Around the country, many Hillel staffers are emerging from the relatively calm month of June, going to conferences, scheduling out High Holidays, and ordering supplies. In the midst of all the activity, I would love to highlight some of the awesome programming that we will be running this year for college aged students!
- Freshfest: This year, UA Hillel is hosting our first ever Freshfest! Jewish incoming freshman from around the country will be moving in early and spending two days getting to know each other and touring Southern Arizona. Official registration is ending, but we still have a few spots left! If you have a Jewish Freshman entering at the University of Arizona or Pima Community College, we’d love to have them! You can email me at ad@uahillel.org.
- Extended Freshman Welcome: Beyond Freshfest, which we recognize may not work with everybody’s schedules, we will be having an extended freshman welcome the first two weeks on campus. This will include a Pop-Up Popsicles afternoon event on Wednesday, August 16, a Kosher BBQ on Thursday, August 17, a Welcome Shabbat on August 18, and then a Food Truck Fest on Thursday August 24. We will also be present at Bash at the Rec, the club fair, and much more!
- Shabbat: We have an exciting slate of shabbats for the upcoming year, including the return of Sushi Shabbat in September, Parents Weekend Shabbat Under the Stars, and our much beloved Latke Bar Shabbat right before finals.
- Students get the opportunity each semester to take classes and earn a learning stipend. Students can choose between JLF, which focuses on Jewish philosophy and thought, Kol Yisrael, which focuses on topics in Israel education, and the Shabbat Hosting Lab, a brand-new opportunity for returning students to perfect their hosting skills and think through hosting more meaningful shabbats.
- We will also be having drop-in sessions every week, managing high holiday programming, mentoring student leaders, and running multiple trips to Israel! Overall, it’s shaping up to be a busy but exciting year!
For our community members reading this who are excited by the days ahead, I would encourage them to save the date for our annual fundraiser, which will be the evening of Saturday, February 3, 2024. Come test your mettle at an upscale trivia night, hosted at the JCC!
