News

Governor Josh Shapiro and Robert Kraft Join Students at the Pittsburgh Black-Jewish Unity Dinner

Author

精东影业

Date

April 24, 2026

This past week, Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish students from across the greater Pittsburgh region gathered for a focused on bridge building, allyship, and standing up to hate. 

Community is at the heart of 精东影业鈥檚 work, helping Jewish students find connection, support, and joyful pride in their Jewish identities. At the same time, Jewish students are part of broader campus communities, and building relationships across identities is an essential part of college life. That鈥檚 the idea behind the Black-Jewish Unity Dinner Series, a collaborative initiative between 精东影业, UNCF, and the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate.

鈥淕iven our work 精东影业 with hundreds of thousands of students across 850 campuses, we know the extreme challenges of this period 鈥� including racism, antisemitism, and broader polarization,鈥� Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 精东影业, said in his remarks. 鈥淎nd given our heritage, we know that a critical ingredient to transcend these challenges is through building understanding and relationships.鈥�

Jewish students from Pennsylvania State University Hillel (Penn State Hillel) and Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh (Hillel JUC) see this Unity Dinner as a core part of building broader student communities in Pittsburgh.  鈥淭his is a hugely important, special event, bringing together the Jewish community, and the Black student community,鈥� said Hillel JUC Executive Director Dan Marcus. 鈥淚t’s a huge opportunity to form friendships and relationships for now and for tomorrow.鈥� 

The evening program, which was timed in anticipation of the NFL draft,  was full of powerful speakers, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jim Rooney, son of the late Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman and President Dan Rooney. The evening also included an intimate fireside conversation featuring Blue Square Alliance Against Hate Founder Robert Kraft, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. Students then turned to their tablemates to talk about leadership, identity, and the power of sports to unite communities across differences.

鈥淎s someone who鈥檚 part of both the Black and Jewish community, I think there鈥檚 almost no more important cause than this to bring us together and unite,鈥� said Sid Astrachan, a fourth-year student at Penn State. 鈥淚 think that both groups of people are a lot more similar in a lot of ways than people think, and I think it鈥檚 important to come together, to unite and show spirit together.鈥�

鈥淚 really think this is an incredible opportunity to bring together two communities that have a ton of commonalities,鈥� said Yishai Selig, a second year student at Penn State. His goal at the event was to learn strategies to push back against hardship and prejudice 鈥� and also, as a sports fan, to meet Robert Kraft.

The connection to sports is a fundamental part of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate鈥檚 Sports x Unity initiative, which harnesses the unifying power of sports to confront hate and build bridges among students and communities nationwide. The timing of this event, coinciding with the NFL draft, was intentional and a big draw for many attendees 鈥� but though football might have been part of the appeal, the outcome was much broader.

In fact, this dinner capped off a nationwide Unity Dinner series this semester that included stops in California, Texas, North Carolina, and Alabama, to name a few, with the events all focused on building relationships across communities and inspiring students to take action. 

鈥淭he longstanding partnership between Black and Jewish communities is rooted in shared values and mutual support,鈥� said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. 鈥淚nitiatives like the Unity Dinner help cultivate the next generation of leaders who are prepared to stand together against hate in all forms.鈥�

Inspired by the students in the room, Lehman closed his remarks by acknowledging the importance of making an effort to gain a better understanding of their peers with different backgrounds 鈥� and he offered a quote from 精东影业鈥檚 namesake, Hillel the Sage. 

鈥溾�欌�� Lehman quoted. 鈥�Now is your moment. And it begins with your choice to be here, to listen, to share, and engage.鈥�

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News

Building Bridges at the Super Bowl LX Black-Jewish Unity Summit

Author

精东影业

Date

February 10, 2026

The Black-Jewish Unity Dinner series is back 鈥� this time out in sunny California!

