#Hillel Reflects on the Year

It's crazy that this is our last week of classes, next week is finals, then the year is done! The entire #Hillel team has been working so hard on trying to bring you all relevant and fun social media content, as well as learning our own skills. We have all reflected on our experience and wanted to share that with you.

Rachel (me)
I could not have asked for a better semester with Hillel. Although I wasn't super familiar with the organization prior to applying, I was instantly welcomed. I bonded with my team and made many connections within Hillel, since I wanted social media to reflect all our awesome organizations and the work students do. Starting this blog has really helped me bring awareness to personal stories and exploring a side of blogging I don't normally do. If I could do it all over again I totally would.

MJ
When I first thought of creating a social media team for UVM Hillel, I was unsure what to expect. Previously, our social media was a task that was more about posting events than delivering platform tailored messages targeted to our audience. Brett, Jaime, Mallory, and Rachel brought passion and creativity to our posts, which gave them depth, and dramatically increased the engagement from our audience. They have set the groundwork for a social media cohort internship at Hillel for years to come.

Brett
This semester I had the opportunity to be a part of the #Hillel team. Social media is creating ways to reach out to individuals like never before. As a part of this team I posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and started UVM Hillel's snapchat. I will continue doing social media along with marketing and PR this summer at a JCC. I have learned a lot about social media this semester and hope I can bring this valuable skills with me as I enter the professional world.

Jaime
Being on #Hillel has allowed me to become a part of the Jewish community at UVM and help other students find their role in the Jewish community as well.

Mallory
Coming from a generation that basically grew up on the internet, I've been involved with social media for as long as I can remember! Being a part of the #hillel team helped me combine that passion with my Judaism, both of which have become equally important facets of my life. This semester I got to study abroad in London, but I still got to Skype in for meetings and contribute to our plethora of platforms (say that five times fast!). The fact that I could still contribute to our growing social media despite being an ocean away (and five hours ahead) proves just how far we've come digitally just since I was a kid!

If you're low on points or just want some free food (because who doesn't?!?!), come check us out Wednesday 12-4 outside the Davis Center. Show us that you like us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to get an extra falafel ball. And on Friday, come to our Bye Bye BBQ at the Hillel Center to wrap up the year! Services are at 6, followed by dinner at 7. It's the last Shabbat of the year so bring all of your friends!

Ask Big Questions, The Book Thief, and Hillel Outdoors

Last Thursday, Jessica Solodkin, a junior and founder of the Ask Big Questions club, held a special session focusing on Holocaust Remembrance Week. She has reflected on her experience with the club and Hillel overall.

"My experience on Birthright—and more specifically my experience at the Western Wall—opened the door to what would become my Jewish journey. What I felt at the Kotel made me believe in and see that which I had previously missed: a sense of belonging and connection to Israel and the Jewish people. Of course, that clear sense of connection did not come to me instantly; rather, it was the result of my intense reflections and experiences that emerged during the subsequent years.
Upon my return from Birthright in January 2013, I wanted to further explore what I felt in the Holy Land; as a result, I became involved with different clubs pertaining to Jewish life. I wanted to explore my Jewish identity and to understand what, exactly, being Jewish meant to me. Upon my return to the States, I joined the Hillel board and found opportunities that shaped the lens with which I view my Jewish identity. The success of these talks inspired me to get involved in Ask Big Questions: a new Hillel initiative that allows students to better “understand others and understand themselves.” Ask Big Questions impacts people in different ways—it lets them see the world through new and different paradigms, lets them share things they never shared before, and lets them learn. Most importantly, Ask Big Questions does not provide “Big Answers” (as Sharon Silverman always says), but rather provokes deep thought that encourages students to come back for more meaningful conversation. For Holocaust Remembrance week, I led an Ask Big Questions conversation titled: “What Do We Choose to Ignore?” The group had an intimate and meaningful conversation, bringing up personal and relatable stories. Due to Holocaust Remembrance Day, this was not an easy conversation to have; however, it was a way of dedicating a moment to the countless victims murdered during the Holocaust. Ultimately, the event provided the space for effective, peaceful, and worthwhile dialogue. For the past three years, I’ve had quite the journey with UVM Hillel—going from having the third floor of the Allen House and ten people at Shabbat to having our own place and over eighty people at Shabbat has been truly incredible. To me, Hillel has been a safety net and a place to which I have always been able to turn. Hillel has given me a support system, amazing friends, and an atmosphere that has allowed me to explore, to learn, and to grow."

Also last week, Brett Gershkowitz led a screening of the film The Book Thief and reflected on that experience.

"Last week as a part of UVM Hillel’s Holocaust Remembrance week I showed the film the Book Thief. This movie, based off of the novel, follows a young foster girl who cannot read. Her foster parents hide a Jewish boy from the Nazi with whom she develops a strong friendship with. This movie is powerful and is unlike any other holocaust era film I had seen before. After the movie ended the students who came to the event and I discussed the film. We shared our thoughts on the film and spoke about how the film differed from other movies based on that subject".

