More than three thousand students, parents and others affiliated with Penn Hillel completed the national organization’s Back to School Survey, and an e-mail sent to the listserv recently said that the respondents’ top two concerns were Israel advocacy and increased integration among the diverse religious affiliations of Jewish student communities.
The results were released in an e-mail sent out by Keith Krivintsky, who wrote that Hillel is responding to them by spending the $25,000 raised in its High Holiday Campaign to “do more on behalf of Israel, provide Holiday services, Shabbat celebrations, and other cultural events for Jewish students away from home, and help Jewish students connect with each other and encourage them to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life.”
Since the release of the results, Hillel’s student groups are also making efforts in these areas.
- Fighting anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment on campus is what 70% of respondents said should be Hillel’s top responsibility, and the Penn Israel Coalition, has launched a massive campaign to raise awareness of Israel’s political situation and help students form educated opinions about Israel. PIC has created dozens of sub-committees in order to involve as many students as possible in the effort, and is currently coordinating an “Israel Beyond the Conflict Campaign,” which aims to present Israel in a non-political light. In an e-mail sent to various members of PIC, AIPAC Campus Advocacy Coordinator Tali Yahalom explained that the goal of this campaign is to “post and clutter the campus with… different posters that show different aspects of Israel,” with statements like “Did you know Israel invented text messaging?” and “Israel is the only country in the Middle East where gays can live freely.”
- Hillel can best help Israel in its time of crisis by advocating on Israel’s behalf, according to 72% of respondents, and 70% also stressed bringing Israeli speakers to campus. Last Tuesday, PIC brought in Yossi Olmert, brother of Israel’s prime minister, to speak in Hillel about his opinions of the political situation in Israel. The PIC political committee also brought in Republican Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz to speak at Hillel Wednesday, October 11, and Republican Congressman Curt Weldon this past Sunday, to talk about Israel.
- The top campus life concern of 71% of respondents was connecting with other Jewish students, and 44% felt that Hillel should expand its outreach to unaffiliated students. Hillel’s social committees are thus offering activities that appeal across denominational lines while retaining Jewish themes. Rabbi Shmuel Lynn’s Yom Kippur “Explanatory Services” demonstrated this effort to reach out to Jewish students of varying backgrounds, and during Sukkot the Hillel tried to attract students with Dougie’s wings eating contests and “Hookah in the Sukkah.” Comedian Joel Chasnoff is coming to perform on the first Friday night of December after Shabbat services and dinner, in a program that the Social Committee hopes will attract more students to the services and unite the students in a fun, “kosher” Shabbat activity.