This past weekend, 精东影业 co-hosted the second annual Unity Summit at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Golden Gate, in partnership with the and . The event brought Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish student leaders together for transformative conversations on leadership, identity, and standing up to hate. And thanks to additional support from the National Football League (NFL), several professional athletes also joined the program to lend their voices and experiences.

鈥淏uilding relationships is still one of the most powerful ways to counter hate,鈥� said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 精东影业. 鈥淲hat we鈥檝e learned from Unity Dinners is that when Black and Jewish students sit down together and share a meal, they often discover they have far more in common than they expected. Students consistently tell us these conversations matter, which is why we are working alongside our partners to continue to expand the Unity Dinner series.鈥�

The Unity Summit is part of an ongoing program that has brought together hundreds of students to strengthen Black-Jewish partnerships in America. This academic year, gatherings are being held in 14 cities 鈥� and as part of the Sports x Unity initiative, many are tied to key sports moments, such as the NBA All-Star Weekend and the Super Bowl. Last year鈥檚 Unity Dinner series reached 600 students, and the program is on track to reach more than 1,800 this academic year.

Friday鈥檚 program kicked off with an intimate dialogue among student leaders, including participants in the Super Bowl LX Select 25 Experienceship, a cohort of 25 HBCU students from across the country with Jewish student leaders from local campus Hillels. NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent delivered opening remarks, before shifting the room into conversations about shared experiences and combating hate on college campuses. 

鈥淭here is so much misinformation and a lot of stereotypes that are not true,鈥� shared one of the Black and Jewish student participants. Reflecting on a conversation about common stereotypes about Jews, the student continued, 鈥� And after our conversation, [one of] the students was like, 鈥業 would have never known that this was inaccurate or that this was a stereotype. Thank you so much for educating me.鈥欌�� 

Later, student leaders were joined by ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, who moderated a fireside chat between New York Giants鈥� outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho as they shared their experiences and discussed ways to build unity across differences while leading with purpose. 

鈥淪ports have the unique power to unite people across backgrounds and beliefs,鈥� said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and founder of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. 鈥淭he Unity Summit is a powerful example of that. It brings student leaders and athletes together at the biggest sporting event of the year to confront hate and division. When we create space for these conversations, we take an important step toward building bridges and defeating hate in America in all its forms.鈥�

Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, offered a similar perspective. 鈥淭he Black and Jewish communities have a rich history of collaboration and understanding,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese Unity Dinners have been monumental in bringing people together under shared experiences to combat hate and discrimination in all forms.鈥�

A student participant from UC Berkeley said she was inspired to take the conversations from the evening back to her own campus, 鈥淗opefully we鈥檒l be able to plan one of our own unity dinners on our campus,鈥� she said. 鈥淎lthough it might seem like from an outside perspective that the Black community and the Jewish community are very different, we do have these important shared values about togetherness and justice.鈥�

Interested in learning more about the Unity Dinners? Check out the overview of this year鈥檚 dinners and read about past events on the Hillel blog.

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News

Celebrating Bridge-Building: Growing Relationships and Connections Across Faith Communities

Author

Abby Goretsky

Date

December 4, 2025

As college students close out 2025 with a number of religious holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, and Diwali, 精东影业鈥檚 Multifaith Relationship Building Grants are bringing together faith communities on campus for events focused on dialogue, tradition, and of course, good food. Nearly 70 campus Hillels received funding from 精东影业 this year to host 245 multifaith events that include storytelling projects, coffee chats, and internship programs. These programs are helping Jewish students build bridges with other faith-based campus communities, engage in respectful conversation, and contribute to a more positive campus climate. 

Check out some of the highlights from participating campuses this fall. 

University of Rhode Island Hillel 

University of Rhode Island (URI) Hillel held their Second Annual Interfaith Friendsgiving Potluck in November, bringing together Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, atheist, and agnostic students. The annual dinner, which was first organized one year ago by then-undergrad and now grad student Leetal Young, was designed as a potluck where each person attending would, literally, bring something representative of their identities and culture to the table. Young worked in partnership with her roommate, a member of the Catholic Center. 鈥淭ogether we created something bigger than any individual person could: we created community,鈥� Young said.

