Campus Corner: Northwestern Hillel

College is a time of constant transition. Many teens leave home for the first time, transitioning to life away from their families, often on a campus far away. They begin to navigate time and space on their own. Over the course of a typical four-year college experience, many students keep moving–from a residence hall to their first apartment, or from their campus to a study-abroad course. They make decisions about majors, extracurriculars and part-time jobs.

But no transition is more thorough than the one from college to… what comes next. After having lived a structured life from toddlerhood through college with the academic year, classrooms full of peers, and teachers and advisors to guide and support you–that structure is suddenly gone.

At every moment of transition, Jewish tradition encourages us to find comfort and support in community. Over the last few years at Northwestern Hillel, we have built the Senior Series, a space for students to, in their final year, come together to face this transition head-on, exploring important questions that often go unasked until well after they’ve left: How will I make new friends after college? What have I learned about myself over the last four years? What are my values around money? Who and what really matter to me?

Most Fridays, in the lounge of the Friedman Center for Jewish Life at Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern, a group of 25-30 seniors gather with the two of us– and our Northwestern Hillel colleague Rachel Hillman– for lunch and conversation. Each week, we plumb a different topic.

“Senior Series was the best NU community that I didn’t see coming,” said 2023 graduate Margot Present. “It gave me the chance to spend time with new and old friends, and to learn more about myself and my adult relationship with Judaism.”

Senior Series brought students from different social networks together. “I found myself in Senior Series by accident,” noted 2023 graduate Will Cousin. “But it quickly became the anchor of my week and a non-negotiable commitment. I’m so grateful for the intersection of community, my best friends, and life changing and informing topics.”

Talking intentionally about what it means to be a Jewish young adult helps fulfill Hillel’s mission to inspire students to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life. For Natalie Daninhirsch, class of 2023, Senior Series was a “beautiful threshold between four years of learning and growing in college and beginning to enter my life as a Jewish adult. It has allowed me to take stock of my Jewish identity and decide who I wish to grow into.”

Senior Series contributes to student well-being as well. Many participants noted that the Friday lunches were a much-needed way to unwind from the intensity of their academic lives. “Senior Series is such a sacred space for me,” remarked 2023’s Elana Charlson. “I’m able to tune out from the stress of class and focus intentionally on my Jewish community.”

As they transition to new jobs, new cities, and new communities, we feel gratified that these young adults will feel grounded, supported, and connected to Jewish identity and community because of their experiences at Northwestern Hillel’s Senior Series.

Rabbi Jessica Lott is the Campus Rabbi at Northwestern Hillel, and Michael Simon is Executive Director of Northwestern Hillel.