One hundred years of Jewish life on campus—and counting

A banner welcomes students to the first Hillel ever created–the Margie K. and Louis N. Cohen Center for Jewish Life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The banner quotes a student at the time: “I can say with 100% certainty that Hillel really opened my eyes to all different aspects of Judaism. I can experience it and learn about it in a way that is perfect for me.”

Every time I read that quote, I think, “Not bad for a 100-year-old organization.”

Here’s how Hillel–which is celebrating its centennial this year–got its start: Peoria-born Rabbi Benjamin Frankel came to Champaign in 1923 to serve as the rabbi in the town’s Reform synagogue.

When Frankel visited the U of I campus, he was disillusioned to find limited opportunities for Jewish students to engage in campus life. In fact, at that time, most student organizations required members to be “church-goers on Sunday.” In other words–Jews were not welcome.

So Frankel responded by banding the students together and creating Hillel–a student organization supported by a Jewish professional who would help them build social networks, celebrate their culture and religion, and explore their heritage with them.

College is often the first time that Jewish students are experiencing independent life, outside of their parents’ home. At that time, college campuses had few Jewish resources to offer to Jewish students building their individual Jewish identities.

Hillel became the answer to that challenge. The idea was so successful that only a year after its establishment at Illinois, another Hillel opened at the University of Wisconsin, then University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and more. Hillel became–and has remained–the brand name for Jewish life on campus. Today, Hillel is active on 850 campuses around the world, serving over 200,000 Jewish students every year.

But Hillel’s impact goes far beyond the boundaries of campus life. After a century of Jewish engagement on campus, we can see the long-term implications of Hillel’s work. Students who regularly participated in Hillel activities showed stronger connection to their Jewish values and a higher tendency to take leading roles in Jewish institutions after graduation. I have met with many U of I alumni who engaged in Hillel and went on to become prominent rabbis, CEOs of federations, prolific Jewish authors, leaders of Moishe Houses, and Israeli researchers developing cutting-edge technologies.

After generations of Jewish student participation, the impact of Hillel on the Jewish world is undeniable. Hillel emboldens its students’ passion for their Jewish identity and gives them tools to pursue it. This incredible impact on the Jewish community and the world needs to be celebrated and sustained.

Hillel at the University of Illinois is not just the first Hillel, but has remained a flagship of the Hillel movement for the past 100 years. This past November, we celebrated Hillel’s 99th birthday, paving the way for Hillel’s Centennial Celebration. Our student and lay leadership set the goal for raising $10 million in endowment funds to ensure the continued success of Hillel for future generations.

Two banners welcome those who came to celebrated with us. One includes Erica’s quote from 2022. The other highlights Rabbi Frankel’s quote from a century ago: “Hillel is designed to serve ALL Jewish students regardless of their backgrounds, Jewish ideologies, or denominations. It is welcoming to EVERY type of Jewish interest or expression in the campus community.”

For 100 years we have been following his vision. We look forward to the next 100 years.

Erez Cohen is the Executive Director of Hillel-the Margie K. and Louis N. Cohen Center for Jewish Life-at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To learn more about Hillel’s Centennial, visit www.hillel100.org or contact [email protected]