Hillel inspires university students | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Hillel inspires university students

          Hillel Milwaukee inspires university students to create meaningful Jewish memories and strengthen their Jewish knowledge.

          Joyful student-led Shabbat and holiday celebrations nurture a sense of belonging to our community. Educational opportunities are tailored to the students’ interests, including thoughtful conversations.

          Hillel connects students with local synagogues, with peers on other campuses and with many Jewish organizations. Hillel helps students travel to Israel and engages them in exploring their personal relationship with the global Jewish community.

          “The organizational culture of Hillel is happy, welcoming and friendly,” said Jessica Faber, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore. “Hillel has helped me become a part of the Jewish community and create friendships. It has also helped me connect to my heritage.”

          Said Ari Maxwell Stone, a UWM junior: “Having been raised in a fairly atheistic home, I lacked a strong connection or knowledge of my Jewish roots. Conversations with peers and [Hillel director] Heidi Rattner revitalized my interest in exploring Judaism and challenged me to incorporate Jewish practice into my life and future career.”

          “Before going to college, I had a very limited Jewish identity,” said Lydia Roussos, an alumna of Marquette University. “Hillel was incredibly influential in shaping my Jewish identity.”

          Nashira Pearl is a recent UWM graduate who in December married a man she met through Hillel. She wrote, “Hillel was a source of Jewish comradeship and inspiration, a place of socialization and connections, a home. It was a place to express ideas that were not just heard but respected.”

          For more information, contact info@hillelmke.org.