It's never too late to join Hillel

Hillel of WWU does some of its largest and most popular programs during Spring Quarter. New membership is always welcomed!

See for yourself during these coming events:

May 5th- "Walk on Water" showing at Communications Facility, room 110. Snacks and beverages provided.

May 6th- Former IDF member Ayal Levi speaks with students about Israel. Fraser Lecture Hall, room 4.

May 8th- FALAFEL FEED. Fully-catered falafel buffet accompanied by a night of Israeli dance music, partying and prizes. Rec Center, MAC gym (in the back of the building). Cost: $5.

May 13th- Photo Scavenger Hunt

May 20th- Game night and ice cream social

May 27th- Interfaith tolerance program

June 3rd- End of the year BBQ at Boulevard Park

I hope to see new faces during the last few weeks of this quarter. Good luck with midterms!

B'Shalom,
Anna

Looking for Leadership Opportunities?

There are always opportunities to be a student leader within Hillel. We are currently seeking board members for the 2008-2009 academic year, social programmers, community/university liaisons and volunteers for our events. We have positions that fit all levels of time commitment--please visit me during my office hours (Tuesdays 6-7:30 upstairs in the Shalom Center) or email hillelwwu@gmail.com if you are interested.

Don't forget--next week we have Holocaust Remembrance Week followed by Israel @ 60! Tell your friends!

B'Shalom,
Anna

Reminder

Hillel will not be meeting in the Shalom Center on Tueday, April 29th nor on Tuesday, May 6th. During those weeks, we will be hosting events on campus for Holocaust Remembrance Week and Israel@60! respectively.

April 29th we will be in Communications Facility 110 beginning at 6pm.
May 6 we will be in Fraser 4 beginning at 6pm.

B'Shalom,
Anna

Hillel and LCM Dinner

Hillel has invited Lutheran Campus Ministries (our Shalom Center family) to a kosher-for-Passover dinner on Tuesday, April 22nd, at 7:30.

Many of you many remember our dinner last quarter that we hosted with Muslim Student Association. Forming these alliances with other smaller religious groups on campus creates community, builds tolerance, and enables us to learn from one another! Social activities will accompany the dinner.

Speaking of Pesach, are you still looking for a Seder to go to (either on the first or second night)? If so, please email hillelwwu@gmail.com, and I will find a place for you to go. Many families in the area would be excited to host a Western student at their Seder, so please don't hesitate to ask!

B'Shalom,
Anna

Holocaust Remembrance Week

We have made a few changes to the events and programs during Holocaust Remembrance Week. The dates and times, however, have stayed the same. Here is the final schedule of events:

April 28th- Hillel of WWU and STAND will be co-hosting a showing of the film Hotel Rwanda as well as a dialogue afterwards. CF 110, 6-9.

April 29th- Rabbi Cindy Enger of Bellingham's Congregation Beth Israel will come and share her expertise on the subject of modern day Holocaust denial. How is this crime presenting itself, and what can we do when faced with it? Hillel members will entertain Q&A after the talk. CF 110, 6-8.

April 30th- Join us for a special collaborative presentation on modern day genocide and how we can use our voices to educate and alert others of this issue. STAND (A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition) will co-present information and give advice to students seeking a way to become involved in anti-genocide advocacy. CF 110, 6-8.

May 1- Candle Light vigil in red square in remembrance of the Holocaust. Red Square, 8-9 pm, candles and beverages provided.

Would you like to volunteer at any of these events? Just email hillelwwu@gmail.com and we would be happy to work with you.

B'Shalom,
Anna

Western Front Covers Holocaust Remembrance Week

The Western Front's Jesse Amorratanasuchad covers Hillel's Holocaust Remembrance Week in this article from the 4/11 edition

B'Shalom,
Anna

Holocaust Remembrance Week

For the first time at Western Washington University, Hillel will host Holocaust Remembrance Week, which will facilitate a week of workshops for the campus community (April 28th-May 1). We are very pleased to announce that the response from students and faculty about this event has been very positive and helpful. We have several members of our community working with us on this project, and I would like to highlight them:

Rabbi Cindy Enger- Rabbi Enger is a spiritual and community leader in our community. She currently serves as a the rabbi for Congregation Beth Israel. Rabbi Enger has a vast repertoire of experiences working within the Jewish community in areas spanning social services to spiritual and religious guidance. Prior to her rabbinical career, Rabbi Enger practiced law in Chicago. We are lucky to have her as our speaker for our event "Confronting Modern Holocaust Denial" on Tuesday, April 29th.

