YINZ/YIDZ

We just received  a lengthy statement by Beatrice S. Mandel, chair of the Hillel International Board of Directors and Wayne L. Firestone, president of Hillel International, regarding Effie Eitam's recent appearances in Pittsburgh and a separate  program  with a ZOA official Philadelphia. It is posted here in its entirety:  

Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania and the Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh have been in the news. The events that have taken place on these campuses underscore our commitment to engaging the broadest range of Jewish students and to creating inclusive Jewish communities within campuses of civility.

On Wednesday night (Feb. 3) an event was held at the Rose and Ed Berman Center for Jewish Student Life, the Hillel Jewish University Center in Pittsburgh featuring former Knesset Member Effi Eitam. That event was protested by different groups, including individuals who are members of J Street, although they did so as private citizens and without approval from J Street. That same evening at Steinhardt Hall, the home of University of Pennsylvania Hillel, students who work under the banner of Penn Zionist Freedom Alliance and ZOA presented Daniel Pollak, co-director of Government Relations for the Zionist Organization of America, who engaged students in discussion about American-Israel politics.

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In an effort to attract more students to its Friday night Shabbat diners Hillel Jewish University Center has started a fund-raising campaign to pay for the meals.

Shabbat Sponsorship, as it's called, is seeking donations as small as $18 — the cost of  a single meal — to $2,000 (patron level).

Shabbat dinners at Hillel JUC were free until last year. After a charge was enacted, attendance dropped from 225 the first week of the semester (the last no fee dinner) to 35 the following week, "where it has remained all semester," according to a Hillel JUC statement.

Officials at the campus student organization see the dinners as a necessary tool for attracting Jewish students form all the area universities, introducing them to Pittsburgh Jewish life, and for keeping them involved.

We'll keep an eye on this project for you and see how much support for the dinners it generates. 

 

 

The Hillel Jewish University shared this photo of the winners of its Latke Steel Chef contest Monday at Hillel house in Oakland. Pictured from right to left are Riva Gorelick, a junior in developmental psychology; Bri McDonough, a sophomore in environmental studies; and Marc Schutzbank, a fifth-year senior in politics, philosophy and finance.