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Gillian Thommes' home.
"I think one of the biggest things if
students want to get involved in Hillel, is
that they can really make Hillel what they
want it," Thommes said. "Our hope is
that new students will want to be
involved with programming, but we have
a very good core of sophomores and jun-
iors who want to get involved."
Thommes said she looks forward to
consulting with students to determine
programs of interest for the upcoming
year, and would be interested in a large
fund-raising event in the near future to
allow the group the opportunity to do
some "bigger activities."
The Jewish population at WMU is on
the rise, Beals said, giving way to exciting
pdssibilities for future programs through
new student outreach. He said he has
noticed a change since the beginning of
his freshman year in that more Jewish
students are getting involved in Hillel
activities, and he hopes the trend contin-
ues.
"I want to try to get in touch with
[new students] as soon as they get to
school, so we can bring them in and help
them out," he said. "They're going to
enjoy it once they're here, it's just getting
them to their first event so they can see
what it's all about."
He added that while the Jewish com-
munity in Kalamazoo is very supportive,
more acknowledgment on a statewide or
national level from the Jewish communi-
ty at large also could contribute to creat-
ing a positive environment for Jewish stu-
dents attending Western.
"It seems that people don't really real-
ize that there is a Jewish presence at
Western's campus, and people should
know that yes, there is one. There are
Jews at Western Michigan and our Hillel
is active. We do things and we do want to
get larger," Beals said, adding that
involvement with Hillel can definitely
contribute to students' Jewish knowledge
and the impact Judaism has on their lives.

Wayne State University

Lena Vikdorchik of Windsor, Ont.,
Canada, has found "a Jewish life on cam-
pus" and delicious home-cooked kosher
meals at Hillel of Metro Detroit, housed
in the Grosberg Center Building at
Wayne State University in Detroit.
"It's the only place to go to be together,

do activities 'and meet a lot of your
peers," said the WSU junior.
Hillel of Metro Detroit provides year-
round social and cultural programs for
young adults ages 18-3.0, with about 100-
150 participating regularly.
Program director Lesley Weiss said this
Hillel also serves students attending

Oakland University in Rochester,
Oakland Community College campuses,
University of Michigan-Dearborn,
University of Detroit-Mercy (including
the law school), Lawrence Technological
University in Southfield and Eastern
Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
"Being a multi-campus Hillel, I have

opportunities for interaction with other
students my age, with the same bond of
being Jewish," Vikdorchik said.
A mix of fun and educational programs
are available through Hillel, said Weiss,
including lunch-and-learn speakers, holi-
day gatherings, sporting events, coffee-
houses, "women only" nights, Israel advo-
cacy and trips. She said a popular Hillel
program has been "Shabbat in the Burbs"
dinners hosted every four to six weeks,
usually in a private home.
Vikdorchik described herself as being
"passionate about Israel." Just returned
from her brother's August wedding in
Jerusalem, she plans to serve with Hillel's
Volunteers for Israel program during the
December school break. Hillel of Metro
Detroit enabled her to participate in
Birthright Israel last year, and as a Stern
Tzedek fellow (Hillel's social-action corn-
ponent), she had her way paid to a stu-
dent conference in Pennsylvania.
"Last time, the group helped out on an
army base in northern Israel, but we'll go
anywhere we're needed," said Vikdorchik,
who is excited about her opportunity to
assist Israel.

University of Michigan

University of Michigan junior Eve Posen
of West Bloomfield said Hillel has made a
difference in her college experience by
giving her a place she knows she belongs.
In a university of 40,000, she said taking
part in Hillel has made the school feel
smaller. There are about 6,000 Jewish stu-
dents on campus.
Posen, who has been involved with
Hillel since the beginning of her fresh-
man year, said it was her interest in
Judaism that brought her to Hillel and
the people that keep her coming back.
"It's a great place to meet Jewish peo-
ple, to make friends, to be involved in
campus activities, to get involved with
Israel and speak out — and to just hang
out with other Jewish students on cam-
pus," she said. "The atmosphere is great
and there are lots of fun things you can

do."
Posen said she also likes the way Hillel
programming fits into her daily life at
school. She can participate in events,
meet Jewish students and still have plenty

of time to develop other interests.
Ifs something that could definitely fit
into any student's daily life, because a lot

