|
Sunday Nov 04, 2007
The Jerusalem Post is proud to present The Hillel Experience; a blog which provides a platform for Hillel members to share their experiences on campus. We invite you to submit your articles and the best ones will be published both here and in the Hillel newsletter. It was recently my pleasure to celebrate the 13th anniversary of Hillel in the former Soviet Union (FSU) – their bar mitzvah year – with students, volunteer leaders and Hillel professionals in Moscow. Throughout my trip, I got a sense of overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm about our work in the FSU, and not just about our past accomplishments but about the great opportunities that lay before us as we reach out to engage more and more young people in many different ways. 
This journey was nothing short of miraculous for me. It seems like only yesterday that I was a Jewish student activist, as young as these students, rallying my campus on behalf of “Soviet Jewry,” which seems such a quaint phrase today. Geopolitics may have brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union, but our efforts helped to provide Soviet Jews with the materials to foster their underground educational work, and our voices provided them with the confidence that someone in the West was advocating on their behalf. The liberation of Soviet Jews and today’s thriving community of Jews from the FSU reinforce my belief that the initiatives we undertake in Hillel today will reach fruition in the years to come. Back in the bad old days of the Soviet Jewry movement, one publication served as a link between Israel and the Diaspora: The Jerusalem Post. It was smuggled into Russia, read in diplomatic quarters in Jerusalem, and shared on campuses across North America. In the era before the Internet – even before cable television – the Jerusalem Post fed our need for comprehensive information about life among the global Jewish people. Written in English, the Jerusalem Post was a boon to those of us who had not yet mastered Hebrew, wherever we lived. The Jerusalem Post was an information lifeline for activists and for the entire Jewish people. The Jerusalem Post remains a crucial source of information today. I am thrilled, therefore, that the editors have invited Hillel to have its own blog on The Jerusalem Post site. My colleagues and I hope that this will serve as a meeting point of campus and community; open to all those with a deep interest in Jewish life on campus. Just as the Jerusalem Post speaks to Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, so too does Hillel. Just as the Jerusalem Post crosses all lines of ideology and affiliation, so too does Hillel. We are pleased that the Jerusalem Post recognizes the significant influence and impact campuses and college students have on the Jewish future. We look forward to this new forum for dialogue. Just as the Jerusalem Post contributed to successes in the past, I hope that this new blog will contribute to the achievement of our new challenge: inspiring every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life. I now invite you - Hillel students and professionals - to share your thoughts! Click here to begin blogging! B’Shalom, Wayne L. Firestone
1 | AJ, Monday Nov 05, 2007
Wait, I'm confused. 'Hillel' in the same sentence as 'accomplishments'?
Originally, I assumed Hillel's watered-down approach to Judaism and Jewish identity was a problem limited to my alma mater the University of Michigan, where the (still employed) director refused to display an Israeli flag and sent letters to parents telling them to boycott a pro-Israel event (and worse, later taking credit for the event in fundraising calls).
After graduation, working as a Jewish professional and attending Hillel-sponsored events for Jewish professionals, I was astounded by the basic lack of Jewish knowledge universal among Hillel staff. How can it be that an organization that forcefully dominates Jewish campus life is composed of BBYO-educated Jews who lack even basic understanding of our Torah and mitzvot, and are incapable of promoting meaningful and educational events on campus for the sole reason that they themselves don't even know what they should be promoting!?
One Hillel professionals event I attended openly advocated the watering-down of events for the reason that students had said Hillel's were "too Orthodox." Really? Hillel's approach to getting a borderline stastically signifiant number of students visiting its buildings is watering its content down to what one could only call "the lowest common denominator." Jewish bar nights are not Jewish, no matter how large the attendence.
When Hillel realizes that it needs to educate itself, and that the key to actual accomplishments in promoting Judaism and Jewish identity is not running watered-down non-Jewish liberal events used to pander to its doubly ignorant donor base, it may at least cease to be part of the reason non-religious Jews in America are intermarrying themselves out of existence.
Message to Hillel: you will succeed only by actually offering authentic Torah learning and the opportunity for Jewish students to involve themselves in mitzvot. This is because that is what G-d wants from the Jewish people. Anything else is doomed to failure, and will not be redeemed by any number of empty, self-congratulatory press releases such as this blog entry.
2 | Concerned Hillel Parent, Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
I agree with AJ's point about "watered down" programming at Hillel to appeal to the masses. A local Hillel recently offered a program where students could make their own mezuzah. To my shock and dismay, they called it "Pimp Your Mezuzah". I immediately related this disturbing news to Hillel National and was very disappointed that I received no response- not even an automatically generated reply such as "thank you for your e-mail". This, however, is a minor issue compared to other more serious problems at this Hillel. Case in point: in the fall of 2005, a group of about 10-15 students wanted to form a student-led, Conservative Friday night service (using Siddur Sim Shalom). For the last couple of decades, the only Friday evening service has been a (non-student led) "Pluralistic" minyan. I should point out that, over the years, other groups of students have attempted to start up alternate minyanim, but were squelched in their efforts by the Hillel director & staff. The students' proposal should have been lauded by the Hillel director & staff as a positive enhancement to the ritual programming and a great way to reach out to students with diverse Jewish movement affiliations. Is this not the fulfillment of the National Hillel charter?: "Hillel's mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially". The student's Conservative minyan proposal was denied- DENIED! One of the bogus reasons cited was that such a service would "break apart our Hillel family". As most of us are well aware, many campus Hillels offer multiple services to students, and this serves only to enhance the collegiate Jewish experience. To their credit, the students persisted in their quest, generating much antagonism and hostility from the Hillel director & staff in the process. Finally, I and other parents intervened, since it was clear that our students were being intimidated and being treated harshly. They were literally told at one point that, if they wanted to daven there, they could go "daven in the corner". In May 2006, after an unnecessary battle that should never have taken place, the Conservative minyan was most begrudgingly granted to the students. Fast forward to today: contrary to the agreement, the new Conservative minyan was not supported in any way by Hillel. No publicity, no acknowledgement, no signage, no mention from the bimah of the Pluralistic service. The hostility of the director & staff continued to grow, making these students outcasts rather than being integrated into the Hillel "family". The students decided to leave Hillel and daven either on their own or at the campus Chabad. Sadly, but in my opinion totally understandably, they no longer participate in any other Hillel activities. Would you?
