The Hillel Society: The Foundation for Jewish Life on Campus

The Hillel Society is the largest jewish organization in the world. With over 550 colleges and universities involved in 2014, the Hillel’s mission was “to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world”. Students were able to get involved in religious, cultural, artistic, and community service based activities. Before the Hillel Society was formed at Lehigh, the Menorah Society represented Jewish students at colleges and universities around the world. The menorah society was first formed at Lehigh on February 22, 1921; and was thus the first Jewish organization on campus. The menorah society was established to give any person interested in Jewish problems and culture a place to discuss their interests. The Hillel Society opened at Lehigh on Thursday, October 2, 1947. The Hillel goes on to hold many dances, activities, and religious discussions. They even sponsored open forums and put on many radio programs. The Hillel was very involved in community service based activities and participated in religious conversations with other organizations on campus, including the Christian Council and the Newman Club. In may of 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization was founded with the goal of eliminating the Jewish state of Israel, and creating an Independent State of Palestine. Lehigh’s students and Hillel Society members, being very pro-israel, set up an anti-PLO rally against a guest lecturer, Hassan Al-Rahman (the assistant director of the permanent representative to the UN of the PLO.) The next huge step for the society was in 1975, when the University started having kosher meals available. Having this option for Jewish students on campus made the University much more attractive to incoming religious students and applicants. Originally, this meal plan was going to be offered off campus for half the price, but this idea was eventually discarded because it would make the students involved feel isolated. It worked out much better for students to have a kosher option on campus. Modern Hebrew began to be offered as a class for three credits in the fall semester of 1976. The Hillel goes on to offer 28 more Jewish studies classes. The advertisement for these classes asks readers, “Is your Hebrew limited to Shalom or Mazel-Tov?”. Many students involved in the Hillel and Jewish activities on campus did not actually know the Hebrew language, so this being offered as a class was huge for the Hillel as well as the University. The Hillel Society had a huge desire to create a Jewish Living House. The Hillel wanted this house “to provide an environment for students who want to be more religiously observant without imposing on others”. In 1982, a Hillel House was established off campus. This house served as a center for Jewish students and activity. In February of 1933 a program became available to Lehigh students where they could attend the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The university offered one year, summer, and graduate programs, along with intensive Hebrew classes and financial aid. In september of 1994 the Jewish Student Advisory Council decided to stem away from being traditionally known as a residential building to a place for gatherings, so they decided to rename Hillel to Jewish Student Center. However, they wanted to keep the Hillel name associated with the Jewish Student Center because it is a name that “everyone knows and remembers”. Hillel was on a mission to educate the public about Judaism, so March became Jewish Awareness Month at Lehigh in 1994, although the National Hillel declared it this years before. Lehigh was one out of hundreds of schools recognized by National Hillel to participate in Jewish Awareness Month. Lehigh’s first full time director of the Hillel Society is Seth Goren, who was appointed in April of 2008. In this year, there were 650 Jewish students at Lehigh, but only 100 attending Hillel events. Seth Goren wanted to improve the sense of community among Jewish students. In 2009 the Chabad house opened for Jewish students as a place for them to practice their faith. Some believed Chabad was “homier” while Hillel was more “reform/conservative”. The Hillel Society and Chabad have similar services. In the year 2014, Lehigh University is 17% Jewish and has 29 Jewish study courses available. The Hillel at Lehigh participated in Birthright, had religious services available, and had a rabbi along with multiple Jewish educators available. The Hillel Society was an organization meant to bring Jewish community members together and to make everyone feel welcome. The Lehigh Hillel followed Goren’s three objectives of the Society: maintaining culture, creating a social scene, and educating Jewish students on their history. Madison Marshall and Elizabeth Nebens Class of 2018