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February 2017 - In This Issue
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From Executive Director Scott Selig
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Dear ,
לֹא-תִקֹּםוְלֹא-תִטֹּראֶת-בְּנֵיעַמֶּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּלְרֵעֲךָכָּמוֹךָ: אֲנִי, יְהוָה
"Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,
but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."-
Leviticus
19:18
In the spirit of valentines day, the February newsletter theme is love. At UConn Hillel we view love as our attitude to all of the partners we work with on campus and abroad. We have worked with over 50 community partners this last semester, some are listed here; AEPhi, SAM, AEPi, UConn Judaic Studies Department, Trinity Hillel, UHart Hillel, JTS, The Daily Campus Newspaper, Hillel International, Multiple Greek organizations, UConn Division of Student Affairs, Area Association of Religious Communities, Chabad at UCONN, UConn Visitors Center, The Dodd Center, Zionist Organization of America, StandWithUs, Hasbara, CAMERA, The David Project, Arava Institute, Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Hebrew University, Masa, Onward Israel, Young Adult Division of The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Moishe House, BBYO.
We know we could not be successful without these partners, who have a common mission of enhancing the Jewish people and work to make our world a better place for all. We can not succeed without each other. We hope you will join us in our effort to spread love and collaboration. We need parents, alumni and the community to strengthen your support to us. Please join our Parents Club, Alumni Network and Friends of UConn Hillel. Let's make this spring one of building stronger relations and spread the love!
(Yosh Goodman, a Junior Pre-
Veterinarian student, speaking with a
representative from CAMERA on Campus at the Fall Back to Israel Fair
)
Follow us on social media to see the impact we make on students on a daily basis!
Facebook - @hilleluconn
Instagram - @uconn_hillel
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A Snapshot Into Our Semester
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HuskyTHON
UConn Hillel proudly
participated in the
2017
HuskyTHON
! Over 15 Hillel students participated in the annual dance marathon that raises funds for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Thank you to everyone who donated to the UConn Hillel HuskyTHON team.
Because of your support our team was able to triple our fundraising goal to $5,000 and HuskyTHON was able to raise it's most yet, with over $800,000 going to the
Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
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Shab-a-capella
UConn Hillel held its first ever Shab-A-Capella on February 24! Following a traditional Egalitarian services and dinner, we were thrilled to host 5 of UConn's amazing acapella groups for a performance and ice cream sundae bar!
Performances included Conn-Men, UConn Chordials, The Rolling Tones, Notes Over Storrs, and Extreme Measures!
Check out the video below of Extreme Measures performing Pop by NSYNC
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AIPAC 101 Lobby Training
On Wednesday, February 1 , UConn Hillel and AIPAC hosted a workshop and Q&A about how to effectively lobby training program and what AIPAC's mission is. Students had the opportunity to ask AIPAC staff about the role of AIPAC in the American/Israel relationship and how to best support Israel as a student on campus.
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Avi Schaefer Coexistence Shabbat
UConn Hillel was joined by St. Thomas Church for our annual Avi Schaefer Shabbat. Avi Schaefer Shabbat is a national initiative for the purpose of bringing together students on college campuses for a communal meal and fostering interfaith understanding and cross-cultural encounters.
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UConn Hillel alumni and current students gathered at the BBYO International Convention in Dallas, TX from February 17th-20th. The alumni are currently employed in the Jewish communal field and were there to staff for their respective organizations.
(L to R: Emily Block- Assistant Director at UConn Hillel, Jen Kruzansky-Associate Regional Director for BBYO Connecticut Valley Region, Avi Schwimmer- Educational Leadership Consultant at Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, Evan Wexler- UConn Senior, Dana Lew- Traveling Educational Consultant at Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority)
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Giving back at HuskyTHON
Max Helfand is a junior from Norwalk, CT, majoring in Theatre Studies.
As a first time HuskyTHON dancer, I didn't know what to expect. I knew HuskyTHON was an annual 18-hour dance marathon where students raise money for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, but other than that I didn't know much else about it. The resulting 18 hours were some of the most meaningful of my life. I came out of the dance marathon tired and sore, but so thoroughly moved that I would recommend it to every UConn Hillel student and every member of the UConn community.
