Student Experience
Drexel Hillel joyously celebrates Shabbat and holidays with community dinners, mutliple prayer services, and energetic holiday parties. All of our Shabbat and holiday celebrations are planned by our Jewish Student Association board, for more information visit our facebook page or contact our student leaders.
Weekly Shabbat Celebrations
Weekly Hillel Shabbat Celebrations Include:
6pm: Shabbat Services may include Reform, Conservative or Orthodox depending on the week. (Orthodox Services times, please consult the OMG Facebook page)
7pm: Shabbat Dinner
Check out our Facebook page for more information.
Holiday Celebrations
Highlights of Hillel’s Yearly Holiday Celebrations Include:
- High Holiday Services and Meals (on campus and in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania)
- A full week of dynamic Sukkot experiences
- Hannukah and Purim Parties
- Full Passover Meal Plan and Passover Seders on Campus
High Holidays
Students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends are encouraged to join Drexel Hillel for High Holiday celebrations at our home, the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life (118 N. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104).
Services will be hosted in the Scheller Chapel, a light-filled space featuring warm tones and comfortable chairs creating an intimate and inspiring environment for prayer and reflection. Our services will be led by Rabbi Isabel de Koninck and will feature a variety of opportunities for student and guest participation. The services will be egalitarian (all participants seated together) and will draw on the holiday traditions of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements and will utilize the fully translated and fully transliterated Mahzor Eit Ratzon.
Religious Communities
Hillel at Drexel University prides itself on being a pluralistic and welcoming community. We accomplish this goal by joyously celebrating Shabbat and holidays with communal dinners, organizing a variety of prayer services and developing engaging programming. Each religious community at Drexel caters to the needs of their distinct populations and acts to provide a space for religious observance and personal growth. Please follow us on Facebook to find up to date information regarding activities, events and Shabbat and Holiday programming.
Engagement Internships
Drexel Hillel’s Engagement Internships are 9-month fellowship experiences with a stipend that provides you with essential community building skills and the opportunity to engage peers.
What you will be doing:
- Taking people on coffee dates / virtual coffee dates
- Weekly 60-minute cohort “meetings” during Fall, Winter and Spring terms. These meetings will include time for: event planning and logistics, learning with Hillel staff and special guests, and occasional outings in Philly, utilizing the city as a learning lab
- Regular 1:1 check-ins with Hillel staff
- And more!
Tikkun Olam Intern
- Inspiring peers to engage with and learn about Jewish perspectives on social justice issues
- Providing opportunities for Jewish students and others to engage in community service / volunteering
- The cohort together is responsible for organizing students to do 180hrs of service or more throughout the year including: organizing monthly trips to JRA and partnering with Repair the World on at least one service or learning event per term. Additional events / experiences encouraged.
- The cohort together is responsible for organizing at least one justice themed learning or community event per term (dinner, speaker, etc.)
Contact Hannah for any questions!
Israel Intern
- Inspiring peers to engage with and learn about Israeli culture, politics, society and a diverse array of Zionist perspectives.
- Providing opportunities for Jewish students and others to engage in Israel events, conversations, learning fellowships and holidays.
- The cohort together is responsible for organizing two Israel events in the fall and winter quarters, helping with Birthright Israel recruitment and leading the Israel Week Planning Committee to create a vast array of Israel inspired events in the spring!
- Interns will explore their own relationship with the state of Israel and engage in nuanced conversations as a cohort.
Contact Corey for any questions!
Greek Life Intern
- Helping to make Jewish life relevant to YOUR Drexel community (Greek organization, sports team, student org, etc.)
- Inspiring students to discover ways to be involved in both your community and Jewish life through the celebration of Shabbat and holidays
- Strengthen connections between your community and Hillel
- Doing “Host & Toast” at least once a term at Hillel
- Hosting a Shabbat Dinner outside of the Perelman Center with your organization and/or in collaboration with another org (at least once in the year)
- At least one Jewish holiday themed event (planned as a cohort or multiple events planned separately)
Contact Hannah with any questions!
Russian-speaking Jewish Intern
- Inspiring Jewish peers from Russian Speaking (RSJ) households to engage with each other as a micro community within Drexel’s broader Jewish community.
- Providing opportunities for RSJ students to attend events and meet ups that celebrate each other’s RSJ backgrounds. Plus play a little bit of Jewish geography!
- The cohort together is responsible for organizing one event per quarter that connects, inspires and engages Drexel’s RSJ community!
Contact Leah for any questions!