Jewish Students Seeking Solidarity and Hope on Campus
In the month since the horrific attacks in Israel, our priority has been to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. We have worked hard to create an environment that provides students with support, comfort, and care in the wake of this unthinkable tragedy. The need is high and it will continue to grow.
Over the last month, we have:
Closely collaborated with administrators and campus police departments across the state, leveraging our longstanding and deep relationships to ensure increased awareness of and vigilance against Antisemitic activity. We have met with administrators from all of our campuses, providing best practices around supporting Jewish students and identifying antisemitic activity on campus.
Helped students organize and attend on-campus and at-large gatherings focused on solidarity, prayer, and community and facilitated countless 1:1 student check-ins and small group discussions to process, answer questions, and provide support.
Fostered a sense of community for Jewish students including bringing students together to celebrate Shabbat, enjoy a snack, or simply be together between classes.
Created opportunities for both Jewish and non-Jewish students to learn about what happened in Israel and how they can support their local community.
Engaged 450 Jewish and non-Jewish students at NC State and our Link Campuses. We’ve met a lot of new student faces, and continue to see more every day.
Interacted with over 400 Jewish and non-Jewish students in Chapel Hill. Our Israel Fellow Hila Banay wrote a beautiful blog post about her experience grappling with the terror attacks.
In the past month, ECU Hillel has raised awareness for Israel and the victims of the October 7 attacks, including organizing a vigil and participating in a panel about building bridges between affected student groups. One of our student leaders, Jack, wrote on our blog about why advocating for respectful coexistence is key to peaceful relations on campus.
This week, UNCW Hillel had dinner with their Chancellor, Aswani Volety (pictured left). Our students were able to voice their concerns with how the university and staff are handling inclusion and student safety. Volety and his staff pledged to better communicate with Hillel professionals, explore antisemitism training for UNCW faculty/staff, and work with his General Counsel to craft anti-hate messaging.
What’s Next?
We are organizing groups of students across the state to attend the March for Israel in DC on Tuesday, November 14 in partnership with local Jewish Federations. If you are a current college student in NC, please reach out to Ginny Vellani, Director of Link to coordinate transportation.
Are you the parent of a current student? Join Hillel International on November 16 12pm for a Zoom presentation covering all the ways that Hillel and its many partners worldwide are protecting and supporting Jewish college students. Register for the Zoom here.
We encourage students and faculty/staff on any UNC campus to report antisemitic incidents to their local Hillel professional (see our staff page) so that we can assist with a rapid and thorough response.
Please use this link to report any incidents to our new Campus Antisemitism Legal Line. In partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Brandeis Center, and the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Hillel created a 24/7 hotline staffed with attorneys to see what action can be taken and resources that are needed. Anyone impacted by antisemitism on campus who is seeking legal advice can submit an incident report to the CALL website or text “CALLhelp” to 51555 and receive free, 24/7 support.
We are in consistent communication with university administrators, campus and local police, and our national Hillel networks to provide the safest environment possible for our campus communities. All incidents are being taken seriously and will be reported to the appropriate authorities.
In terms of increased security at our facilities and events on campus, we are following Hillel International, SCN (Secure Community Network, the Jewish national security organization) and ADL’s guidelines. We strongly encourage all Jewish students to NOT engage or attend pro-Hamas events or rallies - even from a distance.
In closing, we cannot let the hatred and ignorance of others define us and our identity as proud Jews. We must continue to demonstrate to our students how to lead a meaningful Jewish life, in whatever way a student chooses. It is through this lens that we need to view the future. This approach is seen through our daily engagement with students, which has reached record levels, as they seek community and belonging.
Many of you have asked me how to help. Making a gift to support our work allows us to meet the ever-changing landscape of student needs. We anticipate dedicating more time and resources to students for the remainder of the school year and we need your support in order to do that.
I am grateful for your engagement and support during this hard time. Please know that it makes a difference in the lives of our students.
Shabbat Shalom and Am Yisrael Chai,
Hannah Spinrad
Executive Director