Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/698448
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" " — Sara Lipson 2090040 June 30 • 2016 29 I have been privileged to be chosen to participate in the inaugural 2016-2017 Hillel International Student Cabinet. My journey to this point has been incred- ible. I started my involvement with Hillel at Western Michigan University my freshman year, which piqued my interest in Jewish life on campus. The following year, I sat on the executive board, which then transitioned into my presidency during the 2015-16 academic year. So many amazing opportunities and experiences came from being a part of Hillel, includ- ing meeting diverse students, creating and growing Jewish community at WMU and working with the dedicated Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan (HCAM) staff. Through the Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the recent AIPAC Policy Conference and the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly. These conferences allowed me to expand my knowledge and leadership skills within the Jewish world. Additionally, I traveled to Israel with HCAM and MSU Hillel on Birthright Israel, meeting wonderful people and expanding my Jewish community within the state of Michigan. When I heard about the inaugu- ral Hillel International Student Cabinet, I decided to take a chance and apply for this amazing opportunity. The Student Cabinet is not an entirely new idea. In 1983-1985, Hillel International had a student cabinet called the Secretariats — 12 students who were voted in and were avail- able to the CEO to help push policy. Richard Joel, Hillel president/CEO then, disbanded the cabinet; Hillel International is using the les- sons learned from this experience to improve upon the new cabinet, which is made up of 24 students from across the world. Being selected was a competitive process with close to 100 applicants. Co-founded by Evan Traylor and Hannah Schlacter, the goal of the Hillel International Student Cabinet is to share advice, opinions and perspectives with the leadership of Hillel International, while also bringing positive change and advocacy to Hillel chapters. Being selected to be part of this cabinet was a dream come true. The Student Cabinet convened for its first meeting April 10-11 in Washington, D.C., at the Schusterman International Center. I met students from around the world as well as amazing professionals employed by Hillel International in Washington. The cabinet is extremely diverse and all students have a vast array of experiences with Judaism. During our convening, we spent time brainstorming ideas and projects for the cabinet and formed committees to help execute these plans. We discussed amplify- ing student voices, representing student stakeholders, outreach via digital platforms and even a global student conference. Additionally, we spoke about partnering with outside organizations, engagement and using topic-based student forums to provide a space for more widescale feedback. We also spent a great deal of time discussing individual outreach and engage- ment, allowing students to follow their own Jewish journey. We hope to accomplish this by meeting students where they currently are in their lives. This also means inclusivity on every level. For example, 20 percent of Jewish students have a mental or physical disability. We hope to provide these stu- dents with a welcoming and inclusive space, allowing them to feel comfortable to participate. Hillel has 550 chapters and more than 400,000 Jewish students on campuses. With the goal of creating more breadth and depth, we are encouraging student leaders to connect and engage with students on a personal level — through coffee dates, updates and being a real friend. Creating a genuine community with meaningful rela- tionships and connections is of the upmost importance. To conclude, Hillel International is eager to involve more students in its work. They want to hear our voices and opinions, and forming the Hillel International Student Cabinet is the first step in doing so. Our work has just begun, and I am excited to see the amazing things we will accomplish as a team. I would like to give a special thank you to the Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan and Hillel at Western Michigan University for making all of this possible. I would not be where I am today without the experiences and opportunities that these amazing Jewish organizations have provided for me and the wonderful people who work within them. @ John Israilov of West Bloomfield just completed his junior year at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Giving Input WMU junior joins the inaugural Hillel International Student Cabinet. Jonathan Israilov } jewish@edu writer Jonathan Israilov