Student Reflections...

“Rosh Hashanah was the first holiday that made me realize I needed to get connected to Jewish life, and it was the first holiday I had a leadership role in Hillel (as I led a so-called “Seder” my sophomore year). I appreciated all of the help Hillel provided me, both in simply learning more about Rosh Hashanah and its meaning and in giving me a wonderful community to bring in the sweet new year with. I’ve loved every minute of every Hillel Rosh Hashanah service and seder I’ve attended and led!" -Izzi Marino, Class of 2025

Read on for recent event recaps, and information about upcoming programs.

A Rosh Hashanah Bar Mitzvah

Over 200 students attended our Rosh Hashana festivities this year! We were also thrilled to share Rosh Hashanah services with our student Griffin, as he became a Bar Mitzvah at Vandy Hillel.

Jason and Karen Unger (Griffin's Parents): "We are eternally grateful to Vanderbilt Hillel for hosting Griffin’s Bar Mitzvah over the Rosh Hashanah holidays. The dinner and service were incredibly meaningful and emotional for our family, and created memories that we will cherish for a lifetime. Witnessing all of the Jewish joy amongst the students at Hillel also filled our hearts with light and hope for the future.”

October & November Hillel Highlights

Sukkot Fall Fest
This year, Vandy Hillel students had a blast at Sukkot Fest! They spent many hours under our campus Sukkah, enjoying music, games, and more. The booths at Sukkot Fall Fest included Israeli candy and a color by number Israeli flag activity, Challah 4 Hunger bake sale, fun card games with prizes, a Simchat Torah service/program, pumpkin decorating, and filling out Sukkot cards to send to the students' families. Acapella and dance groups from Vanderbilt University performed, and food included Matzah ball soup and a pasta bar.
Challah 4 Hunger Bake
Students bake challot and sell them at Vanderbilt University. The proceeds of the bake go toward addressing food insecurity. This year, the proceeds will be donated to The Nashville Food Project. The students have already baked over 400 challot this semester.
Sunday Night Dinner
We are excited to introduce our Sunday Night Dinner program! This month we connected Vandy Hillel students with local Jewish Nashvillians who graciously opened their homes to share a home-cooked meal. Our first Sunday Night Dinner took place on October 27th, with students dining at five homes! We are deeply grateful to see the community embracing our students so warmly. Thank you to Sean and Keri Ross, Jason and Abby Sparks, Daniel and Dalia Cohen, Erin Coleman, and Avi and Rachel Spielman for hosting our students.

Symphony of the Holocaust

On Wednesday 10/30, Holocaust Lecture Series (HLS) hosted an event in remembrance of the Holocaust featuring a performance of Symphony of the Holocaust by Shony Alex Braun, a film screening, and Q+A. Composed entirely of students from the Blair School of Music, the symphony was led by Maestra Noreen Green, Conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, and Adam Millstein, violin soloist and Program Director of the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices. Following the performance, Dinah Griffin, the daughter of Shony featured in the film, joined Maestra Green and Mr. Millstein in a panel discussion.

Coming up soon with Vandy Hillel

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