The UConn Hillel family grew on February 17th with the addition of our special guest, Lily. Every HuskyTHON team pairs up with a "miracle child" who's received medical treatment from the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and attends HuskyTHON as a guest of honor and Lily was ours. Twelve-years-old, Lily loves UConn basketball, running/cross country, and dancing. Bouncing from the mechanical bull to the basketball courts to the dance floor and back again, you couldn't help but feel energized and full of hope.
As the UConn community huddled together at the closing ceremonies, I couldn't help but feel so much a part of something larger than myself and when the kids came around to cut off our bracelets, I was so grateful to have made a small difference in the last 18 hours. This moment was only heightened by sharing it with my fellow dancers from Hillel. Together, the Hillel team raised three times our initial goal to end with a total of over $5,000 and HuskyTHON raised over $800,000. Although it was an exhausting 18 hours I can't help but look foward to next year. Always- #FTK.
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Rachael (Cohen) Maly & Dan Maly
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Dan Maly (04) and Rachael (Cohen) Maly (06) met at a UConn Hillel dance in 2003 through a mutual friend. Rachael said, "
We're so grateful for Hillel because we would've never potentially met. We were married in 2008 and have two beautiful children Talia, who is four years old, and Jacob, who is two years old." While students at UCONN Hillel, Rachael and Dan attended Shabbat services and dinners, Passover Seder, and participated in a variety of other activities.
Dan has a bachelors in Finance and then went on to receive an MBA from UCONN. Rachael has a bachelors in communication disorders and a masters degree in speech language pathology.
Dan is the general manager of Second Chance furniture in Stamford, CT which is a family business that re-purposes second hand furniture. Dan's favorite part about his job is that he loves getting up for work every day, meeting new people, and works with a charity where part of the proceeds go to Mikey's Way Foundation. Rachael is a Speech Language Pathologist for a home care agency treating adults after they are discharged from the hospital. She treats a wide variety of patients - the other day she treated someone who was 101. The couple lives in Trumbull, Ct which is Rachael's hometown and about a mile from where Rachael's parents live.
(Dan and Rachel in college) (Dan, Rachel and their two children)
If you would like to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight, please contact Emily at [email protected].
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Mazel tov to Michelle Pomerantz on passing the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam, a national public health exam. Michelle is a fourth semester Master of Public Health student at UConn Health. She will be graduating this May with her MPH and a certificate in Nonprofit Management. In addition to being a MPH student, Michelle is the Graduate Assistant at the UConn Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, and is actively involved in the UConn Hillel Grad(Jew)ate Student Organization.
If you would like to be featured in our Mazel of the Month, please contact Emily at [email protected].
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Are you celebrating an engagement, wedding, baby, or new job?
Let us know!
UConn Hillel wants to share in your simchas! Let us know about your celebrations and you could be featured as our Mazel of the Month in our monthly newsletter!
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Birthright Bake-Off
MARCH 2 @ 7pm
Join us for a Birthright Bake-Off: Battle of the Birthrights and find out which Birthright bus (Summer 2016 or Winter 2016/2017) will take the cake (pun intended).
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Blaze Pizza UConn Hillel Fundraiser
MARCH 2 @ 5PM-9PM
Come out to Blaze in Storrs Center from 5-9pm and 20% of the proceeds will go back to Hillel! Just show this flyer on your phone.
Your food indulgence can help support us!
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Conflict Cafe
MARCH 7 @ 7PM-9PM
Join Moishe House of Hartford and the UConn Hillel Grad(Jew)ate Student Organization for an evening of questioning, listening and understanding.
Come over for some calming drinks and an open and safe space to share your thoughts and listen to the thoughts of others.
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Mr. NJB
MARCH 8 @ 7pm
Who will win the title of UConn's first ever Nice Jewish Boy (NJB)?
On Wednesday, March 8, at 7pm, join us in the Student Union Theatre as 12 guys go head-to-head to win your heart and the title of Mr. NJB! Bubbie will be kvelling from the audience!
Contestants will be judged on formal, swimsuit and everyday attire, in addition to a Q&A and talent portion. The night will conclude with a Win-A-Date auction! Bring some extra cash and bid on the one of our mentsches.
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CONTACT US
Phone: 860-429-9007
Fax: 860-429-2344
If you an idea for something that you want to see happen, we would love to hear from you!
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