News

Finding Harmony: How Kaskeset and Hillel Empower Jewish Students to Sing Through Challenge and Change

Author

Rachel Miller

Date

July 10, 2025

For Jordi, a recent Binghamton University graduate, Kaskeset  – the school’s only Jewish a cappella group – wasn’t just a place to sing. She spent time there learning to lead, to laugh, to reflect. Perhaps most importantly, with Kaskeset she was able to be unapologetically herself. “I can show off my Jewish pride without being ashamed,” she said. “In this group, I could just be me.”

A Modern Orthodox upbringing and five summers at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires shaped Jordi’s early Jewish identity. But it was at Binghamton University, through Hillel and Kaskeset, that she found the space to take ownership of it. After leaving a university a cappella group following the events of October 7, 2023, Jordi found refuge and empowerment in Kaskeset, which is supported by Hillel.

“Auditioning for Kaskeset was the best decision I made,” she shared. “To me, Kaskeset is community. It’s healing. It’s leadership. It’s everything.”

Student Mya Malsan’s journey to Kaskeset began even earlier, in childhood choirs and Jewish day school. After graduating from a small K–8 Jewish day school and entering a public high school with no Jewish community to speak of, Mya longed for the connection she had once known. At Binghamton, she found it in Kaskeset and Hillel.

“Everyone comes from different backgrounds and majors, but we’re all tied together through celebrating Judaism,” she said. “Music is culture, it’s memory, and it’s something that always brings us back to ourselves.”

Both Mya and Jordi lit up as they discussed the powerful emotions they feel when singing a Hebrew prayer passed down through generations. As Mya put it: “Sometimes I think, maybe my great-grandmother sang this same song. That’s so powerful.”

To students like Jordi and Mya, Kaskeset is more than an a cappella group; it’s a sacred space where Jewish students process, create, and celebrate their identity through music.

A Global Chorus of Support

Kaskeset’s story is not an isolated one. Across the globe, Hillel International supports hundreds of student-led communities like Kaskeset. Places where Jewish young adults lean into tradition and tell their stories through art, music, prayer, and learning.

“Hillel is what makes this all possible,” Jordi said. “Hillel welcomed me when I committed to Binghamton. They’re the ones who said, ‘Yes, go for it’ when I pitched a graphic design project or wanted to plan a Rosh Chodesh event with journaling and art.”

A New Soundtrack for a New Generation

Now Kaskeset is preparing to release their first EP since before the pandemic, a project born out of resilience, joy, and the deep bonds formed over late-night rehearsals and shared visions.

The album, produced by recording engineer and producer Nicky Brenner and featuring songs in both Hebrew and English, will include beloved Jewish pieces like “Oseh Shalom” as well as contemporary favorites like Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings” and One Direction’s “Drag Me Down.” Mya, who solos on “Ceilings,” said it’s been one of her most exciting college experiences. “It’s such a beautiful way to capture this moment in time with people I really love and admire,” she reflected.

For Jordi, who helped spearhead the idea, it’s more than just a collection of songs. It’s a time capsule of Jewish joy, pride, and togetherness in an era when such things feel more precious than ever. 

Check out Kaskeset’s music on Spotify:

Singing Toward Tomorrow

Spaces like Kaskeset and Hillel offer Jewish students a story of healing, harmony, and hope. “Judaism and music are both about evolving,” Jordi said. “They ask us to reflect, to grow, to build community. That’s what I’ve found here through Hillel at Binghamton.”

This group of students sings through the uncertain rhythms of college life and the steady beats of ancient tradition. They sing in Hebrew and English, using new harmonies and old melodies. They draw strength from one another and raise their voices in a declaration that Jewish life is vibrant, multifaceted, and alive on campus. 

The post Finding Harmony: How Kaskeset and Hillel Empower Jewish Students to Sing Through Challenge and Change appeared first on Hillel International.

News

Living with Hope and Pride

Author

Becky Cantor

Date

June 17, 2025

“Hope will never be silent.”

The gay Jewish American who spoke these words, Harvey Milk, is the kind of mensch I aspire to be in my journey as a queer Jew. By living my queer and Jewish identities proud and out loud, I honor not only Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, but everyone past and present who has carved out a space for Jewish LGBTQ+ people and given us hope for an equal world.

My name is Becky, my pronouns are they/them, and I am a queer and nonbinary Jewish graduate student living in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I moved for my master’s program in linguistics. 

