Rocio Romero, Spring 2009 News Editor
Shalom is always a welcome greeting from members of Hillel, a club dedicated to spreading Jewish awareness to students and the community.
Hillel is an internationally known organization that has been part of Pierce College, as well as other universities and community colleges, for 50 years.
The club received its title thanks to a scholar named Hillel whose interpretation of the Torah was the “right one,” according to Sara Kheel, 23, Hillel program coordinator.
“Out of the two scholars, Hillel’s interpretation was right,” she said.
There is a wide range of reasons for the purpose of the club beginning with them conducting various events that not only members of the Hillel club can enjoy but the community as well.
Some of the events to help the community that the club has conducted include Bagel Brigade which help feed children whose families can’t afford breakfast the most important meal of the day. Collecting canned and packaged food for thanksgiving festivities. As well as once a month on campus Hillel buys bread, peanut butter and jelly that way students have the opportunity to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to donate to the San Fernando Rescue Mission.
Meir Tassa, 22, Jewish Peer Intern who plans programs and promotes events says the main idea of the club is not only to have the community be involved in their events but to keep the community together.
Tassa, an international student who has been attending Pierce for two semesters came to the United States and felt that everybody was busy with their own life. In Hillel he found “support” he said.
That’s exactly his main purpose. Tassa was the speaker at an event the club hosted Thursday called Pizza and Israel. It was a general presentation about Israel to remind students, “not to forget where we came from, what we stand for and what we believe in,” Tassa said.
Kheel hoped that those who went to the event “went home with a better understanding with the place that means a lot to the Jewish people.”
Karen Klein,22, former Pierce student has made club Hillel the reason she has continue dispersing her service to the Jewish community.”It inspires students to work in positive things in the community,” she said.
It’s a club that has something for everybody whether your Jewish or not. What they find important is the community. In addition, the Hillel club can be found every Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Freudian Sip where they buy coffee for those who attend. The majority of students are Jewish but the club doesn’t deny access to those who don’t share their faith on the contrary those who share similar interest are welcome. The club targets students from ages 18 through 26 who want to explore their belief in Judaism.
“I wasn’t sure how I felt as a Jewish and Hillel helped me find my Judaism,” Kheel said.
Said Youshei, owner of Jerusalem Pizza in Encino, serves pizza to the Hillel club on Nov.13. The club gathered for dinner to discuss current issues taking place in Israel. ()