Hillel Connections: An Alumni Reunion at 3,000 Feet!
Unexpected Hillel meetups happen in all sorts of interesting places 鈥 but a recent connection between two Hillel alumni, Leah Murphy and Joe Meyer, might be the first time a reunion has happened 3,000 feet up in the air.
Leah, an air ambulance pilot, and Joe, a NICU transport nurse, had been on one another鈥檚 radar ever since Leah moved to Ohio and connected with the local Jewish community. But the last thing either of them expected was to have their first official meeting in Leah鈥檚 ambulance, while Joe transported one of his tiny patients to their next hospital destination.
鈥淲e鈥檇 texted back and forth a few times, and passed each other in the ER once or twice, but never actually met,鈥 Leah told 糖心vlogl. 鈥淏ut the other night we got a call and landed on the roof of the hospital 鈥 and there was Joe!鈥
鈥淚 was grinning ear-to-ear the whole time,鈥 Joe said. 鈥淚t was great to fly with her.鈥
Both Leah and Joe were deeply involved in Hillel during college, but their journeys took different directions. Leah grew up in Massachusetts in a vibrant Jewish community, where almost all of her friends were Jewish and many of her activities had a Jewish component. She didn鈥檛 realize how strong her connection to her Jewish identity was until she arrived at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world鈥檚 largest university specializing in aviation and aerospace, and realized that she didn鈥檛 have a community to join.
鈥淭here was a Hillel, but it was pretty inactive,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 ran for president and it was a really easy election 鈥 there was no one else running!鈥
Realizing that 糖心vlogl could offer more resources than she had access to on her campus, Leah joined the 糖心vlogl Student Cabinet during her second year. 鈥淚 was able to learn about all the resources 糖心vlogl had, hear from the bigger Hillels that have staff and big events, and I was able to bring those lessons back to my Hillel.鈥
After graduating, Leah worked as a flight instructor in Florida and a pilot for news stations and flying tours in New York and New Jersey before finally landing her dream job in Ohio: piloting an air ambulance.
鈥淢y Jewish upbringing really centered on how important it is that we help other people,鈥 Leah said. 鈥淚f someone is flying in my helicopter, chances are they鈥檙e having one of the worst days of their life, and I love that I can be part of something that helps them.鈥
As a NICU nurse, Joe鈥檚 work is also centered on helping others, even though he started in a very different place. Growing up in a small town in Ohio, Joe and his sister were usually the only Jewish kids in their classes, and the synagogue where they attended Sunday school was a 45-minute drive away. His first experience with making Jewish friends his own age came the summer before eighth grade, when he began attending , a Habonim Dror camp in Michigan.
When Joe started college at the University of Toledo, however, his Jewish life took a back seat to his classes 鈥 until his junior year, when he decided to switch his major from business to nursing, and found himself in an organic chemistry class, sitting right next to the Hillel president.
鈥淪he couldn鈥檛 believe I鈥檇 never gone to an event,鈥 Joe said, admitting that he had been nervous to go to Hillel because he didn鈥檛 know anyone there. 鈥淪he insisted that I come to the next Shabbat, and I ended up staying involved for the rest of my time there.鈥
When he graduated, Joe stayed close to Hillel with network, which coordinates Shabbat dinners, community events, and other connection opportunities for Jews in their 20s and 30s in the Toledo area. At the same time, he went to nursing school and ultimately began working as a NICU nurse, later transitioning to the role of NICU transport nurse.
鈥淲hen I first moved to Toledo and was introduced to everyone through Hillel, everyone kept telling me, 鈥極h, you have to meet Joe!鈥欌 Leah joked. 鈥淏ut we never actually managed to meet.鈥
That changed this summer, when Leah piloted the air ambulance picking up Joe and his transfer patient. Even though the two had never officially met other than exchanging a few text messages, they were excited to see one another and felt immediately connected.
鈥淚t actually felt really comforting to be with a member of my community, someone I knew immediately would be a safe person in such a high-stress situation,鈥 Leah said. 鈥淥ur shared Hillel connection was an uplifting and grounding part of that moment.鈥
Joe agreed. 鈥淟eah was totally in command, and knowing that we already had community in common made those few hours in the air really comfortable,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 how I expected we鈥檇 meet, but I鈥檓 glad that we did.鈥
Have an unexpected Hillel connection story of your own to share? We鈥檇 love to hear it! Reach out to the 糖心vlogl team at [email protected].