Hillel at USC
Hillel at the University of
South Carolina continues
to grow. Check out our
newsletter to find out!
Issue I, Spring 2015
Letter from the President
Spring 2015 has been a fantastic semester for Hillel at The University of South
Carolina. We have had so many great programs and growing participation among our
members, that the executive board has begun planning for the fall and we are so
excited!
Hillel brought a new, innovative program to campus this semester, Hillel 101, where
students engaged in discussion with Rabbi Oppenheim on what it means to be Jewish
on a college campus. Hillel also put on multiple Shabbat dinners, which included
catering by Chipotle, Chick-fil-a, Pizza Hut, and a sponsored dinner by Groucho’s.
Bowling and trivia nights were fun events for members to take part in and students even
enjoyed some free pizza! In April, students participated in a Yom Hashoah (Holocaust
Remembrance Day) ceremony where candles were lit and we remembered those lives
lost during the Holocaust.
In this past semester alone, we have seen a huge increase in membership and
participation and we are excited for all of the events for members we have coming up.
Be sure to check out our Welcome Week events in August and stay up to date with all
upcoming things on our Facebook account! Have a great summer!
Elyse Bodenheimer
Hillel President 2015|[email protected]
Spring 2014
Shabbat Dinners
At least once a month, the members of
Hillel gather in Patterson Hall to
celebrate Shabbat together. Meeting in
Patterson is great because it is a central
location on campus. It is nice to be able
to finish out the week and rejoice in
Shabbat together as a community. It is
also nice to have a free meal! We have
had food from Chick-fil-a, a local Pizza
place, and Chipotle. Our last dinner
was generously catered free of charge
by Groucho’s Deli. We start out the
night by saying a few prayers over the
Shabbat candles, singing some fun
songs, and then it’s time to nosh! Many
students have attended and everyone
has had a good time.
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Spring 2014
Hillel 101
Our newest program, Hillel 101, has
been quite successful this semester.
Every Tuesday night, students meet
with Rabbi Oppenheim to discuss
Jewish topics such as the full history of
our
Jewish
people,
synagogues,
marriage, Purim, and many more. In
addition, students also were taught basic
Hebrew reading and writing skills. This
initiative has brought learning about
Judaism to USC, and has encouraged
many to become more interested in the
religion.
Donations
Hillel at USC is very appreciative for all
donations and monetary contributions
to our events. Hillel is 100 % funded by
donations and doesn’t require members
to pay dues. In order to fund the many
events we do during the year, we rely
heavily on your support.
Please,
consider sponsoring a Shabbat Dinner
or donating any amount you can in
order to ensure the continuation of
Hillel at the University of South
If you are interested in donating,
please make out your taxdeductible donation out to
Columbia Jewish Federation:
Attention Hillel at USC.
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Spring 2014
Bowling and Trivia Nights
Bowling and trivia nights have both been great events
that we have taken part in this year! We have had bowling
and trivia nights this semester.
Bowling was really fun. We carpooled together to the
bowling alley and shared a few lanes to bowl. Pizza was
provided by Hillel. It was nice to hang out in a social setting
with the members of Hillel and have some fun together.
Stay
Connected
With Us!
Online
hillelatusc.org
Trivia nights have always had a great turn-out from
Hillel members. Trivia is held by Village Idiot, a local pizza
place in five-points, every Wednesday. While we may not
have won, we had a great time eating pizza and trying to
figure out as many answers as we could!
Hanging out with our Jewish peers outside of a
religious setting is awesome, and Hillel will definitely be
hosting more bowling and trivia nights in the future.
Instagram
@HillelUSC
Super Sunday
In order to show our gratitude
for all of the support we receive
from the Columbia Jewish
Federation, Hillel members
gave back by volunteering in
Super Sunday. We called
members of the Columbia
Jewish community in order to
raise money that would benefit
the many organizations the
Federations assists, including
Hillel at USC. In total, Super
Sunday raised over $10,000.
Facebook
Hillel at USC
Twitter
@HillelatUSC
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Spring 2014
Passover Seder
Hillel held a Passover Seder in April that
was heavily attended by students. It was
great to see those of us who were not able
to go home for the holiday to come
together to celebrate Passover. We had a
fully kosher caterer that included
delicious food such as chicken, fish, rice,
chicken soup, and more. Ronen
Rappaport, Hillel’s religious chair, put
together a wonderful service and did a
great job leading it. Ryan Hodge played
guitar during the prayers and songs, and
everyone had a great time singing along.
It was a great to spend Passover with fellow
students, and we look forward to having
another Seder next year!
Hillel Executive Board 2015
A huge thanks goes out to the Hillel
Executive Board. The board has been
hard at work, this semester, planning
events for all members to enjoy. We
can’t wait for next semester to show
all the events we have in store!
President- Elyse Bodenheimer
Vice President- Rachel Odzer
Secretary- Elyse Bryman
Treasurer- Ryan Hodge
Member at Large- Erica Maisey
Co-PR Chairs- Jenna Rosen &
Amanda Budd
Jewish Identity Chair- Tamir
Shitrit
Religious Chair- Ronen Rappaport
Not Pictured: Ronen
Rappaport
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Our executive board’s mission is to increase Jewish student
involvement at USC through religious and social programming on
campus, and by connecting students to the greater Jewish community
Students! Please go online and fill out the
survey so we can help you.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V7K2HLR
Newsletter Authors:
Amanda Budd & Jenna Rosen