to ����vlogl’s Virtual Hillel Leadership Institute (HLI) this spring.

“On a small campus, it can sometimes be difficult to find a strong Jewish community of people who share similar values and interests,” he said. “Joining HLI helped me build meaningful connections and feel part of something larger.”

Scherzer was one of 22 Jewish college students from 15 campuses across the United States who participated in the Virtual HLI pilot, a program designed to expand leadership development opportunities for students at student-led and small, professionally-led Hillels. Through four national cohort sessions focused on strengths-based leadership, collaboration, belonging, and leadership purpose, VHLI students built practical leadership skills while connecting with peers from across the Hillel movement.

Virtual HLI was created to bring the leadership development experience of ����vlogl’s campus-based Hillel Leadership Institute to students who may not otherwise have access to a cohort experience on their campus. Since its launch in fall 2025, the campus-based HLI cohorts have engaged more than 350 students across 34 campuses. HLI is part of a broader effort from ����vlogl to catalyze the largest-ever generation of Jewish leaders through programs, including the Leadership Passport initiative, that empower them to lead the Jewish people into a vibrant future. 

“What makes the VHLI curriculum, and the HLI curriculum more broadly, particularly impactful, is that each session provides students with a practical leadership framework they can immediately apply on their campus,” said ����vlogl Senior Director of Student Leadership and Engagement Corinne Janet. “Whether exploring strengths, collaboration and feedback, belonging, or leadership purpose, students develop skills that not only help them lead more effectively today, but also prepare them to thrive as professionals and community leaders long after graduation.”

For many VHLI participants, making connections with each other became one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Students from smaller Jewish communities often carry significant responsibility for creating engagement and building opportunities for belonging on their campuses. Meeting peers facing similar challenges helped them exchange ideas, build confidence, and realize they were not alone.

“The most valuable part of the experience for me was getting to meet and talk to leaders at other schools,” one student shared. “Learning that we face similar issues in planning events and growing engagement was super comforting and also gave us opportunities to talk about how we can all improve.”

The program also challenged students to think differently about leadership itself.

Rowan University student Holly Cowan said HLI transformed her understanding of what it means to lead. “Before this experience, I tended to think of leadership as something more external, like taking charge or guiding others,” she said. “But I’ve come to understand that effective leadership really starts with understanding yourself. And I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being open, adaptable, and willing to grow. That shift in perspective has been the most meaningful takeaway for me so far.”

For Scherzer, the cohort taught him that leadership can mean focusing on building something simple but powerful: like creating more opportunities for connection and belonging.

“I plan to implement what I’ve learned by focusing on small, consistent improvements on my campus,” he said. One of those ideas is a regular Sunday bagel breakfast where students can gather before the stress of the week ahead.

“It [will be] a great way to connect and hang out before the craziness of upcoming exams,” he added.

The impact of the Virtual Hillel Leadership Institute pilot was clear. Every participating student reported feeling more confident leading others, nearly all said they felt more connected to Hillel as a result of the experience, and even more developed a stronger sense of Jewish purpose in their leadership.

For Janet, who helped facilitate the virtual cohort, those results were reflected in the students themselves.

“Developing and facilitating the Virtual HLI Cohort was one of the highlights of my year,” Janet said. “Getting to learn with student leaders from campuses with more limited staffing structures gave me a deeper appreciation for the creativity, determination, and heart they bring to their communities every day. Their commitment to creating meaningful Jewish experiences, building community, and leading through challenge left me feeling incredibly hopeful about the future of Jewish leadership.”

This year’s cohort experience may be ending, but students say the lessons will continue shaping how they show up for their communities. ����vlogl also convened a parallel training for the advisors and Hillel professionals who support VHLI participants, creating a shared language and framework that will help students continue putting their learning into practice long after the program concludes.

“Through this program, I have learned that leadership is a process,” Scherzer said. “I want to keep building a space where everyone feels valued and excited to participate.”

