References:
UNC-Chapel Hill. North Carolina Hillel. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.nchillel.org/uncchapelhill
Give lively – a free fundraising platform for nonprofits. Give Lively – A Free Fundraising Platform For Nonprofits. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.givelively.org/
Presentation Script:
I chose to study the behavior and community of the UNC-Chapel Hill Hillel chapter. Hillel is a student organization that allows individuals to remain in touch with their Jewish background. They strive to provide a sense of familial unity on campus for those of Jewish descent. Through group activities and leadership opportunities, their main goal is to make Hillel a group unlike Jewish camp experiences or youth groups in the sense of instead encouraging Jewish campus life.
My research question was “How has Hillel Impacted These Students’ Lives/Given Them a Sense of Community on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus? My inspiration was sparked by my friend, Anna, who is a member of Hillel here at UNC. She chose to join Hillel so she could keep in touch with her religious roots and explore her Judaism. At such a large university such at Chapel Hill, it was important to her to have a sense of community and continue to actively practice her religion. This year, Anna is a Sophomore here at UNC, and it is her second year being a member of Hillel. She is always enthusiastic about the events she attends through Hillel.
I attended two events to observe Hillel’s environment. My first experience was an event organized to bake honey cakes to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As I walked into this event I was nervous because I knew that I was not a Hillel member and was unsure how the members would react. My nerves were instantly calmed when I approached the kitchen filled with members who greeted me with bright eyes and smiling faces. I was paired with a small group of members who chatted and asked me questions about myself throughout the process who were attentive and listened to me which made me feel very understood. Baking in the kitchen felt very homey and the atmosphere of the members interacting with each other was comforting.
My second event was an open community-organized yoga session. I, Anna, and a group of our friends who are also not Hillel members attended. I did not recognize any of the members at this event that I met in my last observation but I was still greeted kindly and with open arms at the house. As someone who is not a member, I wasn’t given any questioning looks or stuck out in any way. Everyone treated me as if I was just another member and I did not feel uncomfortable at all in this environment or as an “outsider”. We did funny poses and tried new things throughout the yoga session, which led to a playful atmosphere of laughing at failed attempts. I did not sense any judgments or feel embarrassed, indicating the members love to laugh and encourage each other to try new things.
By the way, I was treated, I could tell that it reciprocated how the members interacted with each other. People came and went at these events as they pleased and I could tell the Hillel house is a second home to members, where they feel comfortable and welcomed.
It is important that educational institutions provide and encourage students to join organizations on and off campus. Studies show that the transition to a new lifestyle, such as going off to college, leads to a mental toll on students if not supported correctly. This information is perfect when understanding why the individuals who joined Hillel chose to participate. Hillel is a supportive and welcoming environment for students who are adjusting to an entirely new life with welcoming, positive, and supportive members.
Explication of Research:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill fosters a Hillel chapter for students of Jewish descent to remain in touch with their religious roots. Hillel is a Jewish organization at colleges, universities, and communities worldwide for thousands of students to be a part of. It provides leadership opportunities and resources for Jewish students to engage in. It can be ed by either campus professionals or students with an advisor. Hillel provides a sense of familial unity for students who wish to continue enriching their connection with their Jewish faith. Chapel Hills chapter does just that by bringing a group of students together to share a link originating from their religious beliefs. Although, that is not all that Hillel is. Hillel hosts activities for members and nonmembers simply to spend quality time with each other. My interest was sparked by my friend and Hillel member Anna who consistently attends their organized events. I decided to focus on the research question, “How has Hillel impacted these students’ lives and given them a sense of community on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus?” As I observed Hillel’s environment on multiple occasions, I was exposed to a community I would have never discovered prior.