This year, nearly 100 students, staff, and community members attended the event, including URI President Marc Parlange. Students said the dinner opened them up to a more diverse community than what they鈥檝e previously experienced, and they were inspired by the reminder of what they all had in common 鈥� including gratitude for their friends and communities, and an appreciation of tasty food! 

鈥淓vents like this are so important to the community鈥� They bring people from all different walks of life together in a spirit of generosity and understanding,鈥� said Parlange, adding that he hopes this Annual Friendsgiving Potluck becomes a URI tradition. 

When reflecting on this year鈥檚 dinner, Young mentioned that many students were previous attendees who brought their friends along this time to grow the university鈥檚 multifaith community. She said students shared that they felt welcomed, safe, and part of something bigger than themselves. 

鈥淸Starting a multifaith community only takes] one conversation, one shared idea, one moment of intentionally choosing openness,鈥� she added. 

Hillel at University of Delaware

Another multifaith grant recipient was Hillel at the University of Delaware (UD), which is hosting biweekly events entitled 鈥淐offee Conversations: Jews, Muslims, and a Cup of Joe.鈥� These gatherings provide an opportunity for students to engage in open and honest conversations about issues facing their communities and how to grow multifaith partnerships. 

鈥淐offee Conversations鈥� began during a time of heightened campus tensions immediately following the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and subsequent war in Gaza. Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt, the campus director 精东影业 at UD, and Dr. Ismat Shah, the faculty advisor for the Muslim programs, had a longstanding friendship  and with a widening gap between the Muslim and Jewish communities on campus post-October 7, they wanted students to see their relationship as a model for how to have difficult but productive conversations. 

Weisblatt emphasized that it鈥檚 important to have these hard conversations with people who you may not necessarily agree with as they provide 鈥渁 space for growth through challenge.鈥� 鈥淲hen it gets tough, that鈥檚 when the real conversations start,鈥� he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid of those moments, instead, run toward them, embrace them, and welcome the opportunities those moments provide.鈥� 

Hillel at Davis and Sacramento

Hillel at Davis and Sacramento recently held their annual Interfaith Moveable Feast, hosting campus faith groups for a multi-course meal and engaging dialogue. Led by the Interfaith Campus Council, participants walked between different campus ministry buildings, literally moving, to share part of the meal and learn about the Jewish, Christian, and Baha鈥檌 communities, among others.

鈥淚 think that it’s important for the students to understand that we don’t exist in a vacuum. College is a like a melting pot,鈥� said Seth Browner, Development Manager for Hillel at Davis and Sacramento, who has attended the annual feast since 2019. 鈥淭here are people from all walks of life together in one place. For many of us, that’s the first time we’ve experienced that or been in a situation like that. We should take advantage of that to educate and inform as much as we can.鈥� 

Madeleine Canavese, a second-year student at UC Davis and the Interfaith Coordinator for the Newman Catholic Center, agreed. She shared that the event provides a forum for conversations that 鈥渨ould likely never take place anywhere else.鈥� Canavese said that participants all arrive eager to share their own traditions and learn about others. While differences of opinion naturally come up, she highlighted that this event provides a neutral space where students can agree to disagree and respect each other鈥檚 differences. 

Though organizing interfaith events can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, Canavese finds the effort to be incredibly rewarding, especially when she sees students better understand and respect their peers through the shared experience of a good meal and teaching traditions. 

New York University Hillel at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life

This fall, New York University (NYU) Hillel at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life participated in the 鈥淐onstructive Dialogue Summit Dinner: How We Can Shape Our Campus Culture.鈥� The event brought together about 40 student leaders representing diverse faith groups on campus, including The Veritas Forum, which works with Christian students, the Graduate Christian Fellowship, the NYU Islamic Center, and the Reformed University Fellowship. The  goal of the evening was fostering a campus environment rooted in respect and constructive dialogue. 

