Washington D.C. 鈥� 黑料传送门, the largest and most inclusive Jewish campus organization in the world, announced today the 17 members of the 2022-2023 黑料传送门 Student Cabinet. The cabinet serves as a vehicle to connect the global Jewish student community, and also serves as an advisory council to 黑料传送门鈥檚 leadership in its efforts to engage Jewish college students worldwide.

The members were selected through a highly competitive process. They represent a cross-section of campus experiences, Jewish backgrounds, geography and academic interests. Hillel serves students at more than 850 colleges and universities, and in 17 countries worldwide.聽

鈥淗illel is proud to welcome the new Student Cabinet, an inspiring group of ambassadors for our movement, which prides itself above all on ensuring th黑料传送门 is a home for every Jewish student,鈥� said 黑料传送门 President and CEO Adam Lehman. 鈥淭he leadership of these exceptional students will support and elevate our movement during times of challenge and joy throughout the year.鈥�

Student cabinet co-chairs Jordan Robinson and Jessica Yeroshalmi鈥檚 appointment was announced in March.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to work with an incredible group of students who are motivated to better the Hillel movement and add value to our community,鈥� said Yeroshalmi, a member of the class of 2023 at Baruch College in New York City. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to seeing all that we will accomplish together. I鈥檓 grateful for this opportunity and can鈥檛 wait to get started.鈥�

鈥淭he cabinet this year is dynamic,鈥� said Robinson, a member of the class of 2022 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. 聽鈥淚t鈥檚 a spectrum of schools, backgrounds, stories, and visions which will only advance the movement in anticipation of our centennial celebration. I can鈥檛 wait to see the energy of our cabinet next year and the potential it holds!鈥�

Below is a full list of the 2022-23 Cabinet members:

Co-Chairs:

Jordan Robinson, MBA candidate,聽Wayne State University, 鈥�24

Jessica Yeroshalmi, Baruch College, 鈥�23

Cabinet Members:

Avery Adelman, Emory University, 鈥�24

Linoy Barokas, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 鈥�24

Abram Berry, The University of Utah, 鈥�24

Samantha Brody, Brandeis University, 鈥�24

Elijah Cohen-Gordon, Clark University, 鈥�23

Samuel Cross, Rhodes College, 鈥�24

Dani Duek, Tel Aviv University, 鈥�22

Halle Gordon, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 鈥�23

Hayley Huber, Washington and Lee University, 鈥�23

Savannah Lipinski, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 鈥�23

Gali Polichuk, University of Florida, 鈥�24

Shannon Saed, , 鈥�23

Isaac Schneider, , 鈥�23

Danielle Sobkin, , 鈥�24聽

Rebecca Weiss, , 鈥�24

Federico Zalcberg, , 鈥�22

Olivia Zelling, , 鈥�24

鈥淕rowing up in Seattle, I always felt it was kind of out-of-the-norm to be religious. I had very few friends who were actively religious or had faith-based beliefs. Utah is much more faith-oriented and accepting of religion. The Latter Day Saints have a huge presence here. It’s just tough because there are so few Jews in Utah, so there’s a lot of ignorance. People just don’t quite get [Judaism].

“I figured the accessibility to Judaism would be harder here in Utah. Hillel For Utah represents all of the universities and colleges in the state. We have members from the University of Utah, where I attend, and Westminster College, as well as the community college right in Salt Lake City, where most of our students come from.聽

“I knew coming here for college wasn鈥檛 going to stop me from being Jewish, but my practice has definitely changed. I emphasize culture rather than going to synagogue and praying. That kind of involvement has been really special. I’ve been involved in the Israel On Campus Coalition this year as a fellow. I do a lot of work around countering antisemitism and preventing BDS resolutions. Utah has fortunately not encountered too many [those resolutions], because there aren鈥檛 many Jews, but also, I think, because religion is so well accepted here.

“The beauty of our Hillel being so small is that we have a lot of latitude to come up with interesting events that fit the people who attend. We’ve always tried to do a lot of outdoor events, because a lot of people who come to Utah are interested in the outdoors.

“I was President of Hillel for Utah this past term during 2021. Usually, we have a springtime Shabbaton. However, due to COVID-19, we couldn鈥檛 do it, but we still wanted to plan a fun, weekend-long event. So instead we held a Sababa-Ton: a scavenger hunt in town, with Shabbat and Havdalah services, as well as an Israeli cooking event. It was a way to give students a great activity that brought people together.