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News

How Hillels Are Celebrating Jewish Graduates

Author

����vlogl

Date

May 27, 2026

When severe storms forced the University of Maryland to postpone its main commencement ceremony by 24 hours, thousands of families suddenly had to rethink graduation plans. But for many observant Jewish students and their loved ones, the new ceremony date created an even more difficult reality: it now fell on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, meaning they would be unable to attend.

Within hours of the announcement, Maryland Hillel stepped in.

What could have felt like an abrupt and disappointing end to four formative years instead became something deeply meaningful. Hillel staff quickly organized a full Jewish graduation celebration for over 70 seniors and their families, complete with a processional, music, printed programs, speeches, and a diploma presented by the university president, Dr. Darryll Pines. With the whirlwind preparations completed, students who thought they might miss out on commencement entirely instead were surrounded by community, celebration, and joy.

“Finding out that I would miss my graduation because it was moved to the first night of Shavuot was incredibly disappointing. Maryland Hillel turned what could have been a really difficult moment into one of the most meaningful nights of my college experience,” said Emma Steinhause, a UMD graduating senior. “Having our Jewish community and university leadership come together so quickly to celebrate us made me feel truly seen and supported.” 

“This event wouldn’t have been possible without our staff, especially our phenomenal Development Manager Leah Bregman, who pulled together last night’s deeply meaningful Jewish graduation in a matter of hours,” said Rabbi Ari Israel, CEO of Maryland Hillel. “We were honored to create a space to celebrate our graduating seniors and the amazing people they have become over the last four years.”

Moments like this are part of what makes graduation season at Hillel so special. Across campuses, seniors are not only receiving diplomas. They are celebrating the friendships, traditions, leadership opportunities, and Jewish communities that shaped their college experience.

At Duke University, Jewish students marked graduation with a special that honored both their accomplishments and the memories and community that carried them through college. 

“The Jewish Baccalaureate was such a meaningful way to mark the end of my time at Duke,” said Michelle Brown, a graduating senior at Duke University. “Having a ceremony centered around the Jewish community, reflection, and tradition made the transition feel incredibly personal and intentional… and like stepping into the next chapter with a community that has meant so much to me.”

At the University of Florida (UF), Hillel at UF hosted its annual pre-graduation L’Chaim event, celebrating the friendships, leadership, and moments of belonging that made campus feel like home.

“Schilit Hillel at UF’s graduation L’Chaim was the perfect way to close out my Jewish involvement in college,” said Lauren Robbins, graduating senior at UF. “I was able to show my family the place that became my home away from home and reminisce on all the memories and experiences.” 

“What makes Schilit Hillel’s L’Chaim so special is that… we get to hear directly from our graduates about how Hillel shaped their college journey, in their own words and from their own hearts,” said Jenna Hasher-Gibson, assistant director of development at the Schilit Hillel at the University of Florida. “There is nothing more moving than listening to a student speak about what Hillel has meant to them.”

In the Midwest, the UW Hillel Foundation hosted a special commencement lunch at the University of Wisconsin-Madison featuring student speakers, a presentation of the graduating class, and a joyful send-off for seniors and their families. Students arrived in caps and gowns, joined by friends, loved ones, and even a few notable guests, including outgoing Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor, and, naturally, UW’s mascot, Bucky Badger.

Graduation season reminds us that Hillel is never just about four years on a campus. It is about the community that helped Jewish students feel seen, supported, and proud of who they are, and the communities these students will continue building long after they leave campus.

To the Class of 2026: Thank you for letting us be part of your college experience. Mazel tov on your graduation. We cannot wait to see what comes next.