The dinner was organized in part by聽 Jewish students who returned energized from the Interfaith America Summit, a gathering of students and educators committed to religious pluralism. Inspired by the bridge-building they found at the summit, the students were eager to strengthen relationships and work collaboratively across faith communities at NYU.聽

The structured conversations at the dinner created a space for students from different backgrounds and beliefs to connect meaningfully. Student Rachel Lief said the event showed her it was possible to find common ground across differences,  adding that it gave her 鈥渉ope for the possibility of engaging in respectful, constructive dialogue on campus.鈥�

Springboard Ezra Fellow Brooke Leon echoed that sentiment, saying students left feeling empowered and motivated to continue interfaith work.

鈥淚 am incredibly proud and inspired by the student leaders. The experience strengthened my commitment to fostering spaces where students learn from one another despite their differences, where they can build a culture rooted in understanding, curiosity, and respect,鈥� she said. 

Emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives, Leon added, 鈥淭he goal isn鈥檛 to agree on everything 鈥� it鈥檚 to come from a place of understanding and the willingness to learn from one another.鈥�

Learn more about 精东影业’s bridge building work.

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News

The Black-Jewish Unity Dinner Series Comes to New York City

Author

精东影业

Date

November 18, 2025

This fall, the (formerly the ), , and 精东影业 kicked off the 2025-2026 series of Black-Jewish Unity Dinners, bringing together Jewish, Black, and Black and Jewish college students across the country on a 14-city tour to build empathy, community, and common ground. 

One stop on the tour was a recent Unity Dinner hosted at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which brought together 150 students from across CUNY Manhattan campuses, including Baruch College, City College, Hunter College, and John Jay College. Like previous dinners, tables were set up to facilitate inter-campus connections, with a mix of students from different campuses at the same tables. Once students were seated (and, of course, fed!), the event kicked off with welcome remarks from Dr. Karol Mason, president of John Jay College, and Dr. John Eaves, program director of the Tikkun Olam Initiative at UNCF, along with 精东影业 President and CEO Adam Lehman.聽

Students then spent the evening in guided conversation with one another, utilizing a set of prompts that began with ice breakers and their reasons for participating in the dinner and led into topics such as what they love about their communities, and what freedom means for them. After the table-based discussions, students had a chance to share some of their highlights with the full group.

Keira Kepets, a John Jay student and president of John Jay College Hillel, shared, 鈥淭he raw and powerful conversations that could be heard throughout the room proved that there are people who want to bridge-build and create a future of unity. My hope is that this initiative continues and that when we meet again next year, we can see how much we have grown and how impactful our efforts towards unity have been.鈥�

Another student, who identifies as Black and Jewish added, 鈥淛ust because I鈥檓 Black in a Jewish community, doesn鈥檛 mean I can鈥檛 feel a sense of belonging.  I think we can all share a bunch of similarities and differences in our cultures, yet know we have some of the same struggles and know we can all overcome them together.鈥�

The program concluded with a special highlight for the evening: remarks from New York Giants player Kayvon Thibodeaux. 鈥淚t’s amazing seeing all these young scholars… see each other and value each other,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing able to learn about other religions, creeds, cultures is what helps me take pride in my own. We are building and shifting the culture.” Thibodeaux, who is 24, also participated in the table discussions, sitting with students and sharing his own experiences.

鈥淐ollege students from all over New York City came together at this Unity Dinner, sharing stories of their experiences and gaining a better understanding of each other’s identities,鈥� said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 精东影业. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what these dinners do best: create opportunities for Jewish, Black, and Black and Jewish students to learn from one another, build relationships, and commit to working together to counter antisemitism, racism and other forms of hate on campus.鈥�

At the end of the night, students were engaging so deeply with one another that many were reluctant to leave. With the maintenance staff breaking down tables, there were still pockets of students talking and planning to meet up again. Thankfully, every student who attends a Unity Dinner, including these New York participants, has the opportunity to continue building relationships between their communities through micro-grants from 精东影业 to host a follow-up event of any kind. Past grant recipients have worked on events such as an inter-religious text study group, a yoga-meditation program, and a 鈥淩ugelach and Pastries with the Rabbi and Pastor鈥� coffee shop conversation series.

