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West Chester University Hillel

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Our Programs

Our Programs

 

Jewish Life on Campus at WCU is thriving and growing. We offer students many programs, from Shabbat dinners to off-campus volunteering activities to trips to Israel through Birthright! Hillel is what students make out of it and we hope that through our programs we can expand students' college experience.

During a typical week on campus with WCU Hillel, students may enjoy a Bagel Brunch, themed-Social night, tabling on campus where they can stop by and pick up a snack, a Jewish-learning program with our Rabbinic Intern, and a Shabbat dinner. While each week varies, these are some of the many programs that we offer.

Shabbat Dinners Expand

Our Shabbat dinners are offered every Friday night in Sykes Student Union. While registration is encouraged so we can ensure enough food for everyone and dietary restrictions are met, but it is not a requirement. Each week we theme our dinners to make it fun and different. All meals are kosher-style, meaning there is never milk and meat mixed. Examples of our meals include Israeli food (shawarma and falafel), Italian food (pasta dishes), soups and sandwiches and more! Follow us on facebook and/or instagram to learn more and sign up.

Bagel Brunches Expand

We offer a few bagel brunch twice a month for any student who is interested in attending. All of the bagel brunches are always located in Sykes Student Union (usually in Sykes 10A or 10B) from 10:30am-12:30pm. We work hard to make sure to rotate the days of the week in which we hold our bagel brunches, so that every student hopefully has an opportunity to attend regardless of their class schedule.

We always have bagels, cream cheese, butter, coffee, juice and some sort of sweet treat, such as donuts or cookies. If your student is in need of dairy-free or gluten-free products, please do not hesitate to let us know!

Jewish Learning Opportunities Expand

Our student leadership works directly with our Rabbinic Intern on campus to provide WCU students with opportunities to learn more about Judaism. Programs can be centered around Jewish holidays, Jewish law and/or anything that sparks the interest of our students on campus. Beyond our scheduled programs, our students are encourage to meet with our Rabbinic Intern if they have questions and/or are in need of pastoral care. You can contact our Rabbinic Intern by clicking here.

Socials Expand

Once a month our students come together to socialize and hang out in the evening. Our socials are usually themed based off of a holiday or themed night, such as game night. Many times our student leadership will plan nights to bake Jewish foods surrounding an upcoming holiday. All information about our social nights will be posted on our facebook, instagram and also sent out via RamConnect.

Tabling: Find us on campus! Expand

You can find us right on campus at one of our tables, usually set up in the academic quad or within Sykes Student Union. This is a great opportunity to meet some of our student leadership and our professional staff! We always have awesome *free* swag items and usually some yummy treats! We hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself!

A FREE trip to Israel through Birthright Expand

We offer a FREE trip to Israel for WCU Hillel student over winter break and summer vacation! In the December 2019, we had 18 WCU Hillel students head to Israel together for a life changing experience! This 10 day trip is offered through Hillel International and Birthright and gives WCU students an opportunity to building meaningful relationships and lasting memories! To learn more about our next upcoming trip, click here to head to our birthright page!

Holiday Celebrations Expand

Celebrating holidays away from home can be a challenge for students when they first arrive on campus. We work very hard to make sure each Jewish holiday spent with WCU Hillel is meaningful. We host Rosh Hashanah dinners and services, break the fast meals, we have our own pop up sukkah in the middle of campus, host passover seders and much more!

If your student is going to be on campus during a holiday and is worried about celebrating alone, please make sure you reach out to our Director, Jenn Reiss, to make sure they know we are here to celebrate with them!

Volunteer Opportunities Expand

Framed by the Jewish imperatives of tzedakah (righteousness), gemilut chasadim (acts of loving-kindness), and tikkun olam (repairing the world), WCU Hillel is committed to engaging and empowering students in meaningful public service, and encouraging creative Jewish thinking about social justice issues. Our opportunities include, but are not limited to food boxing at Jewish Relief Agency, cooking meals at Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, food and clothing collection drives. Learn more about our volunteer opportunities by following us on facebook and/or instagram!

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Get In Touch!

267.229.1451

Jreiss@westchesterhillel.org

Our Mission

West Chester University Hillel is a center for Jewish life on campus. We strive to create an inclusive and safe community that’s supportive to all Jewish students and allies on campus, regardless of their personal or religious backgrounds. WCU Hillel allows students to understand their own Judaism in ways that represent who they are, who they want to be, and enables them to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel.

A Program of:

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