People always ask me what kind of Jew I am. I’m just a Mizrahi Jew, and that’s good enough.

“People always ask me what kind of Jew I am. Orthodox? Conservative? Reform? I always say, ‘I’m just a Mizrahi Jew, and that’s good enough.’ My passion for Judaism led me to spend a gap year in Israel before college. When it was time for me to return home, I cried. I wanted to stay. What helped me transition from life in Israel to life on campus was becoming a student leader at CU Boulder Hillel my freshman year of college. Hillel gave me a space to do what I loved — programming about Judaism and Israel. I recently collaborated with other Hillel students to start CU Mountain Jews, an outdoor group for Hillel students. Our hope is that by organizing low-barrier events through a Jewish lens, we’ll encourage students of all backgrounds to engage in more discussions about Judaism and Israel. By seeing others who love Judaism and Israel, they’ll also start to feel their own unique connection — whatever that may look like. At Hillel, no one is too Jewish, and no one isn’t Jewish enough.” — Tania Blanga, University of Colorado Boulder