Interested in learning more about the Unity Dinners? Check out the overview of this year鈥檚 dinners and read about past events.

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News

eJP: The Sword Has Been Unsheathed Again

Author

Rabbi Ben Berger

Date

September 18, 2025

Originally published on September 12, 2025 in eJewish Philanthropy, 鈥�,鈥� written by Rabbi Ben Berger, 精东影业鈥檚 senior vice president of Jewish education, community and culture, shares the importance of respectful, vibrant disagreement in Jewish tradition and in the present. Read on for selected excerpts:

“In a recently published essay in聽Sources,听‘聽I reflected on a troubling Talmudic story about an arcane argument between Hillel and Shammai that leads to fierce disagreement. At a moment of reckoning, Shammai drove a sword into the ground at the doorway of the beit midrash, signaling that the disagreement had become dangerous and that the possibility of rupture and violence was close at hand…

That image has been on my mind in my work 精东影业, where I see Jewish students and Hillel colleagues navigating the pressures of polarization. College should be a place of curiosity and connection. Too often, it feels like a battleground, with the sword hovering at the entrance…

It is a good time for a reminder of the well-worn but always urgent Jewish teaching that every person is created聽b鈥檛zelem Elohim, in the image of God. The Mishnah in聽厂补苍丑别诲谤颈苍听(4:5) teaches that one who destroys a single life is considered to have destroyed an entire world, and one who saves a single life is considered to have saved an entire world. This is not just rhetoric 鈥� it is a framework for how we reckon with tragedy, insisting that every life carries infinite value and that every loss tears at the fabric of creation…

In our work with students 精东影业, we see the hunger for this kind of pluralism. It requires courage to stay in hard conversations, humility to hear voices that unsettle us and discipline to resist the satisfactions of outrage. And it is from students who engage in robust yet civil debate 鈥� even and especially with those with whom they strongly disagree 鈥� that we continue to learn what is possible.”

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News

Unity Dinners: Fourteen-City College Tour Will Build Empathy Among Black and Jewish Students

Author

精东影业

Date

September 15, 2025

Unity Dinners, designed to promote meaningful dialogue and connection between Black and Jewish college students, launches its 2025-2026 program on September 15

Beginning September 15, the (FCAS), , and 精东影业 will lead a series of Black-Jewish Unity Dinners across the country, bringing together thousands of Jewish and Black college students across the country to break bread, rebuild the historical bonds between the two communities, and recognize how they can support each other and work together to fight against all forms of hate.

In recent years, college campuses have experienced a rise in antisemitism and division, with a gap widening between Jewish students and Black students. To bridge divides, FCAS, UNCF, and Hillel have partnered together to create Unity Dinners, which bring together 100 students, with Jewish students from local campuses and Black students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for candid conversations between the two communities, including:

• Guest speakers and interactive activities focused on building understanding and empathy
• Opportunities for students to tell stories of their upbringings and experiences, identify issues of shared interest and concern, and listen to one another
• Dialogue between students to build future alliances to fight anti-Black racism and antisemitism through activism and advocacy
• A dedicated closing exercise where students share some of what they have learned from the experience

For over 100 years, Black and Jewish Americans have maintained a strong connection and mutual dedication to expanding civil rights. The groups鈥� shared experiences with hate often led them to stand side-by-side 鈥� the Jewish community aided and participated in the , and during the Holocaust. Yet today, not only does hate persist, it is on the rise. Unity Dinners will bring together Black and Jewish Americans together once more to lend their support and collaboration to each other, just as they have in the past.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, FCAS, UNCF, and Hillel are planning to visit 14 cities with 21 dinners. The fall Unity Dinner schedule will include:

• September 15 in New Orleans
• September 17 in Baltimore
• September 28 in Philadelphia
• November 4 in Washington, D.C.
• November 12 in New York City
• November 17 in Atlanta

Participating colleges and universities will be announced separately. The three organizations are also planning dinners for Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Montgomery, Raleigh, Richmond, and Tallahassee.