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Dear Hillel

Hillel Stories

Jewish Joy and Belonging

Dear Hillel: Building a Home and a Community

Author

Anna Krassowizki

Date

May 12, 2026

“Dear Hillel” showcases letters from graduating seniors reflecting on their experiences of joy and belonging with their campus Hillels. Anna Krassowizki, a graduating senior at San Diego State University, shares how she found a home at Hillel when she most needed one. Read Anna’s letter to Hillel:

Dear Hillel,

I moved from Israel to California in 2016, and when it came time to apply to college, I knew I wanted to be somewhere with a strong and proud Jewish community. At the time, I didn’t even know what that would look like; I had never heard of Hillel. But during my first week at San Diego State University, I walked into Hillel for the first time, and something just clicked. I knew right away this would be my home for the next four years.

From day one, the Hillel staff believed in me and supported me in ways I didn’t know I needed. When I shared I wanted to start a pro-Israel club on campus, they didn’t hesitate, they encouraged me and gave me the confidence to make it happen. Today, the Students Supporting Israel chapter at SDSU has grown to over 200 students, something I could have never imagined on my own.

Hillel also helped me discover a passion I didn’t expect: planning events to help people build relationships and connections. Over the past four years, I’ve had the chance to plan hundreds of events, each one bringing people together in meaningful ways. That’s what drives me, the joy, the friendships, and the memories. 

Through Hillel, college became so much more than just earning a degree; it became about building a Jewish community. Since moving to the United States, I had been searching for that sense of belonging. At SDSU Hillel I didn’t just find it, I had the opportunity to help grow it, strengthen it, and share it with others. And that’s what kept bringing me back, again and again. 

My favorite event I’ve had the opportunity to plan is our Israeli Shabbat, which has grown into a once-a-semester tradition. It’s usually our biggest Shabbat dinner of the term, with over 100 students coming together each time. It was incredibly meaningful to bring  a piece of my homeland, culture, and traditions to my new home at Hillel. 

Shabbat has always been centered around family time for me. It’s a moment to slow down, to be together with the people I love. Being able to recreate that feeling on campus has meant everything. Over time, Hillel didn’t just become a place I went to; it became my family. And having the opportunity to pay that experience forward, to create a space where others can feel that same warmth, connection, and sense of belonging, is something I’m truly grateful for. 

Hillel opened so many doors for me and allowed me to explore my passions, including content creation, diplomacy, and connecting with Israeli startups. But more than anything, what I’m most grateful for is the people Hillel brought into my life.

At the end of the day, it’s the people who make a place meaningful. The staff, the students, and this community truly shaped my college experience. They transformed Hillel from a space on campus into something so much more meaningful: a home filled with support, connection, and lifelong relationships.

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Dear Hillel

Hillel Stories

Jewish Joy and Belonging

Dear Hillel: Growing a Community for Myself and My Team

Author

Haley Wilenzick

Date

May 11, 2026

“Dear Hillel” showcases letters from graduating seniors reflecting on their experiences of joy and belonging with their campus Hillels. Haley Wilenzick, a fourth-year student at Binghamton University, shares how building a home through sports and Hillel changed the way she approaches community. Read Haley’s letter to Hillel:

Dear Hillel,

I didn’t always know what finding my own Jewish community would look like. I was raised in New York, and while Judaism was always present in my life, it was never as part of a community that I helped create. I spent time in Jewish day school, Camp Ramah, and in Israel for a gap year. Each step deepened my personal Jewish identity, but heading into college, I still felt unsure about what it would feel like to intentionally build a Jewish community of my own.

Before I even moved into my dorm at Binghamton University, I had a sense that I would find something meaningful here. Jewish students who were not only focused on participating in a Jewish student community, but on creating a community where each student could forge their own personal connections to the Jewish people.

Once on campus, Hillel became part of my everyday life. My mom jokes that whenever I’m on the phone with her, walking through campus, I’m constantly stopping to say hi to my friends from Hillel, asking if they’re coming to Shabbat, checking in on the upcoming program they’re leading, or seeing if they want to meet up for a pick-up game later in the week. At a big university, that kind of community takes intentionality to build. Hillel made it feel small in the best possible way. It made it feel like home.

