Lots of great activities to introduce students to Jewish life on campus! 

Did you know that at some universities Hillel offers a special freshmen orientation program for incoming Jewish students? This can be a great way to move in early and meet new friends before the semester begins! While things may look different this year because of Covid, check out a few examples of FreshFest programs planned for 2021:

• Northeastern University
• Syracuse University 
• University of Southern California 
• University of Miami

If you want to stay up-to-date with fun social events on campus, Instagram is the place to go! Check out these recent events at Drexel University, Clark University, University of Alabama, Kalamazoo College, Georgia Tech, and University of Chicago. From food trucks to free pickles to charcuterie boards -- free food seems to be a common theme!! ​

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which makes this a great opportunity to highlight some of the wonderful work being done on college campuses by organizations such as Active Minds, the Jed Foundation, and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In addition, when the pandemic hit and mental health concerns increased, Hillel and other Jewish organizations were in a unique position to leverage their connections with college students to provide support and assistance to those who were struggling. Here are a few examples of initiatives and programs for college students launched by Jewish organizations over the past year:

• ​​​​​Counseling at Hillel Supports Gen Z’s Focus on Mental Health and Resilience​ (Hillel, April 2021) - Hillel feature highlighting initiatives at ​​University of Washington, University of Southern California and University of Kansas. 
• Hillels Play Key Role for Students’ Emotional Health​ (The Jed Foundation)​ - "Knowles noted that it’s important for campus professionals to be aware of and talk about mental-health issues like depression and anxiety because college years coincide with the age when symptoms often begin to show up.​"​​​​
• Online Resources Provide Mental Health Se​​rvices for Jewish College Students​ (Jewish Week, July 2020) - "ChaZak, RUACH and BaMidbar have developed initiatives and programs to help students cope with the challenges and changes they are facing.​"​
• ​​Hillel and JF&CS Offer Mental Health Aid (Atlanta Jewish Times, April 2021) - "Hillels of Georgia has partnered with Jewish Family & Career Services in Dunwoody to offer free psychological counseling services to any Jewish college student in Georgia."
• ShabbaTTogether to Focus on Mental-Health Challenges During Covid (Chabad.org, February 2021) - "ShabbaTTogether is the global Shabbat of disability inclusion and mental-health awareness sponsored by the Ruderman Chabad Inclusion Initiative."
• Hillels in Maryland Nurture Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemi​c​ (The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, Spring 2021) - "Recognizing the negative implications of a world gone astray – of social isolation on young adults – they merged building Jewish connection and identity with ways to ensure connectedness and emotional wellbeing.​"​​​
• Hillel leans harder into student wellness work​ (eJewish Philanthropy, February 2021)​ - "Leah Moz, Hillel’s director of wellness, was given that title about three years when the movement started thinking more consciously about how it could contribute to students’ mental health, she said. Hillel realized that it was positioned to help, because the relationships and reflection that are central to its work as a hub for Jewish student life can protect against such distress.​"​ 

There are so many innovative Jewish programs and organizations, and I hope to highlight some great opportunities for students to get involved on campus. Learn more about Challah for Hunger below, and click here to make a donation to help combat food insecurity on college campuses.