“I’ve definitely had people label me as the ‘Jewish girl,'” said Shaina Fox, an agribusiness junior and vice president of Hillel, the Jewish cultural club.
For Fox, being Jewish at Cal Poly has made her experience some adversities, but has also made her find outlets to practice her faith with others in groups like Hillel.
Hillel is a national organization that brings Jews together at college campuses across the country. Hillel chapters range in size and can be as large as the one at UCLA’s, which boasts 2,500 members, or as few as a dozen members at smaller colleges. Hillel of San Luis Obispo currently has about 200 active members according to Ari Dekosky, president of Hillel. She also mentioned that four years ago, when the club first started and her brother Micah was involved, there were only 40 active members.
No matter how big or small, Hillel offers Jewish students a chance to get together for social events and religious holidays.
“Everyone knew about (Hillel) in high school, but I got involved and stayed involved to hold on to the traditions,” Fox said. Many holidays, according to the Jewish calendar, fall mid-week and often times will be during finals or midterms, which make it hard for students to go home to be with their families. “It’s a completely different experience,” Fox added. “Your friends are your family here.”
And if students wanted to be involved in organizations other than Hillel, there are several options. “Hillel does a good job of bringing Jews together, but we do have a Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and then we just got a new synagogue, Congregation Beth David that’s reformed,” said agribusiness junior Seth Kweller.
Kweller recently participated in what is known as birthright, a program that allows Jews between the age of 18 and 26 to go on a free 10-day trip to Israel.
“Birthright is to find your roots,” Kweller said. “They have different levels so you can go with an orthodox trip or a conservative trip, and there’s even trips where there’s no orientation.”
Several organizations, including Hillel International, sponsor the free trips with the help of private funding and the Israeli government.
At Cal Poly, Hillel has sent seven people over the past two years on birthright trips. All that is needed is an application and an interview process to prove Jewish roots.
However, for students who have not gone on birthright or have yet to go, the only two major programs at Cal Poly are Hillel and the Jewish fraternity.
Brian Hubbs, a liberal studies junior, gave more insight on what it’s like to be a part of the fraternity, which got re-chartered in 2003, and how it has kept faith in his life.
“For me, the fraternity and Hillel have helped me to not feel isolated or discriminated,” Hubbs said.
Within the fraternity, he has participated in activities like carrying the Torah from the old Congregation Beth David to the new one, a six-mile trek; or planting trees this upcoming weekend at the temple for the Jewish holiday Tu B’Shvat.
It is activities like these that keep Hubbs practicing his religion at Cal Poly. “We try to do a lot of good stuff for people,” Hubbs said. “The cultural aspect of Judaism is really rewarding and enriching.”