Every year in May, I celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, and every year in June, I celebrate Pride Month, a period of time dedicated to honoring my community and who I am. But since October 7, 2023, this time of the year has shifted, as I have felt immense pressure to celebrate and live my Jewish and queer identities separately.  

In the months following October 7, just as I was settling into graduate school in a new state, my community of friends rapidly dwindled. Most of my LGBTQ+ friends who were not Jewish backed out of my life without a single word, no communication except an unfollow on Instagram. They decided they would no longer associate with Zionists, even ones they’d known for years. Then some of my Jewish friends felt so unwelcome and unsafe in other campus communities that they began to withdraw from the LGBTQ+ spaces where I felt at home, leaving me without friends and a community where I could celebrate my full self.

It is heartbreaking beyond words to be cast away so abruptly by people you thought would be in your life for years. And so I decided it was time to get involved with Hillel beyond my campus, whose values and mission have always so closely aligned with my own. It is doubly reassuring to know that my current friendships that I have found since getting involved at Hillel are that much stronger thanks to the challenges we faced together. 

Today, most of my closest friends exist at the same intersection that I do: they’re LGBTQ+ and they’re Jewish. We share the values that we learned at Hillel: that all kinds of Jewish students are welcome and valued. We have found joy and fulfillment in integrating and celebrating all facets of our identities. We understand that each of us are complex, vibrant people and we deserve to live all parts of ourselves openly and freely. I love this community I have found more than anything. This Pride month, I’m celebrating them.

And though, sadly, Harvey Milk was assassinated in 1978, I’m channeling his dreams as an activist for the LGBTQ+ community. While he never lived to see how much of a difference he made, his legacy of joy, of community, and of hope continues to resonate with me and propel me forward. His words still echo loudly in my ears. 

The post Living with Hope and Pride appeared first on Hillel International.

LGBTQIA+

Proud to be Jewish

Student Stories

The Shabbat Walk That Changed My Life

Author

Ariel Katz

Date

June 5, 2025

Ariel Katz is the associate general counsel for Hillel International. In celebration of Pride Month, Ariel shared her story about how she met her wife and learned to integrate her queer and Jewish identities.

On a rainy night in late April 2022, nine years into living in Chicago, I took the bus to a Shabbat dinner in nearby Andersonville that would change my life. Uncharacteristically, I was a few minutes late, and there was only one seat left, next to a woman who had also arrived late. We started talking, and I learned that she was smart, and really funny, and easy to talk to. I am shomer Shabbat, so I asked her to walk me home (a mile and a half away) after dinner. She agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

It’s maybe a bit of a cliche to have met my wife at a Shabbat dinner, and perhaps even more so that we met at an LGTBQ Shabbat dinner sponsored by Base Hillel. 

I grew up in an observant household and attended Jewish day school and Jewish summer camp. I learned to read Hebrew while learning English, and wrote my college essay about the connection I felt to Judaism when I read out loud from the Torah. I never questioned my Jewish identity, and while my relationship with Judaism has changed over the course of my life, it has always remained a core part of who I am. 

When I came out as gay at the end of college, I didn’t doubt my Jewishness — but I did wonder whether Jewish spaces would still feel like home. I feared being seen as “other” in communities that had once nurtured me. Could I walk into a synagogue holding a woman’s hand and still be embraced the same way? Who was a gay Ariel Katz in comparison to a straight Ariel Katz? (Spoiler alert: The same person! Just a more whole version of myself.) And how did this new identity fit in with my Jewish identity, if it even fit at all? 

I posed these questions to a straight friend who had been living in Chicago for several years. I had just moved to the city, and was dealing with my own sense of my place in the broader world on top of coming out publicly. “How do I add this new identity to my already strong Jewish identity?” I asked her. “Is there room for both?” She went on to share that she felt there was room for both identities, and that most of the Jewish spaces in her life were, in fact, queer spaces, either by design (like the queer Yeshiva where she studied) or by virtue of community (like the synagogue she attended with many queer families). By the time I met my wife nine years later, both my identities were so intertwined that attending a Base Hillel LGBTQ dinner was as commonplace as any other Jewish event I might attend. 

