News, stories, and updates from Hillel communities worldwide
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Editor鈥檚 Note: This article reviews the 10/7: Human Stories exhibit, which includes descriptions of the actions of Hamas on October 7th. Please read with care. This fall, nearly two dozen Hillels across North America are hosting the exhibit 鈥10/7: Human Stories,鈥 developed by 精东影业 and based on Israeli journalist Lee Yaron鈥檚 acclaimed book 鈥10/7: […]
Two years after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 鈥 the deadliest single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust 鈥 Hillel communities across the world came together to remember the lives lost, honor the hostages who remain in captivity, and stand in solidarity with one another. For many Jewish students, the second […]
Friends, We find ourselves two weeks into the Jewish new year of 5786, as we make the transition from the reflective holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the celebratory spirit of Sukkot, which begins tonight at sundown. At the same time, tomorrow marks two years since October 7, 2023 鈥 one of the […]
I grew up in Yad Natan in Southern Israel. Sports were always a huge part of my life. I have a degree in physical education from Wingate Institute, and worked as a volleyball coach for a long time. I鈥檝e always believed in helping others, an aspiration I brought to life as a physical education teacher in elementary and high schools, and during a trip to volunteer in Uganda.聽
For Lidar, advocacy for his friend Sasha Troufanov, taken captive by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and released this past weekend on February 15, 2025, has become an important part of his work with Jewish college students. Sasha鈥檚 story also has become an inspiration to Lidar鈥檚 students at a time of increased antisemitism and isolation in their classes and on campus.聽聽
On college campuses in the United States, Canada, and around the world, students came together one year after the horrific October 7 attacks on Israel: to mourn, to pray, to hope, and to gain strength from one another in community. Hillels serving students at hundreds of colleges and universities took a leading role in organizing […]
Memorializing tragic communal events is ingrained in our practice and our liturgy. Some historians believe that the Ashkenazi tradition of saying Yizkor originated to commemorate the victims of the Crusades. Each Jew is a monument to a great family tradition that has survived incredible odds. As Jews, we do not build monuments of stone; rather, we fill our sanctuaries with stories.
On the one-year commemoration of October 7, we reflect on profound loss and take comfort in what we can learn from our Jewish tradition of mourning. The Kaddish, a foundational prayer recited in memory of loved ones, offers a framework for understanding how Jewish mourning rituals provide space not only for grief, but also for […]
On October 7, 2023, my cousins Ofer, Sahar, and Erez Calderon were kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza. For 52 excruciating days, they endured unimaginable conditions 鈥 deprived of adequate food, water, and even oxygen 鈥 before Erez and Sahar were finally returned to Israel as part of a hostage exchange deal with Hamas. Ofer Calderon, the father of Erez and Sahar, remains in captivity. Almost a year into his abduction, we鈥檝e received few details regarding his mental or physical condition or even confirmation of whether he is still alive.聽
For Engu, life in Israel was the fulfillment of a dream. Born in Ethiopia, she was only five years old when her family emigrated to Israel, carrying with them the hopes of generations who yearned for a Jewish homeland. However, in the wake of the October 7th attacks, Engu 鈥 who had built a thriving career at the Israeli Ministry of Finance 鈥 left everything behind to become a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, determined to ensure her family鈥檚 dream survives.