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Campus Hillels:
A Jewish Magnet
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
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hy is there an in-
crease in traffic at
Hillel centers on
American college
campuses?
Miriam Starkman only has to
think about the answer for a mo-
ment. It could be a larger pop-
ulation being served or maybe it
is a better method of tracking
Hillel's constituents. But the in-
crease probably is a change in
the way Hillels are seen, said
Ms. Starkman, the director of
Hillel Metro Detroit (HMD).
"Our reputation is changing,"
Ms. Starkman said. "We are try-
ing to make it a much more de-
sirable product."
Michael Brooks feels that it is
the change in direction of the en-
tire organization.
"We are changing the viscer-
al reactions students have when
they hear the word 'Jewish,' " he
said. "We want them to know
that being Jewish is more than
Friday night services. It is a
number of different things."
Rhoda Weisman, director of
engagement of the national
B'nai B'rith organization, swears
that a new program, sort of a
Jewish campus peace corps, has
been the driving force in recent
years.
But if you ask some of the stu-
dents who attend events spon-
sored by the Jewish campus
organization or drop by the Hil-
lel centers, they would probably
say that the Hillels are friend-
ly places to hang out, and the
programs are hip to their con-
cerns and lifestyles.
"It is a nice place to go," said
David (D.C.) Weisberg, a Wayne
State University pre-med stu-
dent. 'The staffpeople are great,
the students are great, [the stu-
dents] plan good activities and
the fact that Hillel serves a
kosher meal is a big bonus."
But the feeling wasn't always
this way. Ten to 15 years ago,
the centers had a reputation of
attracting students who, in at
least one Jewish publication,
were referred to as "social mis-
fits."
Not surprisingly, Hillel cen-
ters have had to overcome many
hurdles in the past few years to
dispel this image.
One major change has been in
the programming. Previously,
the centers and their offerings
were fairly standard across the
country: a place to attend Friday
night services and High Holi-
days, a place to grab a kosher
bite to eat and attend a program
on Soviet Jewry.
Programming evolved over re-
cent years, adding lectures and
groups that meet regarding con-
cerns such as the war in Bosnia
and AIDS in America. More so-
cial events like theater programs
and bar nights have attracted a
larger crowd, inadvertently hav-
ing a positive impact on the
more traditional programming
like religious services.
"Being Jewish is
more than Friday
night services."
— Michael Brooks
"For all the attention we in-
vest in the more general pro-
gramming — or, as I am inclined
to think, because of that atten-
tion — involvement in tradi-
tional Jewish activities has
soared," wrote Mr. Brooks in an
article published in Moment
magazine. "These programs in-
volve some of the best and
brightest Jewish students on
campus, many of whom first con-
nected with Hillel through one
of the other kinds of programs."
At HMD, the transformation
has been easier than at other
residential colleges because the
organization covers Wayne State
University, Oakland Universi-
ty, Oakland Community College,
Lawrence Technological Uni-
versity and the University of De-
troit Law School campuses, all
commuter-based colleges where
campus life is limited. For these
students, the addition of coffee
nights, an evening at the local
pool hall and hayrides has
meant expanded opportunities
to blow off steam while meeting
after-hours off-campus. The tar-
get group is college students, al-
though all young adults are
welcome.