2020s Timeline

Cooking Up Community At Hillel at Virginia Tech

On any Friday afternoon, you will see ‘Hillel’s Kitchen’ bustling with activity preparing for a crowd of 90+ students. Behind the chef, a commercial oven hums, ready to cook the vegetable casserole for Hillel at Virginia Tech’s weekly Shabbat, or Sabbath dinner. Beneath his feet, the clean blue floor shined. Across the room where the color changed to red, seasoned chicken quarters roasted in a second set of ovens. It takes two full commercial kitchens — one for dairy and another for meat — to prepare the traditional Shabbat meal. Hillel has the only such kosher health department approved facility in the New River Valley. On Friday evening when Tech classes are in session, the center provides a place for Jewish students and curious non-Jewish students to come together. “It’s this big thing, getting to eat kosher food with literally all of my friends,” senior biology major Leor Clark said. “We’re blessed to have that because, honestly, in the South there aren’t many places to eat kosher. And there aren’t that many Hillels that can provide kosher food, so we’re really, really, really lucky.”

COVID Strikes

In 2018 Grant Bigman became Hillel at Virginia Tech’s first ever Assistant Director. Grant and six students were on the 12th annual trip in New Orleans for an Alternative Service Break when COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic. It wassurreal at first. Things were cancelled right away – meetings with key partners, in-person synagogue services, and visits to museums. Then came word from campus that we should not come back to Blacksburg. The university was extending Spring Break by another week while they figured out
what to do next.

“Our students were nervous. They were scared, having explored Bourbon Street the day before, and wondered whether they were infected. Yet here we were sitting in a room, in proximity, on eight bunk beds.

But it was a growth experience. Our students matured quickly. They learned how to evaluate rumors, focus on getting information straight from the source, and how to support each other. When Spring Break ended, our staff drafted up our Corona Viable Plan. Even with COVID and the challenge of not knowing exactly what was possible and what was safe, we set out to meet our mission.”

Jewish Pride in Spite of Antisemitism

“We fought for our place on this campus,
and we are still here –
and we will be here forever.”
Briana Schwam

“As a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I always thought that the antisemitism of their time would always be a lesson of history – a lesson everyone would understand, and a reminder not to make the same mistakes again.

I’m sorry to say that the antisemitism they knew, and which preceded the Shoah – the scapegoating of Jews, the blaming of Jews, the threats andintimidation of Jews – still exists.

During my tenure as Hillel student president, there was a concerted anti-Israel campaign led by a handful of anti-Israel activists in the Graduateand Professional Student Senate (GPSS). These activists pressed forward with a plan to pass a bill condemning Israel and urging the campus to boycott the Jewish State and interactions with Israeli universities and academics.

As a result, friends of mine decided to not “visibly” show their Jewish identity out of fear. The hostile campus climate impacted my academic career and my mental health. Hillel at Virginia Tech supported me and Jewish students across campus during this time. And though the resolution passed, we emerged stronger. We currently have the largest graduate student presence in our Hillel for the first time in Virginia Tech history. We have met with President Sands to alert him to the situation and to urge him to improve the campus climate for Jewish students.”

President Sands with Sue Kurtz, Briana Schwam and Dana Kraskin meet about antisemitism on Virginia Tech campus.

Leah Hirsh greets Laura Jacobs in camel costume.

Israelfest

The Israelfest, which takes place every year across the campus, provides a platform for meaningful discussions about Jewish
identity and our relationship with Israel. It is an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between our experiences in Israel and our home country, and allowes us to develop a stronger sense of confidence in our Judaism.

“We believe in the Mission and we love the energy of Hillel at Virginia Tech. Despite not being an alumni or parent, we became interested in Hillel at Virginia Tech as a result of the courageousness of Liviu Librescu, and stayed involved due to the leadership. Engaging young Jewish students and developing in them an appreciation of Jewish history, accomplishment and culture is the key to our Jewish future.”

Jay and Jodi Klebanoff

Reflections

Hillel has long been a place where our students develop professionally and learn to become leaders.

“Hillel gave me my first Jewish home away from home. It taught me skills I will use the rest of my life. And it gave me confidence to lead.”
Sydney Sarfan

“One of my favorite memories was when I helped plan Daniel Pearl Music Day. Hillel embraced the global initiative Daniel Pearl Music Day to connect people through music. This tradition was named in the memory of Daniel Pearl, a Jewish journalist who was murdered by terrorists while he was working in Pakistan. It was the first time I was a part of something bigger than myself – something that would affect others on a large scale. We created an event which brought people together, with a universal message of hope and in the universal language of music. Throughout the planning process, we had a sense it would work out well. But only at the end did we see the impact we could have. And we are so grateful to Hillel for helping us be part of this great moment.”

