Blog

The goal of this program was to strengthen the relationship our students have with Israel and each other. This past winter, KU Hillel took forty KU students to Israel on Birthright and will be hosting an immersive leadership trip to Israel next winter in addition to our annual Birthright experience. There are also have several students who will be spending their summers in Israel completing internships and educational programs.
 
These students are all looking for more ways to incorporate Israeli culture into their lives before and after their Israel experiences. By providing an Israel Shabbat, we are making the Israeli culture more approachable and accessible for our students.
 
“It is very important to continue creating opportunities for our students to experience Israeli culture while in the United States,” Leah Swartz, program director at KU Hillel said. “It is one thing to have an amazing Birthright trip. It’s another to find ways to continue celebrating that experience once it is over.”
 
In order to connect with all students, KU Hillel has always embraced a pluralistic mindset. For the Israel programs, Hillel works with the AIPAC and SSI chapters and the Jewish National Fund intern on campus. Students who participate in these groups come from a range of different political and religious affiliations ensuring KU Hillel creates an open and welcoming environment for all students.
 
“Israel plays such an important role in our lives as Jewish adults,” Swartz said. “It’s key that we continue to foster those relationships at KU Hillel and provide opportunities for our students to continue forming their opinions and relationships with a country so many of us refer to as home.”

On April 5, KU Hillel is hosting a kosher for Passover meal at the KU Hillel building where students will be able to participate in an informational session about internships, study abroad and volunteer opportunities in Israel this summer and into the next school year.
 
The goal for this program is to create tangible opportunities for KU students to travel to Israel. Hillel staff is collecting information about what students are interested in prior to the event so as to provide them with the most relevant and useful information that will help them take the next step toward spending a summer, semester or year in Israel.
 
“Israel is a huge part of our identity,” Leah Swartz, KU Hillel Program Director said. “We want to ensure that anyone with an interest in traveling to Israel will feel connected and supported regardless of their political backgrounds. Our primary goal is to enhance our students’ relationships with Israel and to provide each student with a unique Israel experience designed to fit their career or educational goals.”

The Israel information session is the first step in KU Hillel’s efforts to create programming that is aligned with its Israel engagement strategy for next year, which will be focused on social entrepreneurship and volunteerism.
 
“We’ve been working with the Office of Study Abroad and other third-party Israel experience providers to create a robust view of all the opportunities available in Israel,” Swartz said.
 
Last summer, several students participated in Onward Israel internships and they are now excited to share their experience and encourage other students to do the same.
 
Sydney Aaranson, a KU Hillel senior, spent last summer living in Jerusalem working at the Alexia Aflalo Design Studio with Onward Israel.
 
“Being a part of the Israeli workforce really taught me a lot more about Israel as a whole,” Aaranson said. “I learned about the social norms, trends and a bit of Hebrew while I improved as a designer. Being in Israel for the summer was a great experience that I hope other students will also take advantage of.”