“Hillel has always had to compete for
eyeballs,” he said.

Other clubs offer opportunities to net-
work for high-paying jobs after gradua-
tion or promise unique activities.

“How do we make people care about
Hillel? How do we make people care about
Jewish life when there’s a million other
things they could be doing?” Baral said.

For Hillel leaders, the answer comes
in the form of the connection Hillel
vows to give students that they can’t find
elsewhere. While relaxed COVID protocols have
given students additional opportunities
to connect, the pandemic also has left
mental health scars. By addressing men-
tal health concerns, Hillels can become
a place of connection and support, lead-
ers argue.

“We have seen that students are increas-
ingly seeking social connection, as a
pretty direct response to feelings of isola-
tion and loneliness that they experienced
intensely for the first year and more of the
pandemic,” said Rabbi Gabe Greenberg,
executive director of Penn Hillel.

Strategies on how to build this connec-
tion differ across Hillels. The Drexel and
Temple University Hillels have adopted
peer groups to increase engagement.

Temple, as part of its Jewish Learning
Fellowship, will pair students in small
group cohorts that will meet weekly.

Drexel Hillel will offer financial assis-
tance to students hoping to host Shabbat
dinners with a couple of friends, shift-
ing their model from holding frequent,
“big blowout” Friday night dinners,
Rosenberg said.

The social support Hillels give students
remains important, Winaker said. As the
Greater Philly Hillel Network grows to
provide programming to Jewish orga-
nizations at Catholic schools such as
Villanova University and Saint Joseph’s
University, it is putting particular effort
in supporting those students.

For Lauren Arnold, a rising sophomore
at Villanova, having a Hillel helped her
address antisemitism she experienced on
campus. Hillel advisers helped Arnold
navigate the situation and informed her
on how to bring up the incident to school
administration if she wanted to.

By making students more aware of the
Hillel on campus, others will be able to
reach out to the organization if they are
in need.

“We’re really just trying to make our
presence known on campus and to
ensure that other students on campus
know that we’re around and that we’re
there,” Arnold said. JE
Our community
is depending on you.

The Jewish Federation’s Campaign Year
Ends on August 31.

With your support, the Jewish Federation:
• Invests more than $40 million in the Jewish community through grants,
programs, real estate subsidies, emergency funding, restricted gifts,
endowments and our partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools.

• Helps more than 266,000 people locally and in Israel access
nutritious food, financial assistance, and other social services
• Inspires Jewish identity for more than 26,000 community members
…and so much more.

Make your gift today!
Visit jewishphilly.org/donate
or call 215.832.3484
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
7