When I first toured Boston University as a junior in high school, I was not at my finest. My family and I had decided to dine at a Mexican restaurant the night before, and I had woken up at 3am alarmed by my apparent food poisoning. Regardless of the wreck my stomach was in the next morning, and the approaching thunderstorm, I pulled on my raincoat and explored Commonwealth Avenue, which I now call home. I was impressed by the elegance of the brownstones, the hustle of the streets, but most of all, I was in awe of the four floor Hillel House, the largest student organization on campus. Yes, the BU Hillel was perhaps the primary reason why I laid down my hefty tuition deposit a year later.
Since becoming one of those hustling students on Comm ave, it has come to my attention that the Hillel House is considered by some to be solely for Jews. As a board member of two years, I can attest to the fact that this is certainly not the case. In fact, we welcome students of all backgrounds and political views, and our variety of programs could be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
1) Free Shabbat Dinner!
After coming in contact with a large and extremely generous donation, Hillel has been able to provide free Shabbat dinner every Friday night this school year. As long as you sign up in advance (https://www.bu.edu/phpbin/hilleldining/), you can enjoy a flavorful meal of vegetable maztoball soup, dressed salad, challah bread, boiled chicken, steamed rice, roasted potatoes, juicy green beans, fresh fruit, and fudge chocolate brownies. Better yet, you can enjoy the company of your friends, as you are allowed to include guests when you sign up for the evening meal.
2) Zumba!
So perhaps that free Friday night meal made you a little stuffed to the brim, and you are wishing you had a chance to make the trip to Fitrec. Well, you don’t have to look any further than the Hillel House once again. A fellow student, Jeremy Lowe (J-Lo), has been holding a “Jewmba” dance workout class every week on Tuesdays on the second floor of Hillel. The class is open to everyone, from beginner to expert, and at the low price of $5. Just slip on your favorite workout gear and sneakers, and start sweating from 5-6pm.
3) Party time!
Every year, the Jewish people celebrate the lovable holiday of Purim, a sort of Jewish Halloween where everyone dresses up in costumes, usually characters from the biblical tale. On this day, it is actually a mitzvah (good deed) to drink until you can’t tell the difference between the antagonist and protagonist of this Jewish tale (of course, if you are of age!). BU’s Hillel organization hosts an annual off campus Purim Party to provide a fun environment for everyone to celebrate. Everyone of every background is invited to purchase tickets and bring friends. This year, the circus-themed party will be held at Rumor Night Club from 9-11:30pm on Saturday March 6th with delectable snacks, a talented DJ, a cash bar, and an opportunity to meet students from nearby Boston colleges. Go to the Hillel or eventbrite pages online to buy tickets now!
4) Free Pancakes!
Every year in April, the Hillel house opens its doors, places balloons outside to catch the eyes of passing students, and gives away 4,000 (yes, four THOUSAND) free pancakes. Open to the general public and completely free of charge, this event allows you to stab at a couple pancakes, glob on syrup, sprinkle some chocolate chips, and chow down on breakfast from 9am-1pm (date to be determined, stay tuned on the Hillel website for details!).
5) Self Defense!
Krav Maga is a self dense mechanism that many Israeli soldiers learn to be in the defense force. BU’s Hillel has been providing classes on how to carry out these instinctive movements and pragmatic responses in realistic training scenarios. Starting Tuesday February 11th at 8:00pm in the SAC gym, you too can learn to defend yourself in a useful way.
So the next time you feel like sitting down to a nice Friday night meal, showing off your Zumba moves, partying at a night club, or noshing on pancakes, swing over to the middle of campus, 213 Bay State Road or visit http://www.bu.edu/hillel/ from the comfort of your dorm room. We are not an exclusive club, we are a community, and we are here to welcome you.