Before students head home for a hard-earned and much-needed break, Hillel at VCU is geared up for a slew of programming to wrap up the fall semester.
At the forefront of Jewish students’ minds is Finals Week, which kicks off on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and our first and foremost priority is to support the academic success of our students and to facilitate an atmosphere that allows Jewish students to excel.
To break up the monotony of studying for final exams, Hillel at VCU will host a Finals Study Break on Friday, Dec. 13, with Hanukkah-themed snacks and goodie bags. As students wrap up finals, they can join us for Hanukkah Movie Night on Monday, Dec. 16, and enjoy movie theater-style popcorn and a fun Hanukkah movie.
Hillel at VCU is committed to facilitating hard conversations steeped in Jewish learning on topics relevant to the daily lives of our students. Before students zone in for final exams, we are hosting two of our most popular educational programs.
Our bi-monthly Lunch and Learn allows students to ask big questions about Jewish identity. Our monthly Book Club will deep dive into Jai Chakrabarti’s “A Play for the End of the World”, an intersectional work of fiction that won the Jewish Book Council’s National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction in 2021.
An important part of supporting Jewish students at VCU is ensuring that Hillel at VCU staff members have the tools and support necessary to make the dreams of Jewish students a reality. Our staff is excited to participate in the Hillel International Global Assembly starting on Monday, December 9, in Boston, which is a four-day conference that brings together over 1,200 Hillel staff and lay leaders from around the world to learn together and build networks of shared knowledge and support for each other’s work.
As Hillel at VCU closes out the semester and heads to Boston for the conference, we look forward to sharing the inspiration that every one of our supporters has given. Jewish students, now more than ever, are turning to the Jewish community on campus, and we ask that the Richmond Jewish community continue to support our efforts.
This Giving Tuesday, we look toward VCU alumni, parents, and friends, and ask for your partnership in continuing to ensure that Hillel and the Jewish community at VCU are in a position to thrive.
With the support of the Greater Richmond Jewish community, our students can be confident knowing there will be a network of support for them as they explore Jewish identity and embark on their Jewish journeys when they return in January.
Learn more about Hillel at VCU and how you can support Jewish students by emailing Joel Bond, our Executive Director, at joel@vcuhillel.com.
Get connected with Hillel at VCU programs by emailing Kayla Seabolt at kayla@vcuhillel.com.
