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Our Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision

 

Drexel Hillel envisions a future where Jewish campus experience serves as a robust foundation for lifelong commitment to Jewish life, ensuring that students and alumni have access to Jewish learning, community, and mentors on, and beyond, campus. We envision a University community that provides a safe, open, and nurturing environment for Jewish students of all backgrounds, catalyzing an expansion of the Jewish undergraduate population to 10% of overall enrollment at Drexel University.

Mission

 

Through innovative relationship-centered programming and initiatives, Drexel Hillel:

  • Creates a welcoming community in which to gather, engage, and grow.

  • Empowers and inspires undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni to learn, lead, and serve in order to bring about positive change in an ever-changing world.

  • Strengthens each person’s connection to their Jewish heritage and confidence in their Judaism.

  • Cultivates Jewish life on and off campus.

Values

Community

Sharing stories. Sharing experiences. Sharing values. Sharing purpose.

All Jews are responsible for one and other. (Babylonian Talmud, Shevuot 39a)

Pluralism

Unity through diversity.

These and those are both the way of God. (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 13b)

Inclusion

Accessible; welcoming; empowering — intentionally.

Do not disparage anyone, and do not shun any thing. (Pirkei Avot 4:3)

Respect

Willingness to teach and learn with patience and empathy.

Who is honored? He who honors others. (Pirkei Avot 4:1)

Integrity

Consistent and clear commitments. Authentic and accountable actions.

In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human. (Pirkei Avot 2:5)

Drexel Hillel Anti-Racist

Action Road Map

Drexel Hillel recognizes that “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference” (Ellie Weisel). We believe that Black lives matter, and at this crucial moment in history, we cannot choose to be indifferent to racism or bigotry in any form.

 

The Jewish community has always been racially and ethnically diverse. This diversity is a blessing and strength for the Jewish people and our future. Our organization is founded on five key values: community, pluralism, inclusion, integrity and respect. We believe that these values call upon us to ensure that our Hillel is an anti-racist organization. At Drexel Hillel, we recognize that our own leadership, though diverse in some ways, does not reflect the fullness of this racial and ethnic diversity. We know that this lack of diversity impacts our ability to serve and celebrate all Jewish students at Drexel University. Similarly, we know that in order to stand as allies and partners with leaders and organizations working to support people of color and racial justice in our campus community and in the wider Jewish community we must constantly monitor and address biases within our organization and proactively work to promote an environment of broad inclusion.  

 

In order for us to live up to this calling and these values, we are committing to improving the culture at Drexel Hillel. Click below to read the full text of the Drexel Hillel Anti-Racist Action Road Map, as well as our 2021 Diversity Equity & Inclusion Goals.