Reverend Christopher Berry- Rev. Berry has worked as an interfaith leader in our campus community for many years. He currently directs the Shalom Center, home of both Hillel of WWU and Lutheran Campus Ministries of WWU. In addition to numerous activities and areas of involvement, Rev. Berry sits on the advisory board of the Northwest Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Ethnocide Education at Western Washington University and has been a mentor to WWU Hillel throughout the years.

Dr. Ray Wolpow- Dr. Wolpow has led education efforts on the Holocaust in the Bellingham community for several years. He directs the Northwest Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Ethnocide Education at Western Washington University and has been an invaluable wealth of information for all students and community members who wish to learn and explore issues surrounding the Holocaust, genocide and ethnocide.

STAND (A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition)- STAND works to educate students and community members on the reality of the situation in Darfur, raise relief funds, and advocate for political action. We are grateful to have STAND co-presenting with us for our "Modern Day Genocide" program on Wednesday, April 30th.

I hope that you will consider joining us for this week of workshops and presentations, on which many leaders and experts in the community have colaborated with Hillel. All of the events are free, and parking in the C-lot (on the south side of campus) will also be free.

B'Shalom,
Anna

Upcoming Spring Quarter Events

We're into week two of the quarter and I am realizing just how busy these next few weeks will be! Hillel is a great place to stop by on Tuesday nights, relax a little (or bring your homework because we do have free wireless internet), and join us for an event or two. Here's what we have coming up:


4/8: Hookah @ Shalom Center
We'll have some Middle Eastern snacks, hookah going on outside and plenty of inside activities for those who don't smoke.

4/15: Elections and Dinner
Want an experience being a Jewish leader on campus? Then you should run for Hillel board! You could be a part of creating weekly programming, working with community members and gaining life-long skills.

4/22: Passover Dinner
Let's be honest: the dining halls are not exactly the best place to go during Passover. Come over to the Shalom Center, where a kosher-for-Pesach feast will be awaiting you.

4/29: A Week of Remembrance (Ongoing Holocaust programs)

Hillel of WWU is hosting a week of events about the Holocaust for the entire campus and Bellingham community. Hillel is striving to make a difference so that the tragedy of genocide (which continues to happen in the present day) is forever ended. All of these events are FREE and open to the public.

April 28th- Hillel of WWU and STAND will be co-hosting a showing of the film “Hotel Rwanda” as well as a dialogue afterwards. CF 110, 6-9.

April 29th- Rabbi Cindy Enger of Bellingham's Congregation Beth Israel will come and share her expertise on the subject of modern day Holocaust denial. How is this crime presenting itself, and what can we do when faced with it? Hillel members will entertain Q&A after the talk. CF 110, 6-8.

April 30th- Join us for a special collaborative presentation on modern day genocide and how we can use our voices to educate and alert others of this issue. STAND (A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition) will co-present information and give advice to students seeking a way to become involved in anti-genocide advocacy. CF 110, 6-8.

May 1- Candle Light vigil in red square in remembrance of the Holocaust. Red Square, 8-9 pm, candles and beverages provided.

5/6: Israel at 60! (A week of Israel-related programming)

Israel is turning 60! Come celebrate this occasion with Hillel of WWU during a week of Israel-related programming!

May 5th- "Walk on Water"
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352994/) showing with Israeli snacks, CF 110 6pm-9pm (you can park in the C-lot for free!)

May 6th- Speaker Ayal Levi, a former member of the IDF and now current student of medicine at University of Victoria, will come and share his experiences in a presentation followed by questions and answers. This event will take place in Fraser Hall (we will update you on the room soon!) from 6-9.

May 8th- FALAFEL FEED!!! We are hosting a fully-catered falafel feed with Israeli music, prizes and a surprise performer! Cost is minimal; $5.00 a person. If you are a student and volunteer to help with set-up, you don't have to pay. Rec Center: MAC Gym, 7-10!!

5/13: Game Night
Unwind by playing all of the classics! Chinese food is on the menu!

5/20: Photo Scavenger Hunt
Groups will compete to take photos of some of the strangest poses and artifacts that we have ever asked for.

5/27: Mariner's Game
This event may be moved to a Saturday evening due to game availabilities.

6/3: End of the year BBQ at Boulevard
A Hillel of WWU tradition: S'mores, hot dogs, all of your favorite bbq foods along with frisbee, a pinata and end of the year awards.

I hope that you will join us for some (or all) of these events. Keep checking the blog for updates on our programs for this quarter, volunteer/international opportunities, Hillel news, and other information.

B'Shalom,
Anna