The only thing more bitter than the cacao, was the sting of defeat after the judges’ final ruling. In a dazzling display of teamwork and efficiency under pressure, several teams of four students each took on the challenge of preparing a three-course meal, while racing the clock, in the… Read more »
On Campus
University of Arizona Hillel Statement on Campus Activities During the Week of Passover
It is imperative that the University of Arizona remains a place where Jewish – including Israeli — students, faculty, and staff can express their religious, ethnic, national, and cultural identities in an environment of open inquiry, respectful dialogue, and civility. We extend this imperative to all students, faculty, and… Read more »
Hillel is Home for UArizona Student
Hey everyone! My name is Zach “Schwally” Schawelson and I have been a Jewish student at the University of Arizona for the past FIVE years! I study engineering and when I’m not stressing about homework, projects, or finals, I spend my time at the Hillel building. During my 5… Read more »
Gaza War Tensions Reflected on University of Arizona Campus
Tensions have been high on the University of Arizona campus in response to the war that began with the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. UArizona Jewish groups including Hillel, Chabad, Olami, and Mishelanu organized a vigil on Oct. 10. That event, which drew more than 300 attendees, was… Read more »
Jewish Advisory Council Falls into Place at University of Arizona
This article originally appeared in Jewish News (Phoenix) and is reprinted with permission. Last month, the University of Arizona in Tucson marked a grim anniversary: the campus murder of Professor Thomas Meixner, head of the Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences Department. Though Meixner was not Jewish — he was a… Read more »
THA Provides Support, Counseling Services for Students in Wake of Terrorist Attacks
In a message to the Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) community following the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel, Head of School Johanna Shlomovich wrote: “Our hearts are with our family and friends in Israel, and to those of us living in the Diaspora who feel these events at our… Read more »
L’Shana Tova from UArizona Hillel Foundation!
Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Camano, CFRE is delighted to have joined the dedicated and lively team at UAHillel. Tucson’s Jewish Wildcat Headquarters has been busy acting as a home away from home for all kinds of Jewish students. This year’s programming has gotten off to a robust start with… Read more »
Tucson Hebrew Academy Welcomes Families to Open House for Kindergarten through Second Grade
Excitement is in the air as Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA) prepares to open its doors to prospective students and their families for a special Open House event catering to children in Kindergarten through Second Grade. This engaging event promises a sneak peek into the vibrant world of Jewish education… Read more »
Annual Dr. Sam Goldfein Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Med Student Alvarez
Alexander Alvarez is the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Sam Goldfein Memorial Scholarship, an annual award given to a University of Arizona medical student who exhibits the compassion, commitment to patient care, humility, desire to learn and leadership qualities exemplified by Goldfein during his lifetime. Goldfein was a founding… Read more »
UArizona Hillel Preps for Exciting School Year
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… Read more »
UArizona Hillel Engagement: Great News for Jewish Wildcats, Great News for the Jewish Future
I’ve written in Post-Its over the last two years about the methods by which UArizona Hillel was increasing engagement. Now, two years after the University reopened post-COVID, I’m pleased to report on the results of our methods. This academic year, UArizona Hillel reached 953 students, including 284 at great… Read more »
UArizona Hillel Leads an Inspiring Trip to Israel
“Absolutely life changing.” “The most extraordinary experience of my life.” “Will inform how I consider literally every conflict going forward.” These are just a few pieces of student feedback from UArizona Hillel’s first Perspectives trip to Israel and Palestine, funded by the national Maccabee Task Force. The trip is… Read more »
Launching a Career With UArizona Hillel
I am currently in the last semester of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation’s Springboard Social Justice Fellowship, and I am full of gratitude. Hillel calls it the Springboard Fellowship because it is built to give young Jewish professionals the tools to spring into their future careers. And, for… Read more »
THA Humanities Students Walk in Another’s Shoes; The Power of Storytelling and Empathy
At Tucson Hebrew Academy (THA), students are steeped in the Jewish experience, making them uniquely positioned to understand and find common ground with all groups of people that have been oppressed. Using the curriculum, “Facing History and Ourselves” in conjunction with hands-on projects, middle-school humanities students have focused on… Read more »
Head Football Coach Jedd Fisch Joins a (Really, Truly) Fun Night Out on Campus…And Helps Fuel the Jewish Future
UArizona Hillel’s annual fundraiser is less than three weeks away–on February 11–and we are thrilled that Head Football Coach Jedd Fisch will be our special guest at the opening mini-plenary. Our signature event–Come Home to Hillel–is a truly unique and fun night out. Unlike any other fundraiser (or friendraiser) in… Read more »
The Cohort Model: Jewish and Israel Learning Fellowships at Hillel
The centerpiece of formal learning opportunities at UArizona Hillel are our cohort-based learning fellowships, intensive opportunities that can have profound impacts on student lives. It’s a brilliant model because Hillel International provides a framework, curriculum, incredible resources, and some grant funds, but the program allows for customization by individual… Read more »
University of Arizona and UAHillel Issue Joint Statement After On-Campus Shooting
The University of Arizona administration and I have worked closely in the past weeks to begin to address critical issues in the wake of recent tragedy, when Professor Thomas Meixner was shot in the building across the street from Hillel on Yom Kippur by a known antisemite. May Dr.… Read more »
Yuval Morad: New Israel Fellow Settles into the Old Pueblo
UArizona Hillel has a new Israel Fellow for the 2022-23 school year! Yuval Morad is originally from Kfar Saba, Israel, but for the next year will be in Tucson, exploring everything Arizona and America has to offer. Morad had never before visited America and he didn’t even know he’d… Read more »
Educated, Risk-Taking, Creative: Investing in Professional Development at UArizona Hillel
With our strategic plan set and our big-picture goals of doubling staff, tripling revenue, and quintupling student engagement by 2027, University of Arizona Hillel is taking a targeted approach to training and equipping our staff, board, and student leaders to use Jewish values, innovative approaches and best practices in… Read more »
Creating Access Points at UArizona Hillel
The words “egalitarian” and “pluralistic” don’t mean much to most of the students we see at UArizona Hillel, but the concepts are at the heart of our mission: to help students build a vibrant, diverse, meaningful, and empowered Jewish community on campus. How do you create a truly egalitarian… Read more »