Senior Stories - Alyssa Hartstein

"You can measure four years of involvement in Hillel in the number of free cups of coffee, the ways that the staff has grown, or the calories you consumed at Shabbat dinners, but I choose to measure them in gratitude.

When coming to college, I was no stranger to the Jewish community.

In fact, I already knew that I wanted a career in the Jewish nonprofit field. Hillel has been a remarkable resource in preparation for this next step. I met some of my best friends at Freshmen Fest and had an incredible winter Birthright trip during my sophomore year, but it was the opportunity that Hillel gave me to attend the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Washington, D.C. that had the biggest impact on me.

I was inspired by the passion and energy felt in the room of 5,000 Jewish professionals, lay leaders and students. I returned from the conference with a new group of friends and a strong desire to become more involved within Hillel.

I felt an urge to make an impact and this led me to find more ways to get involved with building a vibrant Jewish community at UD. As a final hurrah, I decided to join the Senior Class Committee to inspire my peers to support Hillel.

Whether it was over a bowl of matzo ball soup at a Shabbat dinner or hanging out with friends at Hillel when I should have been doing homework, Hillel has been my home away from home. I feel extremely fortunate to have been a part of such an amazing organization."

Alyssa Hartstein

Class of 2017, University of Delaware