H EADLINES
College Decision Season Brings Cautious Optimism
L OCA L
SOPHIE PANZER | JE STAFF
NATIONAL DECISION DAY
for students committing to
college is May 1, and many
are still uncertain about what
the upcoming school year will
look like.

Most colleges and univer-
sities have promised some
form of in-person learning
in the fall, but details remain
hazy about how closely it will
resemble the pre-pandemic
college experience.

And Jewish students and
the organizations that serve
them are also trying to fi gure
out how Jewish life on campus
will operate.

When asked about the
upcoming year, Jenn Reiss,
director of Jewish student life
at West Chester University
Hillel, said she tries to be as
transparent as possible with
prospective and admitted
students, since there’s nothing
worse than building up expec-
tations and having the real
experience fall short.

“We don’t know what it’s
going to look like, but we will
be fi nding as many opportu-
nities as we can for students
to feel connected to Hillel
and other Jewish students on
campus,” she said.

She said the West Chester
administration provided them
with a list of students who had
accepted their admissions off er
and a list of those who had
been accepted to the school but
had not yet committed. Th is
gave the organization a chance
to connect with new students
and reach out to those who
were still on the fence.

Many parents who were
not comfortable traveling
with their children for tours
expressed concern that they
couldn’t see the school in
person. “I know that when I talk
to these prospective students
and families they’re feeling a
little lost because if they hadn’t
already toured these schools
pre-COVID, they kind of feel
like they’re not getting the
same experience,” she said.

Hannah Rosenberg,
engagement director at Hillel
at Drexel University, said the
lack of in-person tours made it
more diffi cult to connect with
prospective students this year.

Hillel International stepped
in and organized two virtual
college fairs to help students
learn more about Jewish life
Drexel University students gather for a Hillel bonfi re.

Photo by Hannah Rosenberg
on campus, which attracted
thousands of students and
resulted in dozens contacting
Drexel Hillel specifi cally.

When students ask about
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Michael and Marilyn hit the road.

making new friends or having
Shabbat dinners, Rosenberg
tells them what student life was
like both before COVID-19 hit
and aft er. She anticipates that
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Everything except compromise.

4 APRIL 29, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



H eadlines
programming this semester
will incorporate aspects of
both, including expanded
virtual options and in-person
events with appropriate safety
precautions. Rabbi Gabe Greenberg,
executive director at Penn
Hillel, said most incoming
students have approached his
staff with typical questions
about kosher food, Shabbat
observance, Greek life and clubs
rather than pandemic-related
concerns. The isolation of 2020
and 2021 has weighed heavily
on many of them, and they are
excited for a year that promises
to be better than the last.

“They’re typically much
more interested in what the
Penn students have to say, than
what I have to say,” Greenberg
said. “They’re excited to hear
about what student life is
really like.”
He said Penn Hillel is
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM operating under the assumption
that birthright trips, parties and
classes will all be happening
this fall as part of a new normal,
which may involve masks and
smaller groups but will still
resemble life before COVID-19.

Susan Becker, assistant
director of Hillel at Temple
University, said she and her staff
will continue to focus on the
importance of building strong
one-on-one relationships with
students regardless of what
the semester looks like. The
upheaval from the pandemic
made it clear how meaningful
these interactions can be.

“It means more to people
than you might realize, just to
send them a note asking how
they are and letting them know
that you care about them,”
she said.

Sam Salz, a senior at Kohelet
Yeshiva High School, said his
top factors for choosing a school
were community, tradition, a
good academic reputation and
strong financial aid. He was
accepted at Temple, Drexel,
Ursinus College, University of
Delaware, West Chester and
Texas A&M University and
will choose among them.

The pandemic did not
impact his application process
much, other than delaying his
ability to tour schools in person
and get a sense of campus life.

Lack of in-person learning or
on-campus social life did not
influence his school choice.

The presence of Jewish life
on campus was also important
to him since he is Shomer
Shabbat. His mother, Marianna
Salz, said some schools are not
always aware that he will not
be able to use electronic cards
to access dorms.

Ashton Portnoy, a senior
at Upper Dublin High School,
started researching schools as
JEWISH EXPONENT
Temple University students
garden outdoors.

Photo by Susan Becker
him more willing to consider
options that were further away.

He ultimately decided to
attend Seton Hall University
in South Orange, New Jersey.

Although the school is
Catholic, he was impressed
by the students at the Hillel,
who told him during a Zoom
call he joined to learn about
campus clubs that the school is
inclusive. “They made it super inviting
to come hang out with them at
Hillel and just be with other
Jewish kids, and that sounded
great,” he said.

Although he acknowledges
the pandemic has made every-
thing strange, he is looking
forward to making friends,
attending sports games and
participating in normal college
life. l
a junior and visited Drexel,
Ursinus and Loyola University
Maryland before campuses
shut down. The pandemic
impacted his admissions
process in a few key ways,
including opting out of taking
the SATs and taking virtual
tours of campuses. Being at spanzer@jewishexponent.com;
home so much also made 215-832-0729
APRIL 29, 2021
5