Hillel Blog

All of the interns for the Harriet and Maurice Lewis Summer Intern Program (LSIP) gathered for their orientation June 4 to 6 to meet one another and learn about the JUF. The interns came from a wide range of schools including University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, DePaul University, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, University of Maryland, University of Wisconsin, and many other schools in Illinois and around the country. Additionally, there are two interns brought to us by the JUF's Partnership Together program from Kiryat Gat, and two more interns brought to us from Kiev through JUF's Kiev-Kehillah program. While the interns met one another, the first day of orientation was an introduction to work life and the Chicago Jewish community, and they learned about the amazing work that the JUF does.

The second day of orientation was a unique experience for all of the interns. In Geneva, Illinois, there is a farm (called Pushing the Envelope) that uses Jewish values to maintain the land. This farm belongs to Fred Margulies and his son, Elan, acts as farm manager and Jewish educator. During the visit, interns planted crops, pulled weeds, made hummus and pita from scratch, made their own aromatherapy balms, and picked vegetables for the salad at lunch. While working the land, the interns engaged in discussion about Judaism and nature and how to successfully own a business using Jewish values.

On the last day of orientation, the interns went on a mini-mission where they were able to see the resources that the JUF provides for the Jewish and non-Jewish people of Chicago. The day started at the Gan Project Homestead at Horwich JCC in Rogers Park, a community garden that allows Chicagoans who cannot afford fresh produce to pick their own produce in confidence. Following the garden, the interns went to the Jewish Vocational Services English as a Second Language (JVS ESL) program where they met many adults who have come from all over the world and are learning English in order to find jobs. Many of the interns are working at CJE: Seniorlife, so the next stop on the mini-mission was at the Lieberman Center in Skokie. After seeing the Lieberman Center and the resources that they offer to their residents, the interns visited The Ark where they learned that The Ark provides free dental and vision care in addition to an extensive, kosher food pantry to Jewish community members. The conclusion of the mini-mission was at the Jewish Child and Family Services (JCFS) where the interns learned about both secular and religious schooling for children with behavioral challenges.

At the end of the three day orientation, the interns were excited for their work to start at their respective agencies. Everybody is looking forward for the upcoming weeks of the internship!

By: Carly Gross

Before going on Birthright, I had high expectations; I knew many people who went to Israel and heard about their amazing experiences. My experience was even greater than I had ever hoped it would be. Through the hikes, tours, and the people I met, I had the trip of a lifetime.

I went on Birthright with other students from Chicago through JUF’s Community trip provider Shorashim. Although I only knew one person before the trip began, I returned to America with Jewish friends all over Chicago. In addition to the American travelers, seven Israeli soldiers toured the country with us. Having Israeli soldiers on the trip with us helped everyone get a better feel and understanding about Israeli culture and truly experience Israel in the best way possible. Learning about the similarities and differences of growing up Jewish in America and Israel was so interesting to me. Despite the differences with the Israelis, after the first night, every member of the trip formed a bond with one another allowing us to be ourselves from the moment we got there.

In Israel we had the opportunity to try many new things from seeing ancient sites, eating new food and going on hikes. The group went on four hikes throughout the ten-day trip, including my favorite hike up Masada for the sunrise. We also had the opportunity to visit Chicago’s Partnership Together region in Israel, Kiryat Gat, and volunteer at a local school with the children. I helped a 4th grader with her English; although I was the one volunteering, she did not miss the opportunity to teach me some Hebrew! While in Jerusalem, we saw the Western Wall and celebrated an authentic Shabbat service. Seeing and feeling the wall was so much more meaningful than anything I was taught in Hebrew school. Additionally in Jerusalem we went to the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. The night before we went to the museum the group had a very meaningful discussion about the Holocaust which really helped me mentally prepare for the museum.

Although I enjoyed every aspect of Birthright, the best part of the trip for me was making a lifetime of memories and friends. I wouldn’t want to take back any of my Birthright experiences. I truly enjoyed every part of it and wish I could have stayed in Israel forever!

JewFest 2012: Building a Truly Pluralistic Community
Rebeccah Stromberg

When Jessica Green envisioned JewFest 2012, she knew she wanted to create a unique University of Chicago tradition: the first ever all-encompassing Jewish cultural festival on campus that would work to foster a sense of greater overall Jewish community. While she saw a campus teeming with a variety of vibrant and diverse Jewish student groups, she also saw that these groups were disconnected and fragmented. As such, she sought to create an event that would bring together the different Jewish communities on campus to create a truly pluralistic community. And so, on May 25, after months of planning, 10 existing UChicago Jewish groups came together at 8 different locations on campus in an embodiment of the event's tagline "Festival of Kosher Awesome." Together they threw 17 different workshops, 5 different religious services, and a Shabbat dinner. From a full-sized Israeli Gaga pit, an improvised comedy show, a sustainable gardening workshop, and many more workshops led by Jewish student leaders, JewFest 2012 fulfilled its tagline's promise of awesome-ness indeed.

While JewFest 2012 was completely conceptualized, planned, and executed by students, Hillel helped make the event possible by providing funding and supportive Hillel staff that assisted Jessica and her planning committee brainstorm solutions to problems that arose during the event's planning phases. A few of JewFest 2012's ambitious goals included building a more diverse Jewish community, creating a space in which both orthodox and unaffiliated communities could feel comfortable interacting with each other, to connect the Jewish life to mainstream student life on campus, to create a meaningful Jewish experience, and to foster a sense of greater Jewish community. Jessica expressed that while a lot more work needs to be done to fully achieve these goals, JewFest 2012 was just the "kickoff" and was "the first event of many that will foster and build a community like the one described by these goals."

Approximately 220 participants engaged throughout the event's 11 hour day. Jessica said that for many Jewish students on campus, the event was the first step in helping them realize "that there is Jewish community beyond their own and that it might be beneficial for them to connect. For others, it was the first step in even acknowledging their Judaism. For still others, it was a chance to express their Judaism on campus in a way that they had never been allowed to do before." In any case, JewFest 2012 is without doubt an exciting step in building a vibrant, diverse, and "truly pluralistic community" at the University of Chicago.