42 | AUGUST 15 • 2024

C

ollege has been nothing
short of a crazy experience,
which started with COVID
and continued with political drama
and the horrific events of Oct. 7.
What it means to be a Jew on a
college campus and in the world has
fundamentally changed throughout
my undergraduate career.
Despite this, I am finishing my
final semester at Grand Valley
State University alongside a
vibrant, caring and resilient Jewish
community. This community, even
with all the drama in the world, has
been the centerpiece of my college
experience.
At college, I expected to make
new friends, go on a Birthright trip
and grow up a little. Largely these
expectations were met; yet being a
part of the Hillel Campus Alliance
of Michigan (HCAM) also gave me
a sense of belonging, the community

that I had been looking for and so
many opportunities in leadership
and to connect more with my
Judaism. From the very first GVSU
Hillel event I attended, even as a
shy out-of-state freshman, I felt the
warmth and inclusivity of everyone.
You might think attending
a school without a large and
established Jewish community like
Grand Valley would lead me to feel
isolated from my culture. However,
HCAM offered an opportunity for
a sense of community that made
Grand Valley feel like a much larger
school.
One of the many reasons I chose
to go to a smaller college was the
Jewish presence on campus. The
small and close-knit community I
found when I arrived confirmed I
made the perfect decision.
HCAM’s impact also stretches far
beyond the confines of my campus

to other schools in the HCAM
community.
Moving to college is always a
disorienting experience. The first
real moments of our lives as adults
in new environments with new
responsibilities can leave anyone
feeling lost and alone. Community is
what helps us through these thrilling
yet difficult transitions in our lives.
I was able to make connections
and form relationships with people
I never would have otherwise
interacted with. Many of these
relationships developed through
the incredible retreats, trips and
opportunities facilitated by HCAM.
As a leader in HCAM, I was
able to take advantage of learning
opportunities and fellowships that
offered me invaluable skills and
experience in how to coordinate
and work with a team, plan events,
engage in outreach — all while

maintaining the inclusivity that drew
me into the program when I was a
freshman.
Ultimately, college has been a
period of change unlike anything
else, along with every other crazy
thing that has happened an ocean
away and right here at home. It has
transformed my perspective on
being Jewish on and off campus.
Luckily, I am concluding my
last semester with a vibrant,
supportive Jewish community by
my side. HCAM surpassed all my
expectations, providing a deep
sense of belonging, leadership
opportunities and inclusivity from
my first freshman event. It united
my campus in unimaginable ways,
reinforcing my decision to attend a
small college. @

Elan Wolf is a senior at Grand Valley State

University from Frisco, Texas.

Small College, Mighty
Jewish Community

for college students
by college students

Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan helped
Grand Valley exceed my expectations.

Elan Wolf } jewish@edu writer

LEFT: Students at a Welcome
Back tie-dye program at GVSU
Hillel. BELOW: This group
attended the annual Applebaum
HCAM Jewish Living and Learning
Retreat in Fennville, Mich.