This Wednesday, Jewish students of various religious upbringings gathered at this university’s Hillel for an event titled “Diversity in Judaism”. Attendants ranged from freshmen to post-graduate students, and representatives from the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox groups on campus all attended.

For many Jewish students, finding comfort in community has been a way to cope with the distress that has been felt since Oct. 7. Junior Management major Ari Geller, who ran the event, wanted to provide a space for Jewish students of different backgrounds to join together, focusing on embracing their similarities rather than isolating based on their differences. 

“The aim of the event is to bring Jews of all backgrounds together, to build a stronger sense of community and support and to bridge gaps between Jews of different religious backgrounds,” Geller said. 

The event began with pizza and a quote read aloud by Geller. The quote, with an unknown author but believed to be a 12th-century Monk, spoke about how to change the world. The message of the quote was that changing the world begins with changing yourself for the better, and working outward from there. Geller related that to the ongoing Israel-Hamas War and how bettering yourself and your relationships is a step towards changing the state of the world.

Geller shared that as an intern at this university’s Hillel, he wanted to foster a community where regardless of your religious background, you can find a place in Hillel and positively interact with those around you. 

Students participated in a speed dating event, where they discussed questions to meet each other and make connections. Questions included “If you could time travel to any time period in Jewish history, where would you go to?” and “What’s your favorite Jewish cultural tradition or custom, and how do you incorporate it into your life?”

Following the speed dating portion, students split off into small groups of four or five people consisting of students they didn’t know and who were presumably raised differently. Students were given four Jewish source sheets with discussion questions pertaining to identity and perspective, and began discussing their backgrounds and upbringing. 

“We’re all so quick to judge each other… Taking the time to really understand where people come from can only make us stronger as a community”, junior Nutrition major Sophia Fox said. “Each of us have grown up in different environments and formed our own way of Judaism. Being in an environment like this and learning each other’s traditions and history, learning how other people practice, can help you grow.” 

One of the sources discussed the Four Children at the Passover Seder, noting the value of each child’s perspective and how no viewpoint is irrelevant.

“The power we have as a collective…we can achieve amazing things,” freshman psychology major Noah Meltzer said. He spoke about questioning his Judaism and how asking questions on topics you struggle to understand can only enhance your knowledge and perspective.

Following the breakout groups, attendees of the event came back together to debrief. A student expressed how much she enjoyed pluralistic learning and how she would like to engage in it more. 

“The Jewish community functions better as a whole,” said junior Philosophy major Michael Lurie. “There’s only 30 of us in this room, but we represent a wide array of Jewish students on campus, and being able to understand each other gives us the ability to make a difference on campus.”