for college students by college students
Hillel says, “That which is hateful unto you do not
do unto others: this is the whole Torah and the rest
is commentary. Now go and study!”
{Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, 31a}
GVSU students participate in a Pink Shabbat, with proceeds going to Sharsheret, an organization
that supports Jewish women with breast cancer and their families.
Pink Shabbat
GVSU dinner benefi ts a nonprofi t
aiding Jewish women with breast cancer.
Samantha Byck } jewish@edu writer
A
t Grand Valley State
University, our Jewish popu-
lation is growing, with more
and more Jewish students attend-
ing the university and coming to
Hillel events.
I am the Nefesh intern for Hillel,
which means I am the women’s
empowerment and wellness intern.
As part of my internship, it is my job
to host three events a semester that
focus on women’s empowerment or
one’s health and well-being.
My first event was about how
we can take time for ourselves and
focus on our mental health. Every
day should be a mental health
awareness day, so I took six Hillel
women and went to Wax Poetic
Candle Bar. We discussed how we
cope with stress and what we can
do to stay aware of our well-being
while making our own candles.
The second event was com-
bined with one of the Shabbat
dinners we have every other week
at GVSU. On the off weeks, we
have other events. October was
Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
and it was only right to have a Pink
Shabbat. Sharsheret is a national
nonprofit organization supporting
Jewish women and their families
facing breast cancer. Its mission is
to offer a community of support to
women of all Jewish backgrounds
diagnosed with breast cancer or at
increased genetic risk by fostering
culturally relevant individualized
connections with networks of peers,
health professionals and related
resources.
This organization means a lot
to me because breast cancer has
affected my family personally. My
mother is a breast cancer survivor,
and a very close family friend of
mine passed away from breast can-
cer. I thought this would be a great
organization to bring to my Hillel
community.
For our Pink Shabbat, I made
a tzedakah box and asked all
participants coming for dinner for
donations they would like to give
to Sharsheret. My Hillel execu-
tive board decided to bring the
tzedakah box to every event in
October, with all proceeds going to
Sharsheret at the end of the month.
We also decided that each
month, everyone in Hillel will choose
a charity we would like to benefit
from our tzedakah money. This will
help us give back to the Jewish
community and do a mitzvah at the
same time. @
The Shalom Hartman Institute
mourns the untimely passing of our friend,
board member, and longtime supporter
Richard Kaufman z”l
Dick was a true visionary, a leader and caring,
committed member of the Hartman family
who lived his life in the spirit of Hillel. We are
devastated by this staggering loss to his family
and our community. Dick’s deepest commitment
was to a Judaism of value and meaning which
could inspire Jews to choose Judaism.He will be
greatly missed by the Hartman board and staff.
May his memory be a blessing, as was his life.
Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President
Shalom Hartman Institute
Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President
Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
Robert P. Kogod, Chair
Shalom Hartman Institute
Angelica Berrie, Chair
Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
shalomhartman.org
Samantha Byck of Berkley is a senior at Grand
Valley State University.
jn
December 6 • 2018
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