Interested in getting involved outdoors now that the weather is becoming nicer? Amy Dorfman from the Hillel Outdoors club tells you why you should be involved!

"Hillel Outdoors is a program that aims to bring Hillel students into the backcountry of Vermont, and views the wilderness as a spiritual place to be experienced with intention. We understand that there are many types of Jews, and that also means there are just as many different ways to pray. Traditional avenues of spirituality are not always comfortable for everyone, so Hillel Outdoors strives to redefine what it means to be spiritual by using nature as a spiritual medium. In the three semesters Hillel Outdoors has been around, we have sent out a wide variety of trips including; backpacking, ice climbing, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, yoga, and guided nature walks. If you are interested in going on a trip, join the Facebook Group and keep your eyes peeled, we’re always posting!"

Holocaust Rememberance Week

On Sunday, students and staff has an amazing opportunity to visit the Holocaust Museum in Montreal. Here's a reflection from Meaghan Winter, a student who went on the trip.

On Sunday April 12th, 12 UVM students went to the Holocaust Museum in Montreal. It was very interesting for us to see the Holocaust from a Canadian perspective. We heard a survivor testimony for nearly two hours as he graciously told us about his good fortune and how lucky he was to not have to bear as much brutality in Europe. Luckily, our survivor escaped to Scotland before being sent to a concentration camp, but he did not escape antisemitism and some brutality. Because of fear of the Jews, he was taken out of his studies at university to be placed in several prisoner of war camps... but he was not a threat. Nor were any of his other Jewish counterparts, but they were treated as such. It was very interesting to hear the struggles of someone who seemingly escaped, but still bore hardships. This man is 94 years old and is probably more active than me... he has a rowing machine in his basement and works out daily in addition to walking whenever he can. The story less told was eye opening, and I cannot imagine the troubles our people had 40 years ago. That is why it is so important to go to these museums and remind ourselves of the injustice, so we may always remember and keep their memory a blessing.

We have many other events happening this week, like a screening of the film The Book Thief and a discussion on Thursday. For more information, check out the event page here.

Our Field of Flags went up yesterday in remembrance of all the victims who died during the Holocaust.

Challah For Hunger, Passover Seder, & A New Hillel Student Board

Betsy Besser, Co-Founder of Challah for Hunger

     In the fall of 2013, I was asked to be a part of a fellowship program through UVM Hillel. Through this fellowship, I along with graduate Tali Burger, founded the Challah for Hunger chapter at University of Vermont. After nearly two years, so much has changed with Challah for Hunger. However, one thing has stayed consistent. And that has been the constant support we receive from Hillel. This idea would not have been possible without the Hillel professionals advising us as well as members of Hillel participating in our weekly bakes and events.

     This semester, we have developed our chapter tremendously. Last year, we baked bi-weekly and sold our homemade challah outside of the library or inside the Davis Center. This semester, we decided to focus on baking every week to allow more opportunity to bake throughout the semester. Along with baking every week, we supply our challah to Hillel for Shabbat as well as FeelGood to make grilled cheeses.

     We have been so fortunate to work to with an organization like FeelGood because we can learn a lot from their success as well as work towards raising donations for three organizations: The Hunger Project, Hunger Free Vermont, and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. During Earth Week this month, we will be participating in the Farmers Market as well as FeelGood’s Earth Day dinner.

     Not only has our chapter developed on campus, but also we have made a lot of relations off campus. We have been working with Hunger Free Vermont, which has opened our eyes to how we can fight hunger in our local community. Monica Taylor of Hunger Free Vermont has been to one of our baking nights and has been a great support this semester. She has put us in contact with so many community leaders as well as helping us with ingredient donations. We also have reached out to Temple Sinai, where we will be selling challah on April 16th and 30th before Hebrew School. Starting next semester, we will be tabling at the Essex Farmers Market to reach out to more of our Burlington community. The past two years has been unbelievable and I cannot thank Hillel enough for supporting my dream of bringing Challah for Hunger to the University of Vermont. We have accomplished a lot over the past two years and we are only hoping to grow more by baking a difference.

First Night of Passover

In lieu of a Friday Night Shabbat, we hosted a giant seder in the Davis Center with over 150 people attending. The meal was catered by Vermont Kosher and it was a great opportunity to celebrate with a lot of different people. Check out more info on it here.

New Hillel Student Board

Congratualtions to our new president, Michael Swain! Hillel has so many different clubs and groups that I didn't even know existed until this semester (like Peer Network Interns) and with all the growing we have done the past couple of years, it's time for a new student board set-up. All clubs and departments are divided into three specific categories (arts and culture, jewish life and learning, student outreach), so things can run more smoothly. There are lots of opportunities to be involved, so contact Sharon@uvmhillel.org for more info.