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tiny little egg-shaped cars as we journeyed to th e
top. Our limited space made our bond tighter, in
a way that none of us thought it ever would.
Upon arriving at the top, we looked out onto
the world 630 feet below us, and could not help
but be awestruck by the colors of the early morn
ing sun, shining through the clear blue sky onto
the Mississippi River and the "tiny" city of St.
Louis beneath our feet.
Something unexpected happened next. The
guys present each put on their tefillin, the leather
straps that bind the Jewish mind and heart to
God during prayer, and we, along with the other
Hillel interns, began to pray inside the top of the
Arch. That morning we all felt something differ-
ent than any other time we had prayed before
— something special. This amazing feeling over-
Ari Jacobovitz of Oak Park,
Nicole itkin of West Bloomfield
took us when we got to one of the prayers, Adon
and Sean Alpiner of Franklin at
Olam. This prayer talks about God's infinity and
the Gateway Arch in St. Louis
vastness. At this special moment, I began to sing
out loud. But my single voice turned into two
voices then three, and before I knew it we were
all singing in unison with indescribable passion.

It did not matter that people were staring at us; it didn't matter that we all came from differ-
ent backgrounds; it didn't matter that we were all different ages. What did matter was that we
were proud to be there together and proud to be Jews.

On the ride back to WashU, I looked around at my new friends and remember thinking to
myself that moments like this define my internship at and experience with Hillel of Metro
Detroit. It is my duty to give other Jewish college students the chance to experience this and
more. @

Ari Jacobovitz of Oak Park is a sophomore at Wayne State University in Detroit.

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

With more than 130 undergraduate degree programs
and 120 graduate degree and certificate programs,
Oakland University is a nationally recognized university that provides
an affordable, high-quality education.

• No fees — OU is the only public university in Michigan that doesn't
charge fees. No activity, recreation or registration fees — not even
an application fee.

• Here to help — More than 60 percent of OU students receive help
through more than $100 million in financial assistance.

• The total college experience — The rich campus atmosphere is
complete with residence halls, Greek life, Division I athletics and more
than 200 student organizations, including the Jewish Student
Organization, which operates in association with Hillel of metro Detroit,
the foundation for Jewish campus life.

To find out more, please visit oakland.edu/go.

Oakland

UNIVERSITY

Sam Plotkin of Huntington Woods is a senior at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

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umbrella organization for Jewish programming at MSU Hillel. This includes eight
registered student organizations (RSO) — registered with Associated Students of
Michigan State University (ASMSU) — in addition to three ASMSU representatives.
Describing his role as president, Appel explains that he takes a managerial approach
to his responsibilities. That is, he is not as much integrated in the process of organiz-
ing initiatives or events, but he works to ensure that all RSOs and representatives are
on track developing relevant programming. He is there to motivate students and help
them to create and implement diverse programs.
Appel emphasizes that all JSU programming is fueled by students' needs and prefer-
ences. To ensure programs are enjoyable and useful to students, Appel focuses on "goal
setting" and interacts with students during his office hours. As president, he holds 10
office hours a week at Hillel
and meets with the RSOs and
representatives to keep them
on track, addressing and solv-
ing any conflicts or problems
that may arise. A small sti-
pend comes with his position.
He notes that his experience
working as a representative for
ASMSU puts him in an excel-
lent position to guide his stu-
dent colleagues as they work
within the system to provide
funding for ASMSU programs
Jewish Student Union board: (bottom
and events.
row) junior Wendy Stein, Birmingham;
junior Brooke Fine, Okemos; senior
Intergroup
Jordan Rosenbaum, West Bloomfield; (top
Connections
row) senior Lindsey Schoenberger and
sophomore Evie Chutz, both West Bloomfield;
An important responsibility of
sophomore Shale Kaplan, Deerfield, ill.;
the JSU president is outreach
sophomore Rica Bergman, Farmington Hills;
and engagement with other
senior Ariel Sindel, Claremont, Calif.; junior
campus groups.
Sam Appel, Huntington woods; junior Erinn
"Networking across campus
Kohn, junior Bobby Goldman, senior Michelle
Budaj, all West Bloomfield; and senior Jackie
is essential," says Appel, who is
Schwartz, Farmington Hills
eccentric, personable, warm and
welcoming. He works to bring
the JSU together with campus
groups such as the Arab Cultural Society, which recently gathered for "Sparty's Middle
Eastern Tailgate," a celebration of Middle Eastern culture within the context of an MSU
football game.
With the Black Student Affiance, W.E.B. DuBois Society, Successful Black Females,
Successful Black Males, the Black Caucus and the RCAH, the JSU is organizing an "Afro-
Semetic Shabbat" featuring soul food. Together, the groups will discuss, celebrate and share
the ideologies, experiences and cultural similarities of blacks and Jews.
This spring, Appel and the JSU look forward to working with MSU Alliance of Queer
and Ally Students to bring in a homosexual singer from Israel. These intercampus group
programs bring diverse groups of students together in a spirited and lively setting. Appel's
excellent relationships with assorted campus groups stem from his previous campus posi-
tions, working for ASMSU, in-class meetings and interacting with other student leaders in
his RCAH and James Madison courses, and at other events on or around campus.
"We create a foundation and work toward a peaceful future as colleagues and friends,"
he says. "Shared experiences from collaborative programs connect individuals who then
form lasting relationships."
Appel explains that his goal is to ensure that "Hillel offers something substantive for
every student. To foster a strong Jewish community, there should be programming suitable
to the diversity of Jewish observances and cultural niches. Shared memories serve as the
foundation of this Jewish community, and viable programming is important in bringing
students from myriad walks of life together. This includes programs focusing on religion,
charity, nature. athletics and community service."
Audrey Bloomberg, director of Student Life at MSU Hillel and JSU adviser, says,
"Sam's leadership fosters creativity and a sense of community within the Jewish student
body at Michigan State University."
After serving a semester as JSU president, Appel reflects that he has grown. He has
improved his outreach engagement skills, gained a comprehensive understanding of how
to encourage and empower success in others, learned how to plan and implement diverse
programs, and acquired confidence in his capacity to be a leader.
Dynamic student leaders like Sam Appel weave strong and binding threads throughout
Hillel and make the MSU Jewish community strong and vibrant. @

February 10 e 2011