That’s why working at Hillel now feels so meaningful — not just because I get to be my full self, but because I get to help make sure others can do the same. Co-leading our LGBTQ Employee Resource Group is more than a side responsibility; it’s a reflection of everything I once needed and now get to help provide. At one of our Employee Resource Group meetings in April, everyone shared different Pride Shabbatot happening on their campuses, or other ways they were collaborating with queer groups on campus or uplifting their own queer students. Some Hillels were so intersected with the queer community that their Shabbat celebrations were marketed as “Gayer than Usual Pride Shabbat.” 

Whenever I visit a local campus, it is commonplace to see a Pride flag hanging in a window. To today’s students, this ubiquity may seem like a given. Working for Hillel, I have never had to question my acceptance as a queer Jew, nor questioned the acceptance of queer Jewish students at campus Hillels. After all, it’s easy to take for granted the acceptance of queer Jews in Jewish spaces today, as reflected at Hillel and many progressive synagogues across America. But this wasn’t always the case. 

There was a time not long ago when queer Jews had to choose between authenticity and belonging. Hillel is helping change that. I’m proud to work for an organization that creates spaces where Jews can show up fully as themselves — where being queer and Jewish isn’t a contradiction but a celebration. And I’m especially grateful for that rainy night in April, when Hillel made space for me to meet my beshert. 

The post The Shabbat Walk That Changed My Life appeared first on Hillel International.

Hillel Leadership

Proud to be Jewish

Student Stories

Passing the Torch: The Evolution of Jewish Leadership on Campus

Author

Abi Schcolnik

Date

May 21, 2025

Abi Schcolnik, outgoing co-chair of the Hillel International Student Cabinet and graduating senior at the University of Miami (UM), shares her reflections on her student leadership journey with UM Hillel and her advice for students just beginning their Jewish college journeys.

Four years ago, as a first-year student at the University of Miami, who had just recently arrived from Uruguay, I attended my first Shabbat dinner at Hillel, unsure of what my Jewish journey would look like. Like many first-year students, I was filled with the worries of being accepted, finding my friend group, and being able to celebrate my Jewish traditions, so that campus would feel like home. Now, at the end of my time on campus, I’m no longer filled with worry, but with gratitude for the community that embraced me and the opportunities that have shaped me into the Jewish student leader I am today.

Being a Jewish student leader at UM has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. It has taught me the power of building community, creating Jewish joy, and the importance of mentorship. Mentoring new students who are seeking connection through Jewish life on campus has been extremely fulfilling. Helping them find the right opportunity and explore the programs available to them allowed me to pass on the knowledge I’d gained over four years. From applications to general guidance, this community and mentorships were the highlight of my college experience. As I prepare to graduate, I am proud to pass the torch to the next generation of Jewish student leaders on campus, whose advocacy will ensure that our campus remains a safe space, full of vibrant Jewish life.

Over the past two years, I have seen the importance of student leadership firsthand in confronting the rampant antisemitism on campuses around the country. The days after October 7 were difficult for every Jewish person, and they were amplified for students by the campus antisemitism and hostility that followed. Instead of allowing this pain to push us down, we stood up, took action, and became stronger. 

In the months that followed, I worked with our campus Hillel to ensure our administration took antisemitism seriously while creating events centered on Jewish joy, and through this, I found that advocating for Jewish life became my passion. The results of my advocacy and that of my peers have been clear at UM. I’ve watched our Shabbat dinners at Hillel grow from just a few people to large, vibrant celebrations, full of Jewish students from all backgrounds, and I’ve watched campus become a welcoming place for all students, regardless of their religion or culture. While this growth has been a testament to organizations like Hillel, it has also been a testament to the spirit of Jewish students who have overcome so much over the last two years.

Knowing that many first-year students feel the way I did when they start at UM, our leadership has prioritized supporting Jewish students from the day they set foot on campus. These efforts have been seen quite noticeably in FreshFest, our freshman orientation program, which has expanded, helping new students find their place on campus and create a community where they can take pride in their culture and foster a sense of Jewish joy.

As a result of this growth, the Jewish community at UM isn’t just strong — it’s thriving. We’ve been able to welcome Israeli leaders like Naftali Bennett and Benny Gantz for Q&A sessions and foster an environment where Israel education can take place. This safe, enriching environment for Jewish students has also elevated programming. We now have the running club, cooking club, Cafe Ivrit, and even a class with Briana Schwarz, UM Hillel’s executive director, about Jewish life beyond college. I understand there are a lot of challenges for Jewish students on campus since 10/7, but my experience has been fulfilling, and I know future students at UM will have the opportunity to enjoy it just as much.