3 | Concerned Hillel Parent, Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
I agree with AJ's point about "watered down" programming at Hillel to appeal to the masses. A local Hillel recently offered a program where students could make their own mezuzah. To my shock and dismay, they called it "Pimp Your Mezuzah". I immediately related this disturbing news to Hillel National and was very disappointed that I received no response- not even an automatically generated reply such as "thank you for your e-mail". This, however, is a minor issue compared to other more serious problems at this Hillel. Case in point: in the fall of 2005, a group of about 10-15 students wanted to form a student-led, Conservative Friday night service (using Siddur Sim Shalom). For the last couple of decades, the only Friday evening service has been a (non-student led) "Pluralistic" minyan. I should point out that, over the years, other groups of students have attempted to start up alternate minyanim, but were squelched in their efforts by the Hillel director & staff. The students' proposal should have been lauded by the Hillel director & staff as a positive enhancement to the ritual programming and a great way to reach out to students with diverse Jewish movement affiliations. Is this not the fulfillment of the National Hillel charter?: "Hillel's mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially". The student's Conservative minyan proposal was denied- DENIED! One of the bogus reasons cited was that such a service would "break apart our Hillel family". As most of us are well aware, many campus Hillels offer multiple services to students, and this serves only to enhance the collegiate Jewish experience. To their credit, the students persisted in their quest, generating much antagonism and hostility from the Hillel director & staff in the process. Finally, I and other parents intervened, since it was clear that our students were being intimidated and being treated harshly. They were literally told at one point that, if they wanted to daven there, they could go "daven in the corner". In May 2006, after an unnecessary battle that should never have taken place, the Conservative minyan was most begrudgingly granted to the students. Fast forward to today: contrary to the agreement, the new Conservative minyan was not supported in any way by Hillel. No publicity, no acknowledgement, no signage, no mention from the bimah of the Pluralistic service. The hostility of the director & staff continued to grow, making these students outcasts rather than being integrated into the Hillel "family". The students decided to leave Hillel and daven either on their own or at the campus Chabad. Sadly, but in my opinion totally understandably, they no longer participate in any other Hillel activities. Would you?
|
 |
About this blog
The Hillel Experience
Hillel members, activists and leaders on events and initiatives across University campuses worldwide.
|
Combined feed for all JPost.com blogs
Recent Comments
Wingless: It's good to see Hillel Israel brings pride to it's namesake. If only Hillel Canada & others would follow suit. I have spoken to ex-Hillel members throughout Ontario, Canada & so many were appalled at Hillel's policy of non-controversy. Nobody is asking them to fight the "anti-Zionist" student Unions but we DO want them to be advocates for Israel. The leaders at Hillel apparently think handing out Latkas & Matzah is a worthwhile endeavour while highlighting what is happening in Sderot is not since it could attract controversy. As our brethren dodge rockets, they dodge controversy. Pathetic!
Moshebaer ben Yoseflevi:
Torah expresses a clear injunction: Do
not conduct oneself as a prostitute and
this command is applicable both ways.
Yet non-Orthodox, relativley Jewishly
Jewish men and women "trade" sex for
money and money for sex. An old adage
has been forgotten: Satisfy it and it
will hunger; hunger it, and it will be
satisfied. Virginity until marriage is
an ideal and unreal for most Jews. The
difference between zero and one: cannot
be quantified. One to three intimacies:
searching for a mate and oneself. Four
to ten different sexual partners: care-
free or careless?
There was a time before Napoleon gave a
Jew the freedom to be and not to be a
player/prostitute when a man valued a
bride for something in addition to her
sexuality and a woman valued a groom's
Torah learning even absent a ticket to
ride first class. Too many of us Jews
worship the idols of money, sex, power.
Hashem tolerates idolatry among other
nations but how long will S/He carry
our iniquity? If "christianized" then
god forgives everything, not to worry.
If after the Shoah, one learns to be a
pagan than nothing is wrong unless one
gets caught. Let us resolve as Jews to
enjoy the other with some constraint.
Milt Trazenfeld:
#5, good question - with a good answer. Money talks. Hillel is funded by a few wealthy left-leaning Jews like Bronfman & Steinhardt who are intent on innoculating Jewish young people with a left-leaning, secular ideology and, conversely, keeping them away from true Jewish and Zionist concepts. Jewish students who want to experience those need to look elsewhere - Chabad and Betar, for example.
|
|
Post your own comment
