Hillel is an international organization that brings Jewish students on college campuses together. It allows people to learn who they want to be as a Jewish person and helps them to branch out.
When asked what my favorite thing about Hillel is I would tell you by far Friday night dinner and the amazing people that I choose to spend time with. I was never very religious on the day of rest side of things, so to learn so much about how to bring in the day of rest and how to make challah has been an amazing experience for me. I have made some of my best friends through Hillel and it has helped me to grow as a person. I stepped out of my comfort zone one year ago when I decided to go to the Hillel house for the Jewish New Year.
There are students who come that are not Jewish but they love learning more about the Jewish faith so we welcome them with open arms. It also gives the Jewish students a chance to learn about other faiths as well. We do all kinds of fun programs with other clubs on campus like Better Together and the Black Student Union.
Hillel is considered a home away from home for some students because it has a house and anyone that wants access to the house can get it as long as they are a member in good standing. We spend so much time together that it is definitely hard to say goodbye to the seniors when they graduate. You never realize how strong of a bond you have with someone until you don’t see them all of the time anymore.
My best friend in Hillel graduated last year and she was always inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone. She always had a piece of advice for a problem that I was dealing with and she always gave the best hugs. I miss her so much and I am sad that we don’t text more often because both of us are busy.