 | During the college search, one of the things I always looked for was a Hillel community I could see myself in. The first day I spent on College Hill was the Friday night before move-in and I remember standing outside the glass doors of Hillel, knowing that this was my first venture into the "college bubble." It was overwhelming -- I remember walking in and realizing that this would be a new home for me for the next four years. |
Shabbat dinner that night was spectacular; I met a lot of people who have stayed my friends throughout my time at Brown, encouraging me to become more involved at Hillel. I started playing klzemer music with Yarmulkazi, something I had never done before, andstarting programming social events. Since then I’ve been involved in a lot of different ways, filling up needs where they arise and reaching out to people to find different ways to connect. That’s what I find so great about Hillel -- it is a mobilizer for connections. I can have issues I’m uncertain about or Jewish texts I want to understand better and I can bring these things to Hillel to learn and discuss with others in a way that not only helps myself but enhances the larger community. One of my favorite things about the building which I think is overlooked is thequotation by Hillel himself that is in the lobby. “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I?” This is the spirit of Brown RISD Hillel. Every Friday night since my first on campus, walking through those doors, I’ve found a community greater than myself and continual excitement in the larger whole.”