As my student leadership begins to wind down, I’m grateful that the next generation of Jewish leaders on campus has shown that we’re in good hands. This semester, I’ve had the privilege of guiding younger students at the Florida Hillels’ leadership summit and attending Hillel International’s Israel Summit, which reaffirmed my belief that the next wave of Jewish student leaders is more than equipped to make our community even stronger. Most importantly, participating in the Hillel International Student Cabinet allowed me to work directly with Hillel professionals and students from around the world to help ensure Hillel is maximizing its impact. This experience not only allowed me to promote new programming and work on new initiatives, but also allowed me to create an environment where young Jewish students across the world can flourish. 

Hillel’s trust in my fellow cabinet members and me has helped improve student life, and continuing to foster this leadership ensures that the future of Jewish leadership is bright. 

Now, as I prepare for my final Shabbat as a student at UM, blending customs from my Uruguayan background with our campus traditions, I feel nothing but pride and hope. To the next generation of Jewish student leaders: your voice matters, your work is important, and your journey is just beginning. To Jewish student leaders who are graduating: your leadership never ends, it just evolves.

The post Passing the Torch: The Evolution of Jewish Leadership on Campus appeared first on Hillel International.

News

At Virginia Tech Hillel, Sustainability and Jewish Tradition Go Hand in Hand

Author

Hillel International

Date

April 21, 2025

In celebration of Earth Day, we are excited to share the incredible work that Virginia Tech Hillel does to care for the earth and produce sustainable, kosher food for Jewish students.

When it comes to getting an early start as Jewish program facilitators, Hillel at Virginia Tech’s Greg and Amanda Herring might have set a new Hillel record: They’ve been running Jewish community meals since they were 12 years old.

“We actually hosted a Passover lunch in middle school in the cafeteria, because we were tired of whatever our moms had been making for Passover by midway through the week,” Amanda recalled. “So we had a small group of Jewish friends and said, ‘How about everybody just brings one thing that your mom has made, and we’ll have a little Passover potluck at school during lunch?’”

It’s been a long journey from the middle school cafeteria to building a sustainable kosher food program at Virginia Tech Hillel, where Amanda serves as the Kurtz Family Executive Director and Greg as the Hillel chef — but food has played a role at every step. 

Greg and Amanda began dating during their college years, while Amanda attended Virginia Tech, where she was Hillel president, and Greg attended culinary school in Jerusalem. Greg later moved back to Virginia to be closer to Amanda, and together, they helped open the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center, with Greg as the original head chef. They also spent several years in New York, where they were some of the first OneTable Shabbat hosts. “Hosting Shabbat dinners in our sixth-floor walkup for anyone willing to walk up six flights of stairs,” Amanda joked. 

After years working in farm-to-table and fine dining, and then getting even closer to where food came from by learning butchery, Greg had become deeply invested in sustainable food and farming — values Amanda shared as well. After a period of time in the Washington, D.C. area, they knew they wanted to live somewhere they could have enough land to do some farming of their own. 

That brought them back to Blacksburg — and back to Virginia Tech Hillel, where Amanda became executive director in 2023.

“When we came back to Hillel, one of the most important things to us was living our food values and our Jewish identity of gathering people around the table,” Amanda said. “As we got in touch with the Jewish Farmer Network and the Jewish farming movement, we realized that so many of the rules around food in kashrut come from our agricultural ancestors. Getting in touch with where our food comes from makes so many kashrut laws more relatable.”

One example among many is the ways we make sure meat is safe for consumption.

“Jews were about 3,000 years ahead of the USDA in terms of some things,” Greg said, referring to antemortem and postmortem inspections of animals before and after slaughter — a USDA standard, and an ancient practice amongst kosher butchers. 

“The concept that the animal must be healthy and calm, and able to stand calmly and presently to be slaughtered is a foundational tenant of Jewish slaughter that dates back thousands of years, and it took the Mad Cow outbreak for the rest of the world to go say, ‘Hey, maybe if that animal can’t even stand up, it isn’t safe to eat,’” he added.

The Jewish tenet of being stewards of the earth has become a core value in how Greg and Amanda approach their Hillel’s food program, which has been transformational in their community. All of their meat comes from KOL Foods, a local kosher producer that is certified “regenerative,” which means that the way they farm animals is carbon-negative — actually reducing the carbon impact on the planet. Greg and Amanda have also worked to build partnerships with local farms so that as much of the produce they use as possible is locally sourced.

