After a Hillel-wide dinner, their students gathered into the two groups: Jewish Makers Institute and Question Everything. The Jewish Makers Institute, the experiential learning track, is based on the idea of exploring Jewish values and identity through creative projects.
For the first session, falling just after the High Holidays, the group focused on the concept of shmita. Rosh Hashanah this year was the start of the seventh year in the cycle, also known as a sabbatical year. Shmita itself means release, and it is the year in the calendar cycle in which we forgive debts, leave land to lie fallow, and make adjustments to ensure our community is healthy and equitable, KU Hillel Executive Director Suzy Sostrin said.
“It’s not just a rest for the land, though, it’s also a rest for the people,” Sostrin said. “So we looked into what it means to rest, especially over a year into an incredibly stressful pandemic.”
As the conversation flowed from ideas of shmita in 2021 to what the biggest stressor is in each participant’s day, they worked on a paint-by-numbers of a Highland cow. This was a nod to shmita’s agrarian roots.
The focus was on persistence not necessarily perfection, as this painting will take a few weeks to work on, KU senior Ariel Cohn explained.
“I love having a space where I can be vulnerable and have people who can relate to me,” Cohn said about the conversations. “It’s so great to have that support while also being able to relax.”
Conversations continued on the porch of Hillel’s new space, where Question Everything was held. Led by Rabbi Neal Schuster, the idea behind this track is to take your Judaism and “own it.” Discussions — including utilizing source sheets and other text-based materials — encompass why we choose to do certain things such as keep kosher or leave the corners of our fields unplowed.
This is Hannah Smuckler’s first year at KU, and she is so excited to have these conversations. She appreciated hearing all the different opinions from the group as each person shared their own personal perspective, Smuckler said.
“I kept thinking about some of the things brought up in the class for hours after the session had ended,” she said. “I can tell it’s going to make me think about my Judaism differently and more in-depth than I’m used to.”
Next week’s sessions continue building upon these themes, incorporating more Jewish discussions. The end of October starts the next rotation of courses.
Stronger Than You Know will have a new cohort. This incredibly important mental health program in partnership with Jewish Family Services creates a tighter-knit community of students who are able to identify and help students in crisis. It’s a completely unique curriculum developed between Jewish Family Services, Sources of Strength and Rabbi Neal Schuster.
The second course option is a new way to explore Jewish identity throughout the diaspora. The course is called Jewish Flavors, and it’s a hands-on cooking class to taste the differences in Jewish culture across the globe through family recipes and shared experiences. Both series are opportunities for students to explore their Jewish identity as well as continue to build the supportive KU Hillel community.