And as Hillel felt more like home, I felt a responsibility to build that sense of belonging for my friends in the best way I knew how — through sports. Athletics have always been part of my life. I grew up playing soccer and basketball, but I never expected that part of me to intertwine so deeply with my Jewish identity. Hillel gave me the opportunity to do both. From organizing hot yoga events downtown to coordinating logistics for the Hillel sports tournaments, I know the power of bringing people together for shared experiences. 

I joined Binghamton’s National Hillel Basketball Tournament team as soon as I arrived on campus.  Over the years, it became about community, about showing up for one another, and about playing as part of something bigger than ourselves.

I’ll never forget something one of the seniors said that first year: “When will we ever get to do this again? Play together, surrounded by Jewish community, with a full Shabbaton around it?” That moment stayed with me. It captured exactly what has made this experience so special every year.

Being part of a team taught me so much about what it means to be part of a Jewish community. As a first-year student, you learn from the older students. You find where you belong. Then, before you know it, you’re the one welcoming others in, showing them the ropes, and making sure they feel like they belong. That cycle of learning, leading, and lifting others up is at the heart of both athletics and Jewish life.

As I prepare to graduate, I’m reflecting on the full circle feeling of my involvement with NHBT: the Binghamton women’s team that I captained placed first at this year’s NHBT. It was an incredible feeling. After four years of building, recruiting, and practicing, my dream became a reality.

But the truth is, the win wasn’t even the best part. What mattered most was everything that came with it: the relationships, the teamwork, and the sense of belonging. I wouldn’t have found any of that without Hillel at Binghamton.

Over the past four years, I’ve watched Hillel grow into a vibrant, welcoming hub for students. Now, the building is full of energy, laughter, and conversation. It’s a place where anyone can walk in and immediately feel like they belong. That kind of space doesn’t just happen. It’s built by people who care. The staff, the Springboard Fellows, and the student leaders create an environment that makes you want to give back. And I’ve felt that pull firsthand. The more Hillel gave to me, the more I wanted to invest in it.

As I prepare to graduate, I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next. I’ll be taking a gap year to explore neuroscience research opportunities before applying to medical school. There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead, but there’s also something Hillel helped me feel completely sure about: I know I will seek out and build a Jewish community wherever I go.

Hillel showed me what that can look like. More than that, it’s shown me how to create it, how to lead, and how to help others feel like they belong too.

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News

Team Spirit and Jewish Joy at the 15th Annual National Hillel Basketball Tournament

Author

����vlogl

Date

April 22, 2026

This past weekend, over 700 students gathered  for the 15th annual , hosted by the University of Maryland Hillel. More than 60 teams from 31 U.S. Hillels competed in the men’s and women’s competitions, with many Hillels participating for the first time ever.

“It’s such a cool thing to have all these different types of Jews in the same place,” said Avi Baruch (University of Maryland ‘27), a member of the NHBT executive board “This is just a great opportunity to bring together so many groups of people who wouldn’t normally be in the same room. It really speaks to [Hillel] being there for all kinds of Jewish students, regardless of their background.”

What started as a small local basketball tournament, originally called “Dribbler on the Roof,”  has now evolved into the biggest student-run Jewish sports competition in the country. 

“Basketball [is something] you never even associate with Jewish community or Hillel, on the obvious level,” said Ben Marcus, a member of the Brown RISD Hillel Men’s Basketball Team. “But when you look a little bit deeper into it, it’s all interconnected. It’s really all about forming community and finding home, which is what Brown RISD Hillel has done for me over the past four years, and what Hillels around the country are doing for a lot of other students.”

The National Hillel Basketball Tournament is organized by the (more than 30 students strong!) and supported through collaboration with Maryland Hillel staff and ����vlogl. Students handle everything from marketing to fundraising, recruitment to logistics — they even developed an to help manage registration and attendance for the tournament.

Basketball was what brought everyone together for this year’s competition, but this four-day event brought so much joy and connection on and off the court. Kicking off on Thursday evening, students spent Friday moving between Jewish ritual time, tournament games, and delicious meals before transitioning into the celebration of a Hillel Shabbat.

