What’s happening on campus? Hear from students, professionals, and Hillel community members whose lives have been impacted by Hillel and who impact the world with their voices and stories. Share your story with us!
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I am Jewish, queer, and Mexican. So often, trying to hold all three of these identities at once is challenging. But I didn鈥檛 have to try when I went on Birthright Israel with Santa Barbara Hillel. I was able to embrace and celebrate every part of myself.
There鈥檚 a running joke in my family: We breed oranges because we bleed orange. The mascot of Syracuse University 鈥 where my mom, uncle, and brother all went to college 鈥 is an orange named Otto. Since I was a kid, I鈥檝e wanted to go to Syracuse University.
My mom is Catholic, and my dad is Jewish. They never pushed religion on me. My parents always said, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 care what religion you choose to follow, but you have to come to terms with it yourself and make it your own.鈥 So, I did. I chose Judaism when I was 12 years old, and ever since then, I鈥檝e tried to make it my own.
When I started college in 2020, social isolation and Zoom calls were the norm. Finding community seemed impossible. Then, I learned about Koach, an egalitarian, Conservative-style minyan and community for students at Columbia/Barnard Hillel.
I came to college not expecting to be that Jewish. But, I realized your identity and your culture will follow you, and in my case, Judaism followed me. And no matter how I practice at any given time, I’m going to be Jewish and involved in Judaism.
I was raised by my mom who is a strong Jewish woman, and her influence helped me become who I am today. She is the reason why I鈥檓 so connected to my Judaism. She made me feel empowered as a woman and fall even more in love with Judaism.
I was born in Mexico City into a Jewish family that included my parents and grandparents. For my entire life, I鈥檝e had a Jewish support system in Mexico, not only with my family, but with the Jewish community there.
But the beauty of Hillel is that everyone is welcome, no matter how 鈥淛ewish鈥 they feel. Through my experiences, I realized that Judaism was a lot more relatable than what I learned in Hebrew school. In general, I started to feel more proud and more excited to be Jewish.
There are definitely moments within the LGBTQ community where I don鈥檛 feel accepted as Jewish, and within the Jewish community where I don鈥檛 feel accepted as queer. But what I think is really special about Hillel鈥檚 Nice Jewish Queers (NJQ), is that at the same time I鈥檓 really able to be accepted as both.
鈥淎s a high school freshman, I stepped into leadership for the first time through BBYO. My passion for grassroots organizing and teen initiative inspired me to run for BBYO鈥檚 International Board, and I started in February 2020 as the international treasurer. With this position, I was given the platform to take action on causes I鈥檓 […]
