Tell us a little about yourself.My name is Sharon Silverman and this is my forth year at UVM Hillel. I graduated from Penn State and moved to Burlington a few months after graduation. I love Burlington and my job, I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else. When I’m not working I’m hanging out with friends, catching up on TV eating food and most likely laughing.
How did you get involved with Hillel? My involvement with Hillel began when I went on an Alternative Spring Break trip my sophomore year. We travelled to New Orleans and worked on a house in the Lower Ninth Ward. I learned a lot about myself and found a strong connection between my Jewish values and social justice. After that I participated in two more Spring Break trips and became an intern for Hillel my senior year.
What’s your favorite part about being in Hillel? The people..hands down. Hillel has certainly grown in the last few years, but the quality of people I have had the opportunity to get to know has never changed. These students are warm, caring, passionate and fun. They challenge me and inspire me every day.
What are some events Hillel does? I think the question is what events does Hillel NOT do. Many of our events involve food: Shabbat dinner, Free Latke Day (potato pancakes), Bagel Brunches; but we are so much more than that. We hike, we sing, we learn, we cook, and we volunteer (just to name a few). And if there is every something a student wants to do that we don’t, we try and make it happen.
Why do you think Hillel is important to the UVM community? Hillel is important to me because it allows students a space to grow. When students come to College, many of them are living on their own for the first time. They get to choose what to participate and get involved in. Hillel provides many different avenues to learn about who you are, what you are passionate about and how to see the world through a Jewish lens. We also have a new Hillel Center, 80 Colchester Avenue (Across from the Flemming) which is our first physical space. We hope that this building also helps bring people together.
How would someone get involved with Hillel/what is the commitment like?What is so great about Hillel is you can participate as much or as little as you like. I say that Hillel is here when you want us and even when you don’t. If people want to get involved they can feel free to e-mail me Sharon@uvmhillel.org and we can grab coffee. Henderson’s is Hillel’s unofficial second office. Anyone is free to come to one of our many events. To learn more about what is going on at Hillel our website is a great place to start, www.uvmhillel.org.