“It’s about knowing your farmers,” Amanda explained. “It’s talking to people, and building relationships, and saying, ‘Look, we’re a nonprofit. We’re a Hillel. We’re trying to feed students. We’re trying to feed them well and healthy, because that makes your mind work.’”

In return, Amanda explained, the farmers are able to look at what they have — for example, 10 cases of tomatoes that are perfectly good to eat, but probably won’t sell. That would be a product loss for the farm, and would harm their sustainability goals because of the wasted food. 

“So at Hillel, with our freezer space and our massive tomato mill, we can take all those cases of tomatoes, turn them all into sauce, freeze them, and use them throughout the year,” she said. “We’re helping our farmer, and they’re helping us, because we get them at a huge discount.”

That approach to sustainability has made its way not just into Hillel’s kitchen, but into their programming as well. At Shabbat dinners, after the blessings but before students are called up to get their food, Greg will talk the students through where the food came from, telling them the names of the farms and encouraging them to visit.

“This is maybe one of the only environmental movements that’s asking you to be kind of gluttonous,” Amanda said. “You’re not giving up fast fashion, you’re not giving up something else. You’re just eating the most delicious food, because it’s as fresh and seasonal and tasty as it gets.”

When it comes to advice for others who might be looking to bring more Jewish-inspired sustainability to their kitchens, Amanda and Greg have one big suggestion: start small. 

“Maybe it’s something as simple as saying, ‘We’re going to make apple butter, and 100% of our apple butter is going to be from a local orchard,’” Amanda said. “The students can pick apples at Rosh Hashanah, and we’ll have an event where we process them, [and] make a ton of apple butter. And then every week when there’s a meat meal, we’ll put apple butter with our challah, and the students will know it’s our apple butter. It’s one less thing we’re getting from a distributor — and students will see what an impact they can have.”

The post At Virginia Tech Hillel, Sustainability and Jewish Tradition Go Hand in Hand appeared first on Hillel International.

News

Hillel Student Leaders and Content Creators Come Together for the Hillel International Content Creators Forum

Author

Hillel International

Date

April 8, 2025

75+ students and Jewish content creators shared their experiences advocating for Jewish life, and how students can share their stories using social media

This week, over 75 Hillel student leaders joined more than 20 Jewish content creators and journalists in New York City to educate students on Jewish culture and digital advocacy as part of the third annual Hillel International Content Creators Forum. This year’s forum focused on cultivating a community of digital creators who use storytelling, visual arts, and online media to amplify Jewish voices, celebrate cultural identity, and engage broad audiences. Through workshops, mentorship opportunities, and hands-on training, this conference equipped students with the tools to advocate for and educate others about Israel and the Jewish people, while building a vibrant community that exchanged ideas and inspired one another.

The forum’s opening session began with insightful remarks from renowned global Jewish content creators, leaders, and journalists, including 2021’s Miss Israel Noa Cochva, digital creator Melinda Strauss, scholar Mijal Bitton, and Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. The speakers discussed topics such as the value of creating and telling stories, using their lived experiences within the Jewish media space to guide thought-provoking discussion, while acknowledging the ever-growing importance of community.

Subsequent programming included conversation on how to master the digital art of sharing inspiring Jewish narratives, a showcase of content created during the forum, and interactive breakout labs that focused on developing personal stories and bringing those ideas to life. A special evening program on Sunday night featured Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman and her grandson Aron Goodman, who has shared his grandmother’s memories of her life in Auschwitz with millions of people on TikTok. 

“I’m immensely grateful for the collaboration of our Hillel International professionals and the Jewish content creators who joined us. This initiative has not only fostered a space for meaningful Jewish storytelling but also set the stage for continued innovation in how we share and celebrate our diverse identities,” said Adam Lehman, Hillel International’s president and CEO. “I’m looking forward to Hillel’s continued collaboration with social media experts and our amplification and support of Jewish voices in the digital world.”

“Exploring how to share my Jewish identity on social media was an incredibly meaningful experience, both personally and professionally,” said Shiri Gil, a Columbia University student. “I’m excited to use the skills I’ve gained to advocate for my beliefs and spread Jewish joy online.”

