Open Hillel, which has sparked considerable controversy for refusing to abide by Hillel International’s pro-Israel guidelines, has announced today that it will be holding its first national conference this October. The event, which will be hosted at Harvard University, will feature panels and discussions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict and hot-button issues facing the American…
Hillel President Eric Fingerhut chats with a student / Flickr: Hillel News and Views As members of Open Hillel’s steering committee, my fellow organizers and I commend Hillel International’s recent announcement to create the “Hillel International Israel Strategy Committee,” which will review the organization’s current approach to dialogue on Israel and Palestine and make recommendations…
The Hillel-affiliated Wesleyan Jewish Community announced its “solidarity with, and support of, the Open Hillel movement.” The statement issued April 2 was signed by three current Jewish student leaders and nine former Jewish student leaders at Wesleyan University in Connecticuit. “At Wesleyan, values of inclusion are central to our identity both as Jews and as…
The Vassar Jewish Union has declared itself an “Open Hillel,” becoming the second organization to break from Hillel International over the parent group’s pro-Israel guidelines. “We believe that Hillel International’s goal to ‘inspire every Jewish college student to develop a meaningful and enduring relationship to Israel’ does not represent the diverse opinions of young American…
Hillel President Eric Fingerhut chats with a student. Flickr: Hillel News and Views. Hillel, the ancient sage, was famously impossible to insult. The Talmud portrays intellectuals, rebellious students, passersby and would-be converts as offering jokes, specious arguments, and outrageous claims — all to rattle the unflappable teacher. But in the face of faulty arguments, Hillel…
