New Jewish club creates diversity among religious organizations on campus
Tess McLaughlin
Issue date: 10/6/09 Section: News
Starting this year, the Loyola community will have a Jewish organization featured on campus. The Hillel group is "the foundation for Jewish Campus Life" and was brought to the Evergreen campus by junior Sophie Kagan.
Hillel's goal at Loyola is to help students "better understand that not everybody is the same, that other options are okay and welcomed," says Loyola senior Jess Callahan. When asked about the Jewish population on campus, she replied, "there are twenty-two of us."
Jess explained that when she came to Loyola, she filled out a questionnaire self-identifying herself as a Jew. However, she added that here are a lot of "half-Jews" on campus that the college doesn't know about. Jess and other self-identifying Jews at Loyola were contacted this year as Hillel held its first meeting on the 9th of September.
Jesse Silverman, a first year student at Loyola, has had a similar experience as Jess. He said he knows " a dozen or so half Jews," but that many of the members at the meetings have not been apart of the Jewish faith.
However, both Jess and Jesse are welcoming of this, excited that other students will have the change to learn about the Jewish religion. Jesse said he hopes Hillel will show that "there is a Jewish population at Loyola," since many of the students come from Jesuit high schools. He also adds that for the Jewish students on campus, Hillel will provide "another medium to meet people."
The Hillel group at Loyola has plans to serve the Jewish community around Baltimore starting with volunteer and service projects. Their promotion of service parallels ideas executed by CCSJ and seems to accent the growth of the newly appointed university.
Loyola also now has a new edge, as prospective students will not only be given the opportunity to join groups like Disciples on Campus and Orthodox Christian Fellowship, but also Hillel. Exhibiting true religious diversity at Loyola is a significant step in the University's goal of being the leading comprehensive Jesuit institution in the country.
Although Hillel is a primarily Jewish faith group, it encourages other members of the community to get involved. "I was the only Jew in my high school…it's cool that [Hille] is an option," Callahan commented. She says that at the past few meetings roommates and friends of the Jewish students have attended.
Jesse Silverman adds that he hopes Hillel will "spread awareness of the Jewish culture."
During the Jewish high holy days, Hillel provided carpooling to Johns Hopkins University where services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were conducted. In keeping with the change to University, the Hillel group provides a new outlet for students looking to serve others and explore multiple faiths. For more information regarding Hillel, email Sophie Kagan at sfkagan@loyola.edu
Hillel's goal at Loyola is to help students "better understand that not everybody is the same, that other options are okay and welcomed," says Loyola senior Jess Callahan. When asked about the Jewish population on campus, she replied, "there are twenty-two of us."
Jess explained that when she came to Loyola, she filled out a questionnaire self-identifying herself as a Jew. However, she added that here are a lot of "half-Jews" on campus that the college doesn't know about. Jess and other self-identifying Jews at Loyola were contacted this year as Hillel held its first meeting on the 9th of September.
Jesse Silverman, a first year student at Loyola, has had a similar experience as Jess. He said he knows " a dozen or so half Jews," but that many of the members at the meetings have not been apart of the Jewish faith.
However, both Jess and Jesse are welcoming of this, excited that other students will have the change to learn about the Jewish religion. Jesse said he hopes Hillel will show that "there is a Jewish population at Loyola," since many of the students come from Jesuit high schools. He also adds that for the Jewish students on campus, Hillel will provide "another medium to meet people."
The Hillel group at Loyola has plans to serve the Jewish community around Baltimore starting with volunteer and service projects. Their promotion of service parallels ideas executed by CCSJ and seems to accent the growth of the newly appointed university.
Loyola also now has a new edge, as prospective students will not only be given the opportunity to join groups like Disciples on Campus and Orthodox Christian Fellowship, but also Hillel. Exhibiting true religious diversity at Loyola is a significant step in the University's goal of being the leading comprehensive Jesuit institution in the country.
Although Hillel is a primarily Jewish faith group, it encourages other members of the community to get involved. "I was the only Jew in my high school…it's cool that [Hille] is an option," Callahan commented. She says that at the past few meetings roommates and friends of the Jewish students have attended.
Jesse Silverman adds that he hopes Hillel will "spread awareness of the Jewish culture."
During the Jewish high holy days, Hillel provided carpooling to Johns Hopkins University where services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were conducted. In keeping with the change to University, the Hillel group provides a new outlet for students looking to serve others and explore multiple faiths. For more information regarding Hillel, email Sophie Kagan at sfkagan@loyola.edu
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datingsights
posted 3/31/10 @ 3:01 PM EST
Good scene, interesting post, thanks.
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