“Hillel helped shape my career as a non-profit professional. I held my first internship ever with Hillel, and it was meaningful for me to return to the program years later as the interns’ supervisor. I enjoyed mentoring, as each student navigated their own journey through campus life and established their ‘home away from home’. The experience strengthened my understanding of community and how to create a sense of belonging, skills that I still use in my job today.”
Isabel Shocket

Through deep discussions and an expanded curriculum, Isabel built strong supervisory and facilitation skills, while also challenging the students to push beyond their comfort zone to accomplish great things. One of the interns that Isabel hired, Emma Cohen, also went on to join our staff team in 2016. Emma recalls, “Growing up, I was the only Jew in my classes. Hillel was my first introduction to the Jewish diaspora. I began as an intern and continued to immerse myself in looking for my Jewish connection by becoming a professional engagement staff person with Hillel after a year in Israel on an Onward MASA program.”

“I began to see my Jewish identity and my path to being Jewish as more than just religious observation. I began to feel as though I was part of a people, a nation, a family.”
Lauren Fialkow

For Lauren Fialkow, finding Hillel at Virginia Tech could not have come at a better time in her life. She was a brand new college student, living away from home for the first time, and was struggling to find her place in what felt like a massive university. That’s when she found out about Birthright. Although she had no previous plans to visit Israel, she was drawn in by the chance to travel internationally with fellow VT students. Upon returning, she became more active in Jewish life, and made friends with students across the campus. She started feeling at home thanks to Hillel and made Hillel a center for her interestsand passions.

Shayna Horwitz reflecting on the experiential learning opportunities she had through Hillel at Virginia Tech.

Irv Blank and Rhona Blank visit the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for a Shabbat dinner.

Further Expansion with Alumni

“I started with the Pipeline Project because I believe that it can really help students. It gives students the opportunity to network with alumni for advice, job opportunities, and insight into the workforce. The Hokies support system is strong and this is an accessible means of using that network.”
Maddy Kassoff, ‘23

In 2021, in the midst of a global pandemic, Hillel at Virginia Tech began the Pipeline Project to bring Jewish alumni and Jewish upperclassmen together to support each other in career advice and in discussions around antisemitism, and other topics of relevance.

Pipeline Project to build Alumni Community.

Doris Sue Kantor stands in front of one of two huge stained glass windows in the sanctuary of the Ahavath Sholom Synagogue on Albemarle Street in Bluefield.

Ahavath Shalom Synagogue Closes

In 2021, during the COVID pandemic, Temple Ahavath Shalom (est. 1902), Bluefield, West Virginia’s only Synagogue closed its doors as the community grew too small. Although the temple may have closed its doors, the legacy of the people who were in the congregation over the years is a long and distinguished one.

It was, in fact, Sandy and Calvin Deitz who saw to it that after the temple closed, some of the items were sent to Hillel at Virginia Tech, as their daughter and many temple members’ children attended Virginia Tech. This included a Torah from the Holocaust, another kosher Torah and the Torah ornaments and beautifully embroidered Torah covers, that Sandy, herself had framed and had hung in the temple for years.

Their gift represented their gratitude to Hillel, and honored the tradition of tzedakah by investing in our shared community. “Molly and I were proud to support Hillel at our wedding, and later that year we got to do it again as we competed against each other in the first inaugural Commonwealth Kiddush Cup,” said Joe. “I support Hillel to pay forward the community that took care of me while I was Blacksburg. The confidence, leadership, and friendships I built with Hillel at VT continue to support me today.”

Mixed Marriage A Hokie and a Wahoo

The Commonwealth Kiddush Cup repre-sents one of the greatest honors for our Hillel – our rivalry with the University of Virginia goes back many decades, and in the spirit of friendly competition, we try to outdo them every year. However, sometimes, our rivalry has to take a break as it did when Joe Nizhnikov married Molly Rubin in 2013. Joe went to Blacksburg; Molly went to Charlottesville. They met two years after graduating, and so when they married, both the Hillel Executive Directors of UVA and VT attended. Fittingly, the couple honored both of our Hillels by contributing tzedekah as part of the celebration.