Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. The organization has branches at over 500 schools worldwide, including UMass Boston. According to their website, Hillel’s mission is “to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.” While UMB boasts a small Jewish population, the campus Hillel group stages numerous events to get the entire student body involved, such as a kosher barbecue at the beginning of the year and a recent Hannukah party December 6th. Hillel also holds weekly Torah classes on Mondays in the campus center and will be offering free Hebrew and Yiddish classes next semester. The club meets in CC-3-3315 in the back of the student-life office for classes and other get-togethers.

            The UMB Hillel is led by Rabbi Shmuel Posner and Yuri Ariel Tarasula, and has weekly meeting on Tuesdays in the campus center on the third floor. UMB’s Hillel is just one of many in the Boston area, and they all follow similar guidelines outlined by Hillel’s mission statement, which states, “Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially. Hillel helps students find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood. Hillel is committed to excellence, innovation, accountability and results.” Hillel means “praiseworthy” in hebrew and it certainly fits this organization, which does wonderful things on campus to connect Jews and non-Jews alike. UMB’s Hillel branch can be reached at [email protected] and has a group on facebook.