After October 7th, Matt Levine, a student at The Ohio State University and a member of the ����vlogl Student Cabinet, sought out NHBT as a haven for Jewish belonging and community. “Here, we just get to build ourselves up internally,” he said. “We get to talk about our community and then we get to play sports.”

NHBT has also become a yearly opportunity for students to see friends from Hillels across the country. “One of the highlights for me was seeing students from across the country connect and reconnect with each other. They traveled near and far to be in community with each other and to enjoy the friendly competition,” said Michael Kagan, ����vlogl’s director of student engagement and experiences. “This year’s NHBT left an impression on everyone in attendance.”

“There’s some good competition here,” added Alan Mashensky, a varsity basketball player for New York University and the president of the Jewish Athlete Alliance. “And I think what’s really beautiful here is that we have Jews from all over the spectrum… And to come into a place where you have sports as that bonding thing is really special.”

Congratulations to everyone involved with planning this year’s tournament, and , the Wash U Hillel Men’s Team and the Hillel at Binghamton Women’s Team  — we can’t wait to see you next year at NHBT 2027!

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News

Jewish Comedian Alex Edelman Kicks Off a Campus Tour with ����vlogl

Author

����vlogl

Date

March 12, 2026

Award-winning Jewish comedian is bringing joy to Jewish college students across the country with his unique blend of comedy and storytelling. Known for his HBO comedy special “Just for Us” and his roles in movies like Netflix’s “Unfrosted,” Edelman’s ability to balance humor and commentary has made him a favorite of critics and audiences alike. 

In partnership with ����vlogl and with support from Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Edelman recently kicked off a multi-campus comedy tour, visiting colleges and universities with shows that deepen belonging and bring a lot of laughter to the crowd. 

“Through the authentic (and funny!) ways Alex weaves his Jewish identity through his performances, he helps Jewish students feel more warmly connected to their Jewish identities and community,” said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of ����vlogl. “Jewish joy is a big part of what we foster at Hillel, and it’s awesome to have Alex as a key partner in sparking that Jewish joy and connection through his campus tour.”

More than 400 students attended the first show at Cornell University this past weekend. 

“It was really empowering to see a comedian who I could see myself in, on top of the fact that it was a great show,” said Rachel, a third-year student at Cornell. “It was a truly meaningful experience to be sitting in a room with a bunch of people who I shared a common identity with, all laughing at shared experiences. It emphasized the sense of community I felt on campus.”

“It was so powerful for students to see their identity represented in a way that was fun and joyful,” said Olivia Anglin-Salcido, Springboard Fellow for Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell. “The opportunity to be together in community in a way that was connecting and unifying was really powerful for students.”

Edelman stayed after the show to meet those who attended, take photos, and sign autographs with every student who approached him. “It’s nice to be mocked to my face after the shows by the students,” he said. “I’ve had a blast performing for these students, meeting these students, and I feel so lucky to get to do this with them, for them, what have you.”

After his standout performance at Cornell, Edelman traveled to Illinois for his second stop on the campus tour: Northwestern University. More than 600 students and community members filled the Cahn Auditorium, where Edelman once again brought energy and Jewish storytelling into the room.

Fourth-year student Sophie Perel said, “[Having] Alex at Northwestern was super impactful because it brought many different parts of the Northwestern community together for a night of many laughs: many of which revolved around being/growing up Jewish! It heightened [my] sense of Jewish joy and belonging!”

“I spent an hour laughing in an auditorium of students and community members, many of whom I’d never met, who, like me, were searching for joy and connection through Jewish humor,” added Mia Finestone, a first-year student at Northwestern. “By being a member of Alex’s audience, I gained both a sense of belonging to my campus community, and to the people all over the world who have had the opportunity to enjoy an Alex Edelman performance.”

Edelman will be heading to Washington University in St. Louis later this month for the next stop on his tour before he travels to the West Coast for a performance at the University of Southern California.

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