By Karen Parry
SAN DIEGO — Watching nearly 300 students schmooze, eat, laugh, and celebrate the beginning of the school year at Hillel of San Diego’s Welcome Back BBQ was pretty much on brand for how we do things. Big! Bold! Fun! Connected!
“I was never really in Jewish settings growing up, and I wanted to see what it was all about in college. It feels so nice to be around so many Jews. This is seriously so amazing.” -Brianna, Class of 2029
As our students would say, “the vibes were immaculate.” You could see the connections forming in real time through our highly intentional design. From a hot dog eating contest, to goody bags with the Shabbat schedule, to an engagement strategy where we ensured that every student who walked through the doors was connected to a new friend– no student was in a crowd by themselves. Hillel of San Diego was building community in real time.
Which makes sense because we build community really well. And we have the stats to back it up. Last year we grew our student participation numbers by another 70%- and that’s after 100% growth the year before. Your Hillel of San Diego is the fastest growing Hillel in the world for a second year in a row. That’s something we can all be proud of. I invite you to take a closer look at the impact you made possible in our 2024–2025 Impact Snapshot here.
This year, our intentions are set. Students are going to be supported, empowered, nurtured, and connected through Hillel and you can be a part of that. Here are some fun highlights of what’s in store at Hillel of San Diego.
–Hillel’s Jewish Networking Hub is the ONLY Jewish professionals networking program in San Diego. If you are Jewish and you work in a field where networking matters or you want a way to give back to students by mentoring one, this is for you! Please join our first event on September 3rd, as we launch our Hillel Business Initiative, a new student-led club that takes our Jewish Networking Hub to the next level.
–With the generosity of an anonymous donor, we have a full-time Wellness Counselor in partnership with JFS on staff, addressing the mental health needs of Jewish students with compassion and expertise.
— Our Campus Impact Initiative is dedicated to confronting antisemitism head on through advocacy and now expanding into a proactive strategy around coalition-building with campus allies, ensuring Jewish students feel both safe and proud of their identity.
And so much more!! Students who come to Hillel of San Diego leave more connected to their community and their Jewish identity. As my guy, Ron Burgandy would say, “it’s science.”
That’s the power of Hillel.
I warmly invite you to our first-of-the-year Community Briefing on Zoom, Tuesday, September 17th at 7:30pm. Together, we’ll share more about our new initiatives shaping campus culture. You’ll also have the chance to meet our new Israel Fellows, Zehava, an Ethiopian Jewish social entrepreneur, and Amjad, a Druze community organizer, alongside our Community Relations Director, Jacob Mandel, and, of course, our incredible students.
As we begin this new year, I ask you to continue being a part of the magic. And in fact, thanks to the Epstein and Bronstein Families, your gift will be matched right now up to $50,000! Don’t miss your chance to double your donation!
The train has left the station and Hillel of San Diego is ready for another amazing school year– glad you’re a part of it with us!
*
Karen Parry is executive director of Hillel of San Diego.