When we received the invitation to participate in the Hillel Foundation’s Friday night Shabbat services and dinner on Nov. 14, we thought it would be a pleasant backdrop for our family reunion.
We had always thought of the UW Hillel as an oasis for our daughter: a place to escape from the day-to-day pressures and be part of a warm, welcoming and comfortable environment with like-minded students. However, we hadn’t really considered that it would provide us with such an experience as well.
Students and parents from various parts of the country and different traditions, all joining for Kabbalat Shabbat services and dinner together with the caring and sincere Hillel staff made this particular Shabbat memorable. Even if most of the faces were unfamiliar, just being together instantly created common bonds.
Clearly, much thought and preparation had gone into what appeared to be a seamless gathering. The service, dinner and engaging, relevant remarks by political science Professor Ken Goldstein reminded us that we were at once part of the Jewish community and part of the UW community.
As parents, we feel that a strong and vibrant Hillel is an indispensable component of our daughter’s college experience.
While we do not expect that she will attend every service or event, we know that a wide array of opportunities is available to her. That means the world to us.
Robyn and William Cimbol of Forest Hills, N.Y., are the parents of a freshman attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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