FCAS, UNCF, and Hillel have completed two national series of Unity Dinners 鈥� in the fall and spring semesters of the 2024鈥�2025 school year 鈥� with events in multiple cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Houston. The events are made possible in part through a $1 million donation to UNCF by Robert Kraft. To date, hundreds of students have attended, with almost all participants sharing that they had at least one meaningful conversation with someone they didn鈥檛 know and who identifies as a different race. Following the dinners, organizers will continue the relationship building with attendees through the .

鈥淭ogether, Black and Jewish Americans share a long and storied history of battling hate,鈥� said Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF. 鈥淣ow we must reinvigorate our partnership. These Unity Dinners are essential in honoring our legacy of working together to confront hate and combat discrimination in all their horrible forms.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 something different about sitting across the table from someone, sharing a meal, and hearing their story firsthand,鈥� said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of 精东影业. 鈥淭his series of Unity Dinners is a highlight of our work to build relationships across communities and improve the campus climate for all students.鈥�

鈥淯nity Dinners serve as a model for how different groups can come together to address hate and division,鈥� said Adam Katz, President of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. 鈥淭here is a rich history between Black and Jewish Americans, marked by decades of mutual support and collaboration. By establishing a dialogue and bringing the two communities together, we will continue to find common ground, build empathy, lift up the next generation of leaders, and stand together against hate.鈥�

The Unity Dinner series comes amid and . In response to these concerning trends, students will unite against hate, discuss how they can serve as role models in the fight against hate on their campuses and beyond, and make plans of action to inspire their networks to take a stand 鈥� because nobody can be sitting on the sidelines when it comes to hate.

精东影业 UNCF

UNCF is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and most effective supporters of higher education and serves as a leading advocate for college-bound students. Since its founding in 1944, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion to support students’ access to higher education, provide scholarships and strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Each year, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country including 37 UNCF-member HBCUs. Through its efforts, UNCF has helped generations of students to get to and through college. We believe a college education plays a vital role in fortifying the pipeline of leaders and professionals who contribute to the advancement of our society. Our logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and our widely recognized trademark is, 鈥烝 mind is a terrible thing to waste.鈥�^庐 Learn more at  or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on .

精东影业 精东影业

Founded in 1923, Hillel has been impacting the lives of Jewish college students for 100 years. Today, 精东影业 is a global organization that welcomes students of all backgrounds and fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. As the largest and most inclusive Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 850 colleges and universities. During their formative college years, students are inspired to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.

精东影业 the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) was founded by Robert Kraft in 2019 to stand up to Jewish hate and all hate by inspiring Americans to become active allies in the fight. FCAS looks to reach the nearly 50% Americans who are unengaged in the fight against hate and inspire them to stand up to it. In 2023, FCAS established the Blue Square as the universal symbol of unity in combating hate, allowing all allies to wear and share their support.

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News

Breaking Silos, Building Bridges: The Power and Promise of Multifaith Work

Author

Michael Pollak

Date

July 1, 2025

In a time when division often dominates headlines, the quiet, steady work of building bridges across lines of faith, culture, and identity has never been more essential. At Kent State University, this past year reminded us of how deeply impactful multifaith and intercultural engagement can be, not just in theory, but in the tangible relationships it sparks, the trust it builds, and the future it reshapes.

At its core, multifaith work isn鈥檛 about erasing differences, it鈥檚 about embracing them. It鈥檚 about creating spaces where people show up not as representatives of their group, but as whole humans willing to learn, listen, and lead together. This philosophy was the driving force behind two transformative events we hosted this year at Kent State Hillel: the Student Leaders鈥� Unity Dinner and Faith Fest. Each represented a distinct approach to community-building and the impact has been nothing short of inspiring.

