From the Desk of Adam Lehman: Reflecting on Student Accomplishments this Academic Year
Friends,
May marks a season of both beginnings and endings. As we celebrate the graduating class of 2025, we also prepare to welcome the class of 2029, who, on May 1st, committed to schools on National College Decision Day.
We also recently wrapped up Hillel Global Giving Week (HGGW), our annual grassroots fundraising campaign. Now in its sixth year, our Hillel movement raised more than $5 million dollars from nearly 10,000 gifts. To all those of you who donated to either a campus Hillel or Hillel International, thank you. It is these investments that make so many moments of Jewish joy, pride, connection, learning and community possible. And to those who haven’t yet made a donation, it’s not too late to contribute to a Hillel that’s been meaningful for you or a member of your family!
When I reflect on this past school year, I’m particularly inspired by the incredible Jewish students who are at the heart of our movement. I’m sharing the below stories about just a few of these awesome young Jewish leaders.
Robust student leadership that transforms Hillels
At Texas Hillel, Ethan Martinez set about to make an impact that stretched beyond the campus community. Ethan became involved with Why Not Me?, a program that empowers children from low socioeconomic backgrounds to envision a future that includes college, and took the lead on organizing one of the program’s “grocery nights,” where 15 families gathered with volunteers to cook and eat a meal together and receive food donations.
Ethan announced the project at an AEPhi Shabbat at Hillel and received an outpouring of support with enough donations to run a second grocery night the next month, ultimately supporting 30 families with over 90 people attending each gathering. “These weren’t just distribution events — they were designed with dignity and community at their core. There was no clear line between those giving and those receiving; everyone participated equally, cooking, eating and supporting one another in a shared experience,” said Rabbi Andy Weissfeld, senior Jewish educator at Texas Hillel. “The experience was a powerful reminder of the impact that’s possible when students come together around dignity, community, and service.”
Another incredible student leader who just so happens to have the same first name, Ethan Elkin-Handelman, a graduating senior from Rider University in New Jersey, also made a notable impact. Ethan helped triple the number of students participating in Rider Hillel programs, effectively reestablishing the Hillel on campus.
An elementary education major and member of Hillel International’s Israel Leadership Network, he shared his love for Jewish life, saying, “I’ve always been really passionate about being Jewish…I wanted Jewish people on campus to feel safe.” As he prepares for graduation, he leaves behind a legacy of a reinvigorated and recommitted hub for Jewish life at Rider.
Programs that strengthen and grow our communities
Vibrant Jewish life also includes building bridges with other campus communities. Earlier this spring, our Black-Jewish Unity Dinner series, hosted in partnership with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) made stops in Baltimore and at John Jay College in New York City. The dinners provided opportunities to “break bread and build bridges” by bringing together Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish students from multiple schools to deepen understanding and empathy between communities.
Reflecting on the experiences, Johns Hopkins Hillel student Abby shared, “The Black and Jewish communities have had a connection for a really long time, especially in the Civil Rights movement. The connection has broken down in the last few years, and we can really see the divide at Hopkins, so it’s important to me to try and bridge that divide. Both the Jewish students and the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) students I met tonight joined our respective institutions looking for a sense of belonging, and we’ve found that through our communities.”
Jewish student advocacy that leads to a brighter future
At the intersection of young Jewish leadership and a mission to build community belonging and understanding are the five Hillel students from University of California (UC) schools who recently met with Rich Leib, chair of the University of California Board of Regents, to discuss addressing campus antisemitism across the UC system and explore ways to better support Jewish students. “At the end of the day, we’re all here to be students. Yet for many Jewish students, that experience both in and out of the classroom is being disrupted,” said Shir Diner, a Hillel student leader at UC Irvine. “It was incredibly validating to finally speak with someone who is listening.”
When it comes to speaking up and speaking out, I can’t help but think of Leah Davenport, a College of Charleston Hillel student leader, who inspired us with her commitment to honoring the legacy of Malie, Chaim, Ida, and Peppi Landsmann — a family that was murdered in the Holocaust. After years of research, navigating archives, and hosting bake sales on campus, Leah raised nearly $1,000 to help place stolpersteine — “stumbling stones” — in Berlin to honor the Landsmann family on the streets where they once walked. On March 9, 2025, the stones were placed in Berlin, cementing the Landsmann family’s memories in the city where they once lived.
This year has been one of tremendous growth for the Hillel movement, including at Hillels outside of North America. In Poland, Michalina’s journey with Hillel began when she was a student, attending major Jewish holidays and Shabbatons with the Hillel Warsaw community. Despite living nearly an hour away in the city of Lodz, her commitment to Jewish life kept her traveling regularly to be a part of the community. When we were presented with the opportunity to open a Hillel location in Lodz, Michalina was the easy choice to lead it.
She stepped into her role with passion and vision, and under her leadership, Lodz has grown into one of the most dynamic and fast-growing chapters in the country. She has created a welcoming space for Jewish life, learning, and connection — all things that keep her students coming back for more, just like she did when she was in their shoes. Later this month, Michalina will represent Polish Jewish youth at an international conference in France — telling her story of the power of one student’s dedication to building Jewish life.
As we approach the official end of the academic year, on the Jewish calendar we also begin to wind down the days of the counting of the Omer, marking the sacred journey from freedom to responsibility — from the Exodus to Sinai, from liberation to revelation. It’s a time that reminds us that true transformation happens not in a moment, but in the steady commitment to growth, day by day. In that spirit, we celebrate how our students continue to demonstrate and inspire that commitment —building community, deepening identity, and shaping the Jewish future.
B’shalom,
Adam