The success of the 2025 Hillel International Content Creators Forum underscored the vital role of collaborative learning for creators in the Jewish space.

The post Hillel Student Leaders and Content Creators Come Together for the Hillel International Content Creators Forum appeared first on Hillel International.

Proud to be Jewish

Student Stories

A Taste of Judaism: Learning About the Jewish Diaspora Through Food

Author

Yael Klucznik

Date

March 26, 2025

Yael Klucznik is the Springboard Fellow at the Hillel at The George Washington University (GW Hillel). Yael recently launched a new program at GW Hillel to introduce her students to cuisines from across the global Jewish community. Yael takes us behind the scenes to share what it looks like to design a program like this and how it impacted her students.

When someone asks you what your favorite Jewish food is, I bet you say some combination of bagels with lox, brisket, or matzah ball soup. Don’t get me wrong – I love all of those. But they don’t encapsulate my experience with Jewish food.

I was born in Argentina and raised in South Florida as part of a mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic household. Growing up, my Shabbat dinners consisted of knishes, a wide variety of salads, Turkish rice, and a lot of meat dishes. These meals raised the question for me — what actually is Jewish food? The Jewish people sit at the paradox of being a tightly knit community and widespread diasporic nation. Every Jew is different due to our wide variety of cultures, but Jews around the world also hold a collective identity through various paths. Is food one of the ways we form that shared identity? At GW Hillel, we seek to answer exactly that.

A Taste of Judaism (ATOJ) is a unique program with the mission of exploring the Jewish diaspora through food. Everyone knows there’s no better way to bond over our collective experiences as Jews than by chatting over a delicious meal! 

With that in mind, I wanted to create an environment where students could eat a meal that introduces them to a new type of Jewish food as they sit down with peers to learn, discuss, and reflect together. In designing this program to foster cultural connection, I wanted students to think about the following:

• What does it mean to be part of a diasporic community? How does food help maintain tradition and a collective identity for that community?
• What are the origins of each of the Jewish communities we’re exploring? How did they adapt to new environments and climates?
• What can our taste buds tell us about the migration patterns of these Jewish communities?
• How are Jewish traditions different and similar across communities? Why do you think communities in the Jewish diaspora have developed different melodies, customs, and dishes?

I chose three Jewish communities to cover this semester: Latin-American, Persian, and Moroccan. All three of these communities have incredible cuisines (which is always important when working with college students). 

The first of four sessions highlighted the unique spices and flavors of two Jewish heritage backgrounds: Ashkenazi and Sephardic. We learned how tradition and food can be tied to land – each of the regions we studied produces unique fruits or grains that the other does not. We made connections between modern diasporic communities and stories highlighted in the Torah. We also read about multiple world events that led to the migration of Jews, where they ended up, and how they’ve continued to thrive in today’s world. Finally, we learned about the concept of aliyah, and why yearning to return to Israel is an underlying link that binds Jews around the world.

At each session, I watched students discover these three distinct Jewish communities through their taste buds. Students walked in, grabbed a plate, sat down with other students, and began their discussions. For some, learning about each community was a first, and for most, eating dishes from these regions was new as well. Second-year student Jordan Grossman reflected, “While there is so much to discover as a young person trying to define my own identity, learning about the experiences of people around the world has helped me understand how much my identity is built off of others.” 

I challenged students to think about and uncover relationships between these different communities from session to session and helped them connect those relationships to their own experiences as Jews. Fourth-year student Jacob Wise said, “A Taste of Judaism was truly one of my favorite programs [from] my time at GW. It was fun, educational, delicious, and most of all, super interesting to learn about so many Jewish cuisines and dishes that I knew nothing about!”

In reflecting on the planning process for this program and its success, I’m so grateful for the framework and training that I have as an Innovation Springboard Fellow. The human-centered design approach that I learned through the Springboard Fellowship was essential in planning this meaningful opportunity. 

And now the biggest question that remains is: which Jewish community should our program cover next?

The post A Taste of Judaism: Learning About the Jewish Diaspora Through Food appeared first on Hillel International.

News

“Music is our most powerful tool of emotion and communication”: Reflections from the Northeast Hillels A Cappella Competition

Author

Hillel International

Date

March 12, 2025

More than 300 Jewish students, alumni, community, and music enthusiasts recently came together at the University of Maryland for the first-ever Northeast Hillels A Cappella Competition. Six groups from across the region participated, spending Shabbat together and competing for awards like “Audience Favorite,” “Best Arrangement,” and “Best Vocal Percussionist.”The community, connections, and friendships that attendees built over the course of the weekend ended up being the top award for all involved. 

