Students Reflect on 2022-2023

Jump to: Ryan (UNC) | Peyton (NCSU) | Emma (ASU)

UNC Hillel - Ryan, UNC ‘25

North Carolina Hillel changed my life. Because of it, I found my place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I found my people on campus who have become such a significant part of my everyday life, and because of them, because of Hillel, I have made a difference in campus life and the lives of others.

At first, I went on Birthright in May of 2022 with Hillel International and I knew absolutely no one - which was my biggest fear going into the trip. I was afraid I would spend the entire 10 days going through a foreign country entirely on my own, at least feeling that way. But that was far from the case. Immediately I made connections with people who would become my friends, my coworkers, and my lifelines.

Fast forward a few months, and I officially become the External Affairs Liasion for the student-led, pro-Israel, on-campus organization Heels for Israel, all because I met the right person and made the right friend during Birthright. One of my now great friends happened to be the Co-President for Heels for Israel, and he wanted me to join the executive board. Over the past year, this organization has become my pride and joy and has given me the opportunity to learn more and educate others on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have learned an abundance of new skills through this position, as well as having been able to bring my knowledge into the real world - truly making a difference on campus. All because Hillel allowed me to meet the right people.

Less than a year later, I found myself back in Israel and in the West Bank during Spring Break 2023 on Perspectives where I was able to speak to and learn from those directly impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and experience the tension firsthand, all because I found my way to North Carolina Hillel. I have spent a significant amount of time with incredible people in the Middle East, having once-in-a-lifetime experiences because of Hillel, and I will forever be grateful.

The opportunities that I have been afforded because of my connections to North Carolina Hillel, whether direct or otherwise, have allowed me to explore my Jewish identity as a whole in a way I never thought I would be able to. Just a month ago, I found myself becoming a Bat Mitzvah because I had joined the B’nei Mitzvah cohort last October. Growing up, I never imagined becoming a Bat Mitzvah - I thought my window of opportunity was closed. I thought I had missed my chance, and although it was a milestone I always wish I could have reached, I just never found it feasible. That is until Rabbi Melissa personally reached out to me inviting me to join the cohort. We have formed such a strong relationship, and she knew it was an opportunity I would regret not taking. So I did, and it was a moment in my life that I will cherish forever. Not because it was a moment I felt I missed out on, but because after all of my exploration of Judaism, both externally and internally, it was a moment I truly felt was an important part of my Jewish Journey. Over the past year and a half, I discovered myself as a Jewish woman, and because of Hillel, I had the opportunity to do so.

Hillel has become both a resource and a safe space for myself and my fellow Jewish students, a place that a lot of us have never been able to have. Growing up as the only Jew in my town and in all of my schools, I never knew what it meant to be Jewish, but because of Hillel, I have finally found my place among places, and my people among others. For that, and for everything else, I am forever grateful. Hillel truly has changed my life in a way I never thought possible.

Hillel @ NC State - Peyton, NC State ‘23

I grew up in Raleigh and graduated high school in 2015. Within weeks of my graduating ceremony I had moved to Israel. What started off as a gap year program volunteering at homeless shelters and soup kitchens turned into a gap-4-year program, when I decided to obtain Israeli citizenship and enlist into the IDF. One of the things that truly made me feel at home in Israel was something that I didn’t get growing up here in North Carolina: a strong sense of community. It was such a unique feeling to be surrounded by other Jewish people. It was a place where I didn’t need to constantly explain to my peers, colleges and employers what holidays I was asking off for or what keeping kosher is. As much as I enjoy educating people on other cultures and expanding their own knowledge of Judaism, it can get pretty trying at times.

Towards the end of 2019, I completed my IDF service, and moved back to America for school. I didn’t start off at Hillel. Those first two years I was working full-time while obtaining an associate’s degree and was just so distracted by school and work that I forgot why I had moved to Israel in the first place; for that sense of Jewish community.

Somehow, the universe knew that I was getting burnt out, and I received a text message from one of the board members of Hillel @ NC State inviting me to a Thursday Night hangout. Hillel hosts a hangout almost every Thursday for people to play games, watch movies, eat snacks and just spend time with other Jewish students at the university. It was so nice to finally have a weekly scheduled time to step away from essays, exams, and work. I quickly fell in love with the community that Hillel had formed at my school. I found myself blocking off my Friday evenings, as well, as they also had consistent student-led Shabbatot.

