Hillel Reinvents Itself to Face Dual Challenges of Pandemic and Anti-Semitism
BY SEAN SAVAGE (JNS)
Often synonymous with Jewish life on campus, Hillel has been a gathering point for Jewish students across hundreds of campuses in the United States for decades. While being a “big tent” organization that seeks to accommodate a wide range of Jewish religious beliefs and political affiliations has long posed certain challenges, the coronavirus pandemic over the past year has likely been Hillel’s biggest test in recent memory.
JNS had the opportunity to speak with both the new CEO of Hillel International—Adam Lehman, who took on his role shortly before the pandemic began—and other Hillel leaders across the United States to speak about the obstacles posed by COVID-19, as well as others such as the increasing frequency of anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish students at campuses in North America. In all, the pandemic has forced Hillel to rethink its…