Unity Dinner: A Seat at the Table for Every Voice

Held on February 27, 2025 and later recognized as Kent State鈥檚 鈥淧rogram of the Year鈥�, the Student Leaders鈥� Unity Dinner brought over 35 student leaders representing everything from Greek life and political clubs to Black student organizations, LGBTQ+ groups, and academic societies into Hillel鈥檚 building for an evening of intentional connection. Behind the scenes, this dinner was a year in the making, carried forward by the dedication of Hillel staff, Hillel鈥檚 multifaith interns, and Kent State鈥檚 campus partner fellows (sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland).

Over a shared meal, student leaders participated in guided conversations and networking activities designed to break down silos and foster mutual understanding. A powerful keynote from Dr. Eboni Pringle, Kent State鈥檚 senior vice president of student life, grounded the evening in a message of empathy and leadership. 

The impact of the evening was seen immediately and has been sustained through the rest of the academic year. Hannah Sietz, rising third-year student, said, 鈥淭he Student Leaders Dinner reminded me of the power of meaningful connection. I left feeling inspired by the conversations and excited for the future relationships and collaborations that will continue to build a stronger, more united campus community.鈥�

Several student groups who had previously been hesitant to collaborate with Hillel are now attending programs, resharing Hillel鈥檚 content, and planning joint events. Many leaders expressed strong interest in upcoming workshops on antisemitism and Jewish allyship, with follow-up meetings already taking place. The dinner didn鈥檛 just create a moment, it sparked a movement of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose across campus.

Faith Fest: Multifaith Work in Action

Two months later, on April 27, 2025, Hillel collaborated with five other religious and cultural student organizations, all members of Kent鈥檚 Campus Religious Life Association, to host Faith Fest, a joyful, interactive multi-faith celebration that drew around 100 students.

With booths representing diverse traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, and other world views students engaged in fun, educational experiences at each station. Kosher food, lawn games, and relaxed hangout areas created a welcoming environment, while deeper conversations were sparked throughout the afternoon between students and faith leaders, including Hillel鈥檚 Rabbi Michael Ross.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Students stayed longer than expected, asked thoughtful questions, and voiced excitement about seeing faith celebrated in such an open, collaborative way. Josh Goldfarb, a third-year psychology student shared, 鈥淔aith Fest was tons of fun鈥� After the event and seeing its success, I鈥檝e been interested in the Multifaith student internship that put the event together.鈥� 

Advisors and campus ministers alike expressed appreciation for the space to connect across traditions. Plans are already underway to make this an annual event, and with the relationships now in place, we鈥檙e dreaming even bigger for next year.

Reflections and the Road Ahead

These events didn鈥檛 just succeed because of careful planning or good intentions. They succeeded because they were built on relationships. When we lead with curiosity and share our stories while honoring others’, we open the door to transformative possibilities.

The multifaith and intercultural connections we nurtured this year have already begun to bear fruit: new collaborations, new friendships, and new programs. Our social media reach has expanded through partners resharing our content. Student leaders are now actively working with us on projects that matter such as antisemitism education,shared Shabbat dinners, and campus dialogues. One of the groups that we partnered with is working with our students to create an Israeli Dead Sea Spa night to learn more about Israel and the Jewish faith. 

If you鈥檙e a Jewish college student or a Hillel staff member wondering whether to get involved in multi-faith work, take the first step and get started. It will stretch you, challenge you, and ultimately strengthen you. Because when you help build a campus where everyone belongs, you鈥檙e not just changing the university, you鈥檙e shaping the world.

Michael Pollak is the outgoing assistant director at Kent State Hillel and the new assistant director at Rochester Hillel. His passion for multifaith work has inspired relationships and programs across multiple faith communities. 

These programs are supported by 精东影业 training and grants. Contact impact@hillel.org to learn more.

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