Almost immediately after having gotten involved in Hillel I found myself feeling that same sense of community that I had gotten in Israel. Despite NCSU not having a huge Jewish community, there were almost always 25-50 other people at Shabbatot and other events.

The community that Hillel has cultivated at NCSU is astounding. Not only is it a great place to hang out, but it is also a place that helps you advocate for yourself. I remember a few days before Rosh H’Shana, I was sitting in my genetics class when all of a sudden I started getting texts from friends of mine in regards to their requests for excused absences so that they could attend High Holy Day services. They had all been denied.

I left my class and headed straight over to the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity and found my way into the office of the Associate Vice Provost. A 30-minute conversation ensued, ending with him agreeing to approve those excused absences, and with him asking me “is there any kind of organization for Jewish students on this campus?” I kindly asked for his card, and told him to expect an email from two women; Sarah Gindes and Carson Pinker. Not only does the Provost office now know about Hillel, but they are working with Hillel to have a Sukkot celebration during the university’s upcoming Parents’ Weekend.

I eventually was elected to the student board, and helped plan such events, along with orchestrating their mentoring program for new students to get more involved. My goal on the board was always to make sure that people knew we were there. I wanted other Jewish students at NCSU to be a part of the accepting and uplifting community that helped me and others so much during the last few years of my education. Although I have finished with my undergraduate work, I will be attending veterinary school at NCSU over the next four years, and plan to still stop by for the occasional Shabbat.

NC Hillel Link (App State) - Emma, App State ‘24

This year was particularly challenging for App State, as there were many antisemitic incidents that occurred on our campus as well as in the surrounding Boone community. Some of these included a Nazi flag that was hung over the Temple of the High Country sign, antisemitic comments and drawings spray painted in the tunnels, and an anti-abortion display with graphic images of Jews being killed during the Holocaust, that was set up on Sanford, the heart of our campus.

Not only the Jewish community but our entire App State community was shaken up by the sequence of occurrences. I think a lot of students were upset, scared, and shocked. It was also hard for Hillel student leaders to be there to support and comfort fellow Jewish students, when they, themselves, were also trying to cope with their own emotions, and on top of that, also trying to put out a public statement, answer interview questions, reach out to contact administrators, and be spokespeople for the community and a strong face for the Jewish community.

We were trying to plan all the regular Hillel events and meetings, but then had the added pressure of planning events in response to antisemitic incidents. But with that added challenge, we’re really proud of how this year went and all the programming and community outreach we were able to accomplish. Two community-wide events we helped create included a Jewish Joy Day and A Day Against Hate.

The Jewish Joy Hanukkah event was also front and center on Sanford. This was one of my favorite events because it was an event that was open to the whole campus so everyone got to participate which was really cool to see and to share our customs with the community. We passed out jelly donuts, Hanukkah fuzzy socks, dreidels, and menorahs. We had Hanukkah trivia, spreading some Jewish Joy on campus and among our community.

We put on A Day Against Hate in April. Hillel and AEPi (the Jewish fraternity) students came together to collaborate and plan this larger event that focused on bringing the community together and combating antisemitism and all other forms of hate through education and positivity. We made educational posters so people could learn more about Jewish culture, action steps to take if you yourself or others around you experience hate, ways to interrupt bias, provided contact information for support resources in the community, and had an Israeli food taste test.

This was a very special event because it was almost entirely student-led, so we were the ones reaching out to other organizations, booking reservations, and coordinating with the school and the temple. We met with App’s Chief Diversity Officer and spoke to the Intercultural Student Affairs Director so many times that we eventually became a member of the Intercultural Student Affairs. So it was just amazing to see this large scale event take place on our campus that was, mainly, student driven.

Overall, A Day Against Hate was such an amazing event that bonded the community and further spread Jewish Joy and allowed our community to learn from one another in order to combat antisemitism. We are hoping to have A Day Against Hate again next year, making it an annual event.

All in all, this year had its many challenges but I’m so proud of the work that all of our students, and our amazing NC Hillel Link staff have done to plan events that bring Jewish students together and the community, in general, together in unity, which is something that we need now, more than ever. Because of our efforts, App State Hillel won our school’s 2022-2023 Student Organization of the Year Award. This is such an amazing accomplishment and I’m truly grateful for the immense support, mentoring advice, and the awesome resources and opportunities that the NC Hillel Link staff have shared with us.

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Thanks for reading! You can view the rest of our annual report here.

Jump back to: Ryan (UNC) | Peyton (NCSU) | Emma (ASU)