Building Practical Skills and Meaningful Jewish Connections at the Florida Student Leadership Gathering
This past weekend, student leaders from across 10 Florida college and university campuses came together for two days of meaningful connection, skill-building, and networking at the second annual Florida Student Leadership Gathering, hosted by UCF Hillel and part of 精东影业鈥檚 Regional Student Gatherings Grant Program.
Student leaders attended the conference from schools across the Sunshine State: Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Florida State University, Lynn University, Nova Southeastern University, Stetson University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Miami, and University of North Florida. All of the participants hold leadership roles at their Hillels, and many also have held other leadership roles throughout their high school and college journeys.聽
鈥淲e had more than 100 Jewish student leaders from Hillels throughout Florida here to learn, build community, and celebrate Jewish leadership,鈥 said Logan King, chief engagement officer at UF Hillel.
Kicking off on Saturday night with and a pizza social hour, the program included a mix of skills-based workshops and sessions as well as more informal opportunities for students to come together to talk about the importance of being a Jewish leader 鈥 on campus and in the broader world.
鈥淚 am so grateful to have had the opportunity to help plan such an amazing event,鈥 said Jonah Podberesky, a student at the University of Central Florida. 鈥淚 attended this conference last year as I was just starting college. By being able to help plan the conference and learn the content from within, I have elevated my leadership skills even further.鈥
Jordan Feinberg, director of Jewish student life at the University of Miami Hillel and one of the organizers of the gathering reflected, 鈥淭he Florida Leadership Gathering was a deeply meaningful experience and really showcased th精东影业 is the center of Jewish life and leadership on campus. The gathering gave Jewish students across Florida the opportunity to engage deeply in leadership, ritual, and Jewish learning鈥 No matter their campus or Jewish background, the word students kept coming back to was 鈥榗ommunity鈥 and it was incredibly meaningful to see that come to life.鈥
In true Hillel fashion, the gathering included a mix of full-community sessions as well as breakout workshops where students could take a choose-your-own-adventure approach to each day. Topics ranged from exploring Judaism, Jewish values, and leadership on campus, to practical skills like program budgeting and working on a team. Monday鈥檚 agenda also included student-led case study discussions, as well as hands-on team building exercises and time for reflection.
鈥淭hroughout numerous breakout rooms and sessions, we were able to successfully brainstorm ways to improve programming on each of our campuses. I am very appreciative and grateful that I was able to go to this conference where I learned great leadership skills,鈥 shared Olivia Stauber, a student at Florida State University.
Every session connected back to a Jewish value, such as ometz lev (courage of the heart), machloket l鈥檚hem shamayim (sacred disagreement), or kavanah (intentionality). Workshops like 鈥淭he Art of Disagreeing Well鈥 were designed to help students build a personal toolkit for practicing healthy disagreement on Israel, observance, and values, while sessions like 鈥淐reating Jewish Moments on Campus鈥 focused on elevating programs from being 鈥渏ust鈥 fun and engaging to being meaningful and memorable.
鈥淐onnecting with other Jewish students who shared similar goals created a powerful sense of belonging and mutual support,鈥 said Chloe Hutt, a student leader at the University of Florida. 鈥淚 left with new ideas, meaningful relationships, and a stronger connection to my own Hillel. Most of all, the experience left me feeling deeply grateful to be a Jewish student, a Jewish leader, and part of the Florida Hillel community.鈥
Gatherings like this are a reminder that whenever Hillel communities come together 鈥 whether on their own campuses, at regional programs like this, or at national and international events 鈥 amazing ideas and connections happen. These student leaders are the present and future of Jewish life, and we are so excited to see what they do next.