Hillel members simply desire a group of peers who believe in the same religion but are also another family to lean on when attending an institution. Anna joined Hillel because it was important to her to have a sense of community at such a large university. She made the choice to continue on and keep in touch with her religion when she arrived here at Chapel Hill. A study conducted by a group of researchers from a variety of institutions observed religious and spiritual disengagement among college students the researcher’s participants were psychology students at three universities. They argue that individuals who are going through an impactful adjustment to a new lifestyle need a sense of support. This is extremely prevalent when going off to college as changes are made and traditions are shifted. They were curious to see that with these changes, would these newly independent students prioritize their religion now that they were on their own. With this being said, they looked at students who had somehow taken a step back from religion and were looking to understand that. It was stated in the study that, “Undergraduates face a developmental transition involving increased independence and exposure to diverse worldviews (Arnett, 2004; Smith & Snell,2009), which could precipitate changes in religious engagement or identity (Bryant et al., 2003; Mueller, 2012). From a developmental perspective, college students are often working through issues related to identity and intimacy (Erikson, 1950), which could include religious identity and bonds with religious communities” (Tongeren et al., 2020, p. 301). This can help us understand why the students who joined Hillel were interested in becoming involved in an organization such as this one. Having Judaism as something they participated in was a choice they made and therefore led them to the support that they received in return. Joining Hillel not only offered them a safe space where they could be around other students with the same religious beliefs as them, but it also did so much more than that. Hillel has made the transition to college that much easier for Anna with their provided guidance and assistance. It is also important in a transition so impactful that there is an understanding of a personal, academic, and social balance for students. Outside of college life and academics, students also face personal hardships. In an article from Springer, there was a study done to discuss the additional variables college students encounter that can have ramifications for educational outcomes. The importance of being aware of this is so educators are more forgiving that in some cases there are unavoidable factors that can interfere with academics. “Perhaps most importantly, students’ lives outside of college are far more complicated than can be adequately captured by the handful of variables included in this study” (Reason et al., 2016, p. 832). Some of these additional effects could be grieving a death, finances, and psychological factors. When enrolled in an institution such as UNC-Chapel Hill, it is important that students can find a healthy balance. Through negative and overwhelming events, groups such as Hillel are supportive to keep them going.
I observed Hillel on two occasions, one being a yoga session open to the community and the second being a baking session. Both experiences were extremely pleasant and gave me a great understanding of the environment Hillel has curated as well as the member’s interactions. The baking event was my first time going to the Hillel house which was on September 15th. We baked honey cakes to celebrate the Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I felt extremely welcomed by every member I came in contact with, from the individual who greeted me at the door to those who I baked with. I attended this event with Anna, so she was able to introduce me to some of her friends who were happy to interact with me. I was consistently met with bright eyes and smiling faces by members who were genuine and attentive. Everyone made me feel very heard and understood. When the members come together for activities such as this, I could tell from this event alone that they are excited to decompress and socialize. People exchanged kind gestures and I am sure that the way they treated me is a reflection of how they treated each other. My second observation was the yoga session on September 20th. I attended this event with Anna and a few of our other friends who are also not Hillel members. This was again, a pleasant experience where we all gathered on the front lawn of the house. The session was run by an instructor at a nearby studio whose voice was calm and comforting. It went smoothly but there was one significant part which was when we were instructed to try some uncomfortable and difficult yoga poses. This led to a playful atmosphere of laughing at failed attempts. Although, I never felt embarrassed or judged by the members but instead felt encouraged for trying. Based on both my experiences, I can tell that the members are kind a considerate of each other. They care to hear about what their fellow members have to say and how they are doing recently.
Going into these experiences I will admit I was anxious that as a non-member I would be frowned upon or shut out. My nerves were immediately calmed when I arrived at both these events because of how the members treated me. I can tell that the Hillel house is a second home to them where they feel comfortable and welcoming which made me love to be around them. Since they were all so kind to me, I can only imagine how kind they are to one another. Hillel is clear to be a safe space for the students who chose to join. These members will have Hillel as an organization they can lean on from college to beyond. I was surprised that they were so open to having someone who is not Jewish come to their events, especially the one that focused on the Jewish New Year. This organization, although religion-oriented, is not entirely about that. Instead, it’s a group of students that are supportive and made the transition to college seamless, which I can understand why from my personal experiences. I am still curious if other colleges and universities’ Hillel chapters are as welcoming and supportive as this one. I think it would interesting to observe the contrast of culture at other schools worldwide that offer Hillel.
References:
UNC-Chapel Hill. North Carolina Hillel. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.nchillel.org/uncchapelhill
What is a local Hillel. Default. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.hillel.org/about/what-is-a-hillel
Exline, J. J., Van Tongeren, D. R., Bradley, D. F., Wilt, J. A., Stauner, N., Pargament, K. I., & Dewall, C. N. (2020, May 19). Pulling Away From Religion: Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Religious Disengagement Among College Students. American Psychological Association. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2020-61554-001.pdf auth_token=4d618a0ea3302f83d24e6b28a2bf3aefb1cc85d7
Cox, B. E., Reason, R. D., Nix, S., & Gillman, M. (2016, January 28). Life happens (outside of college): Non-college life-events and students’ likelihood of graduation – research in higher education. SpringerLink. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162-016-9409-z#Sec5
Featured Image Citation:
Log into Facebook. Facebook. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.facebook.com/hillelunc/photos/a.2117029228609127/2118697211775662