“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 don’t see that changing. It’s been interesting to meet people who practice many different kinds of Judaism. Or people who didn’t practice when they came to college and have started [to practice] since then. The takeaway, I guess, is that you can have whatever culture you really set your mind to, and people will accept you.鈥� 鈥斅燡acob Olson, University of Utah

As told to Gabriel Lesser, writer for the 黑料传送门 Writers Program.

鈥淚 always feel the most in touch with my Judaism when I鈥檓 in nature, surrounded by trees, on the beach, taking hikes, watching the sunrise and sunset. As the vice president of programming 黑料传送门, I have the opportunity to help organize meaningful Jewish experiences outdoors. Last year, we volunteered for International Good Deeds Day at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter in a desert town in Southern Utah, and learned about tzaar b’alei chayim, the Jewish commandment that prohibits animal cruelty. Now, I鈥檓 planning a winter Shabbaton for Hillel students in Bear Lake, Utah. Seeing beautiful sites in the world helps me connect with my Jewish identity. And now I get to help others experience that connection. As I keep going back to Hillel, the more I realize I can be who I am without worrying about what other people think of me.鈥� 鈥� Sarah Miller, University of Utah聽

鈥淕rowing up in Los Angeles, Judaism was a big part of my life. My grandparents founded the temple I regularly attended, and I went to Hebrew school since kindergarten. After I became a bat mitzvah, I let Judaism fade into the background of my life. Even when I was applying to colleges, finding a campus with a Jewish community wasn鈥檛 a priority for me. I enrolled at the University of Utah, mainly because of its phenomenal recreational therapy program. Utah has a small Jewish population, unlike Los Angeles, where I was surrounded by other Jews. It was just so different from my community back home. During the first weekend on campus, my roommate and I decided we would go visit Hillel for Utah. There, I met other students who I had so much in common with 鈥� who shared my Jewish values. I realized that I had lost sight of how important Judaism was to me. Hillel helped me remember that, so I kept going back. Over time, Hillel became my community on campus. I鈥檓 honestly surprised how much of an impact Hillel has had on me because I wasn鈥檛 sure that Judaism was going to be a part of my college life. Now, I鈥檓 the Hillel vice president of engagement. I was welcomed 黑料传送门, and I want to create that same experience for others.鈥� 鈥� Kayla Dworsky, University of Utah

鈥淢y dad is Jewish, and my mom is Filipino Catholic. Growing up, I felt pressured by my Jewish relatives to only focus on my Judaism and forget about the other parts of my identity. And I didn鈥檛 fit in with the Jewish kids in school, who went to temple regularly and spent their summers at Jewish sleepaway camps. I never became involved in Jewish activities because I didn鈥檛 think I could. I thought, 鈥業f my Jewish family members can鈥檛 accept my Jewish, Catholic and Filipino identities, how can I expect Jewish strangers to accept me?鈥�

鈥淏ecoming active 黑料传送门 for Utah taught me that I could become involved in Jewish life.

鈥淎t my first Hillel event, my childhood fears came back to me. What if these students know everything about being Jewish, and I know nothing? My extended Jewish family couldn鈥檛 even accept me, so how can a group of people I just met? But everyone made me feel comfortable and welcome, so I kept going back to Hillel. I鈥檝e learned about Torah and Jewish culture. I鈥檝e celebrated my first Shabbat and Purim. I鈥檝e even participated in Good Deeds Day, an international day of volunteering, with my Hillel friends by collecting litter and weeding yards at a no-kill shelter in Utah.

鈥淣owadays, I accept my identities and express them in an open and proud way. Hillel helped me do that. I鈥檓 going into my sophomore year of college, and I have no shame. I鈥檓 proud to be Jewish.鈥� 鈥� Ella Abramson, University of Utah

鈥淚 was adopted as a child, but I knew my chances of developing breast cancer were high. My biological mom and aunt passed away from breast cancer at young ages. When I was 18, I tested positive for an abnormal BRCA 1 gene, which meant I had a really high risk for developing breast cancer. Only a small percentage of the population carries mutated BRCA genes, which are mostly found in Ashkenazi Jews.

鈥淭o reduce the risk, I needed a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. I just wanted to be a normal college student, but the surgery was all I could think about. Dana Tumpowsky, the executive director 黑料传送门 for Utah, was the first person I told outside of my family. Dana and my friends 黑料传送门 became a core part of my support network after I had the surgery my sophomore year. They encouraged me to share my story 黑料传送门 events. That鈥檚 what makes a Jewish community so wonderful 鈥� they always stand with you. In a way, this experience has made me feel even more connected to my Judaism.鈥� 鈥� Chloe Laverson, University of Utah