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illel International, the world’s
largest Jewish student orga-
nization, announced the
launch of HillelWell as part of the
Hillel U professional development
program during the 2018-2019
school year.
With initial support
through a $1 million
gift from Stephen J.
Cloobeck, found-
er of Diamond
Resorts International
Inc., HillelWell will
provide resources and
training to campus
professionals to better
prepare them to serve the
student body (regardless of reli-
gious affiliation) on their campuses
with increasing rates of depression,
anxiety and other mental health and
wellness concerns.
“Our goal is to create an integrated
Jewish approach to mental health,
focused on giving young people the
knowledge and skills to balance their
spiritual, physical, intellectual, rela-
tional and emotional wellbeing,” said
Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, senior rabbinic
scholar for Hillel International, who
is overseeing HillelWell.
“This approach seeks not only to
normalize mental health and wellness
and remove its current stigmas, but
also to promote it as a way to enrich
the Jewish people and the world.”
This issue is not new to Hillel. In
recent years, Hillel professionals on
campus have identified stress and
anxiety as well as mental health and
wellness among their greatest con-
cerns for Jewish and non-Jewish col-
lege students, and one of the highest
priorities for skill development and
programmatic resources. Research
shows that one in three college
freshmen will report a mental health
disorder, and 1 in 12 college students
will make a suicide plan. Researchers

also believe even these statistics
underrepresent the issue. Barriers to
effective prevention and treatment
include lack of campus resources,
stigma and fear — causing many
young adults to suffer in isolation.
HillelWell will address the men-
tal health and wellness crisis
on campus in tangible ways,
including:
• The launch of a
HillelWell lab with five to
seven campus participants
that will each pilot an inno-
vative, scalable wellness
initiative.
• Providing in person and
online training for at least 400
Hillel professionals during the 2018-
2019 school year.
• Collaboration with Hillel
International’s student cabinet to
ensure HillelWell is integrated into
all programming and addressing the
needs of students.
• Development of resource guides
for campus professionals to create
their own wellness strategies, includ-
ing through deep campus partner-
ships that support the whole student.
HillelWell will incorporate
longstanding practices including
“unplugging” for Shabbat, the inten-
tionality of Jewish tradition, mind-
fulness of prayer and meditation,
all while providing relevant and
modern training for professionals
and equipping the next generation
of Jewish leaders with the resources
they need to live in a complicated
and demanding world.
“Students have told us what they
need from Hillel and we are listen-
ing,” Rabbi Hirsch said. “With the
support of Stephen J. Cloobeck,
HillelWell will allow us to respond
to the changing needs of our stu-
dents and professionals and promote
proactive steps toward wellness on
campus.” ■