Here’s what a few of the competition’s amazing vocalists had to say about their experience!

Stephanie Bromberg (Class of 2025) Shir Appeal, Tufts University

Shir Appeal is Tufts University’s only mixed gender Jewish a cappella group, and this was their first opportunity to compete in a Jewish a cappella competition — something that represented an exciting opportunity to meet other groups.

“It’s so important to bring Jewish a cappella groups together in community because Jewish a cappella is a pretty niche group of a cappella…” said fourth-year student Stephanie Bromberg, who has been part of Shir Appeal since her first year at Tufts. “So this is such a beautiful way of getting to come together and sing Jewish music and really meet other people who have such a deep passion for what we do, as much as we do.”

Aviel Taube (Class of 2025) Kol Sasson, University of Maryland

In Kol Sasson, University of Maryland’s  oldest Jewish a cappella group, members come from all over and have a variety of Jewish backgrounds, but they all have two things in common: a shared love for Jewish music and culture, and the Northeast Hillels A Cappella Competition serving as their first experience competing against and gathering with other Jewish a cappella groups.

“I think that there’s a lot that we can learn from each other, from getting together and singing for each other, singing together, engaging in some friendly competition, because really, there’s no better way of learning different ways to sing and different ways to share each other’s music… [than] by just being around each other,” said fourth-year student Aviel Taube. “It’s really important that we spend this time together, get together, and you know, share our secrets a little bit with each other — so that we can all improve.” 

Zachary Buller (Class of 2025) ApiChorus, Harvard University

While some of the groups at the competition have been around for decades, Harvard University’s ApiChorus is just two years old — but that hasn’t stopped them from making an impact with their sound and their presence.

“Our group is pretty new… it’s our group’s first real opportunity to perform with other groups,” said ApiChorus President and Founder Zachary Buller. “It’s really amazing to meet other singers from schools who are equally passionate about Jewish music. Learning from them over the past weekend has been really transformational for us… We hope that we win, but I think, all in all, we’re happy to participate, and we can grow and learn from the other groups that are here.”

Gabi Stern (Class of 2027) Rak Shalom, University of Maryland

The singers from the winning group, Rak Shalom, brought an extra layer of pride to the competition — their assistant music director Dani Schwartz and musical director Elyon Topolosky played a big role in bringing the competition from concept to reality. Their members were all in on making the event a success, not just for the joy and excitement of competing against other groups, but because they knew how important it would be for the Jewish a cappella community to come together under one roof.

“I think music is one of the most powerful and inspirational tools of communication and of emotion,” said second-year student Gabi Stern, Rak Shalom’s business manager. “This is a wonderful opportunity to combine music and  Judaism and friends — it’s just such a meaningful experience.”

Want to experience Jewish a cappella in action? Recordings of the competition are available on the Hillel International YouTube and Facebook pages. The winners may have already been decided, but you’re welcome to sing along!

The post “Music is our most powerful tool of emotion and communication”: Reflections from the Northeast Hillels A Cappella Competition appeared first on Hillel International.

News

BBYO Today, Hillel Tomorrow

Author

Hillel International

Date

February 20, 2025

Over Presidents Day weekend, the Hillel International Student and Alumni Marketing team traveled to Denver, Colorado for BBYO’s International Convention (IC), the largest gathering of Jewish teen leaders worldwide. Over 3,600 high school students from across the country and around the world braved sub-zero temperatures and blizzards to experience several days of learning, leadership training, celebration, and service.

Our favorite moments from the weekend included:

1. Free swag!

Who doesn’t love free Hillel swag?!? We gave out branded tote bags and fanny packs, fuzzy socks, stickers, and more — plus freedom tags to display our continued commitment to bring home the hostages held by Hamas — so students could show off their Jewish and Hillel pride throughout the conference and back home.

2. A Puppy Pawty

We had the joy of partnering with the cutest puppies from Lifeline Puppy Rescue. Students got to spend some quiet time during the conference cuddling with five adorable (and adoptable!) pups. Hillel understands the importance of mental health and wellness, and we hope this was a welcome break for the students and staff who stopped by.

