This past semester working as a first year intern at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hillel has been a great experience for me. It’s been an amazing opportunity to explore my own faith and ideas about Judaism, while simultaneously connecting with other Jewish students and strengthening the Jewish community on campus.
This semester has consisted of planning programs and reaching out to freshmen to provide them with a place to meet other Jewish students and get involved in various student organizations.
The semester began with Welcome Week where I helped meet and greet new students and their parents as they moved into the dorms. I got to meet and bond with students during events such as a Milwaukee Brewers game and Havdallah.
As the semester went on, the FYI team and I planned events such as a chocolate fondue night that allowed me and other students to strengthen those relationships that were initially created during that first week.
One of my favorite events this year happened recently and was called Operation Procrastination. About 150 University of Wisconsin-Madison Jewish students attended.
They enjoyed free massages, an improv comedy show, a moon bounce, and, of course, lots of free food. (What is a Hillel event without free food?)
The wide array of activities provided students with an easy and fun way of connecting with Judaism and other Jewish students.
Watching students choose from activities such as Xbox 360 and a cakewalk reminded me of and made me appreciate the variations within Judaism and the multiple ways that college students, such as myself, are able to relate and build relationships.
As my semester working at Hillel comes to a close, I am excited to bring what I have learned about programming, relationship-building, and Judaism with me into my future endeavors.
I feel even more passionate about the importance of the Jewish community and I hope to invoke that same passion in others.
Naomi Brown, a junior from northern Virginia, will graduate in 2009 with a degree in communication arts, women’s studies and a business certificate.
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