What’s happening on campus? Hear from students, professionals, and Hillel community members whose lives have been impacted by Hillel and who impact the world with their voices and stories. Share your story with us!
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Out of context, grammar practice doesn’t sound like the most invigorating activity, but as mentor, co-founder, and co-executive director of Bridge to Literacy for the last two years, I have worked to unite 150+ mentors and students across six continents and 17 countries around their zeal for language and cultural connections.
I’m majoring in bioengineering. But I’m also in an academic program that combines Engineering, Business and Computer Science. It focuses a lot on the design and development of different products and that’s truly what I am interested in pursuing. So when I heard about the Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) Fellowship, I thought: Wow, this truly aligns with my passions.
We thought, ‘What if we created an app to figure out what essentials people need in different communities?’ In 2018, my dad and I created the GoDonate app. Through GoDonate, we’re able to bring people together to donate the bare necessities, like medical supplies, clothes, and food.
I’ve wanted to be on ‘Jeopardy!’ since I was a little kid. My parents were like, ‘You seem to know a lot of these answers, so you should try out. I did well enough on the test to get an audition for the ‘Jeopardy! National College Championship.’ And then from there, it was like a dream coming true.
Family recipes, passed down from generation to generation, bring me closer to my Persian roots.
Growing up, I thought my Jewish and Japanese identities conflicted. When I was in a Jewish setting, there never seemed to be any Japanese people, and when I was in a Japanese setting, there never seemed to be any Jewish people. I felt in-between worlds. Then, I learned about the power of intersectionality.
“In February, I volunteered at ‘Spread Cream Cheese, Not Hate’, a campus event organized by Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach to raise awareness about antisemitism and other forms of hate. Alongside Hillel students and professionals, I asked members of our community to sign a pledge to combat antisemitism, and in return, gave out fresh bagels and cream cheese.
I am Jewish, queer, and Mexican. So often, trying to hold all three of these identities at once is challenging. But I didn’t have to try when I went on Birthright Israel with Santa Barbara Hillel. I was able to embrace and celebrate every part of myself.
There’s a running joke in my family: We breed oranges because we bleed orange. The mascot of Syracuse University — where my mom, uncle, and brother all went to college — is an orange named Otto. Since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to go to Syracuse University.
My mom is Catholic, and my dad is Jewish. They never pushed religion on me. My parents always said, ‘We don’t care what religion you choose to follow, but you have to come to terms with it yourself and make it your own.’ So, I did. I chose Judaism when I was 12 years old, and ever since then, I’ve tried to make it my own.