3. Traveling to University of Denver and University of Colorado at Boulder

The Denver area is home to the multi-campus Hillel of Colorado and Hillel at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder), which has one of the largest Jewish student populations in the country. The University of Denver Hillel was the perfect location for BBYO to host “The Jewish Kitchen: A Culinary Exploration of Our People,” where students went on a culinary journey through the diverse flavors of the Jewish diaspora with hands-on cooking sessions led by Jewish and Israeli food experts Micah Siva, Skye Estroff, and Jake Goldberg.

And at CU Boulder, Hillel student leaders led campus tours and participated in a panel discussion for nearly 300 BBYO teens where they shared their insights into preparing for college and getting involved with Jewish student life on campus.

4. Connecting seniors to their campus Hillels

As many high school seniors prepare to head off to college in the fall, Hillels on campuses across North America will be ready to welcome them to their Jewish home away from home for the next four years. And as seniors make their college decision, we encourage them to sign up for the Hillel Graduation Giveaway! We also partnered with our friends at the Jewish fraternity AEPi to host a meet and greet for high school seniors with Jewish students from CU Boulder to learn about Jewish life on college campus.

5. Highlighting Hillel’s mission

Two Hillel International Springboard Fellows, Melanie Silver from Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis and Samantha Brody from Boston University Hillel, were invited to speak during a summit on pluralism at the Adult Experience Track of IC. They discussed their work on campus to connect with all kinds of Jewish students by bringing a spirit of genuine openness and inclusivity.

Find your Hillel and learn more about Jewish life on campus at Hillel’s College Decision Hub.

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Hillel International Scholarships

Proud to be Jewish

Investing in Creativity is Tikkun Olam — A Way to Repair the World

Author

Mark L.

Date

January 9, 2025

Mark is a 2024 recipient of the Jordan and Elise Levin Scholarship for Jewish Enrichment and Education through Hillel International. As a first-generation college student at Stanford University, Mark uses filmmaking to tell a diverse array of stories. Learn more about Hillel International scholarships and apply today. 

I’m constantly amazed by the power of storytelling, and the way that, no matter who you are, a camera can help you share a story that might otherwise be lost. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and every individual’s story has value. 

My story is driven by my aspiration to be the first in my family to attain a four-year college degree in the United States. My dream is to become a storyteller, a changemaker, and a leader who contributes to the world through the power of film. Through the Jordan and Elise Levin Scholarship for Jewish Enrichment and Education, Hillel International is helping me make that a reality — and helping me show that storytelling is another way we can start to repair the world.

As a Hillel International scholarship recipient, I attend Stanford University, and I’m so grateful to have found a home with Hillel at Stanford. Hillel has become a part of my weekly routine, especially on Shabbat. Receiving a Hillel International scholarship has been an honor — not just because I love my Judaism and I love Hillel, but because I see this scholarship as a way of really putting my Jewish values into action. 

Long before I found my way to Hillel, I started down the path of connecting my Jewish identity with filmmaking. My camera became not just a tool but a bridge, connecting me with people who tackled adversity with hope and determination. I decided to harness the power of film to ensure that my peers’ amazing stories would not go unheard. 

I also committed to helping other filmmakers realize their dreams. When I saw that financial barriers have kept many aspiring young filmmakers around the world from breaking into film festivals and sharing their work with a broader audience, I began to envision and build a student-led, free-to-enter film festival that prioritized the voices of marginalized artists. 

In 2022, the Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF) was born. Within the first week, we had thousands of entries, and since then, we’ve received nearly 20,000 films from student filmmakers in 149 countries. But beyond the quantitative impact, many of the filmmakers’  stories really resonate with me. 

For example, one student from Brazil wrote to us and told us that she didn’t have enough resources to afford submission fees at film festivals, and in Brazil, there are very few film festivals that showcase student work. SWIFF gave her the opportunity to submit her work, and it really helped her take the next step in her filmmaking career, sharing her story with a broader world.

My Judaism inspires me to do this work as a way of practicing tikkun olam, repairing the world. While there are so many different ways we can make the world a better place, for me, serving others through the arts just makes sense. Hillel’s support, community, and dedication to all kinds of tikkun olam make me proud to be a Hillel International scholarship recipient, and I look forward to continuing to share stories, and promote healing and respect across the world.  

Read about more inspiring Hillel International scholarship students like Oscar Seltzer, a Dartmouth student who carries his grandfather’s name and legacy with him as he pursues his education. 

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