WHAT HILLEL HAS TO OFFER
Hillel at Binghamton is a student-run organization that provides a pluralistic environment where Jewish students from all backgrounds can explore, celebrate, travel, learn, volunteer, and grow.
Leadership
Student Leaders: 7 executive board members and 15 assembly members
Executive Board: The E-Board oversees all that goes on in Hillel. They help plan over 200 programs, work with the university, oversee a budget of over $25,000, engage over 1000 students, manage the assembly, and much more!
Assembly: Each assembly member runs their own subgroup yet is still a part of the overall Hillel Leadership. They plan and host weekly events, help make decisions for Hillel, and oversee their own boards.
Professional Staff: Our 7 professional staff members work alongside the student leaders as well as the general student population to meet the needs of our students.
Location
Hillel Office: The Hillel Office is open 9-5 each weekday and is located on the second floor of the Student Union right next to the Bookstore.
Hillel Lounge: The Lounge is open 24/7 and is located on the third floor of the University Union. The Lounge has a full Beit Midrash and is used for programs as well as a space for students to hang out.
Subgroups
Each subgroup focuses on something different and unique to cover all of the interests of our student body. Subgroups often collaborate with each other as well as other organizations to help students get as involved as possible.
First Year Students of Hillel (FYSH)
Keshet
OU-JLIC
Holidays
Koach (Conservative Jews of Hillel)
RJH (Reform Jews of Hillel)
HOP (Hillel Outdoor Pursuits)
Challah for Hunger
Senior Programming
Bearcats for Israel (BC4I)
Jewish Union of Graduate Students (JUGS)
Kaskeset
Shabbat Experience
Communities
Keshet: Keshet is dedicated to the Jewish LGBTQ+ community. Keshet aims to provide queer Jewish students and allies with opportunities to socialize, learn, and grow in a supportive community.
First-Year Students of Hillel (FYSH): FYSH helps new students make friends and find a place within the larger Hillel community through a big/little program, social events, and leadership opportunities.
Senior Programming: Senior Programming offers fun events for seniors within the Jewish community in hopes to make their last year at Binghamton and in Hillel as memorable as possible.
Kaskeset: Kaskeset is Binghamton’s only Jewish a cappella group. Kaskeset has a wide repertoire that includes Jewish liturgical, Israeli pop, and English pop songs.
Cultural
Bearcats for Israel (B4I): B4I, Hillel’s Israel organization, encourages and empowers students to create a stronger cultural, spiritual, and physical connection with Israel through tons of programs and activities.
Birthright: Hillel at Binghamton offers a free 10-day trip to Israel led by Hillel at Binghamton staff members that encourage friendships, education, hands-on experiences, and tons of fun!
Maccabee Task Force (MTF): MTF is a unique trip to Israel that focuses on combating BDS and anti-Semitism at its forefront by providing resources as well as hands-on experience to students.
Religious
Shabbat Experience: The Shabbat Experience, which is Hillel’s largest weekly event with over 200 students, organizes the events between Friday night Shabbat Dinner and Seudah Shlishit on Saturday.
Holidays: Holidays committee is responsible for the organization of programs, services, and events for all of the on-campus major Jewish holidays that fall during the academic year.
Reform Jews of Hillel (RJH): RJH is focused on connecting the Reform Jewish community of Binghamton through weekly services, usually involving a guitar, and social events during the year.
Conservative Jews of Hillel (KOACH): KOACH is a great way for the Conservative Jewish community to come together throughout the year at fun events as well as each week at Kabbalat Shabbat services and occasional Saturday morning services at Temple Israel Vestal.
Orthodox Students of Hillel (OU-JLIC): OU-JLIC brings together the Orthodox Jewish community through Friday night services, Saturday morning services. and recurring weekly events. They even have their own newsletter!
Programs
With programs almost every day from the different subgroups, Hillel provides students with tons of opportunities to be involved as well as find ways to be connected to the rest of the Hillel and Jewish Community.
Major Events: Hillel hosts many large-scale events that are not specific to one subgroup. The events are aimed to connect the entire Jewish community at Binghamton. Some examples include Aroma Cafe, Kosher NOWL, and Israel Week!
Caffeination Station: Every week, Mickey and some of our interns post up in the University Union and are available for all students to come grab a coffee and relax between classes.
Beverages with Brian: Brian, our Executive Director, hosts a monthly happy hour for upperclassmen to talk about life, Judaism, and the hot topics of today.
Learning
Education: The Education subgroup works with Hillel at Binghamton and the Jewish community to create and support open and pluralistic learning opportunities, programming, and resources.
Thursday Night Torah (TNT): Thursday Night Torah, run by the Orthodox Students Of Hillel, is a student lead shiur that meets every week to discuss any topic that interests the students or the presenter.
Jewish/Israel Learning Fellowships: These semester-long courses provide students a way to learn in an open discussion-based environment. Each student is given a stipend once the course is completed.
Havruta: Our OU-JLIC on staff Rabbi and Educations love to sit down with our students to have havruta’s on any topic that interests them!
Social Action
Committee for Social Justice (C4SJ): C4SJ works to create justice through their own events, partnering with on-campus organizations, collaborating with other subgroups, and working with local non-profits.
Challah for Hunger (C4H): Each week, students bake different flavors of challah that is then sold in the Hillel Office to raise money for anti-hunger organizations that work on both a national and local level.
