Hillel welcomes new Director of Jewish Life – Julie Sugar
With the start of the new school year, Vanderbilt Hillel was excited to welcome a new Director for Jewish Life, Julie Sugar.
For those who don’t know, can you tell us about Hillel and
some of the things that your ministry does?
Vanderbilt Hillel is a home away from home for Jewish undergraduate and graduate
students, while open and welcoming to all. We do our work hand in hand with our incredible student leaders, who dream up, organize, and implement a wide spectrum of cultural, religious, and social events.
What are some of the events that Hillel participates in during
the year?
Every week, Hillel offers Shabbat (Sabbath) services and a free kosher dinner,
and students regularly plan themed Shabbats which are a huge hit on campus. Other highlights include: the upcoming program Falafel at Midnight, High Holiday services and meals, our student-led Passover Seders, Alternative Spring Break and Birthright Isrrael
trips, and robust programming for first-year students, called “FYSH” (First Year Students at Hillel).
Tell us how long you have been in Campus Ministry and your
history with Hillel.
I have simultaneously been with Hillel two months, and three years! In New York
— spiritually “where I’m from” — I worked for almost three years at the Hillel at New York University. I’m thrilled to return to Hillel, and love being at Vanderbilt specifically.
On a personal note, I connected with my own Jewish identity and faith as a college
student, and it’s wonderful to be there now for students during their own Jewish journeys.
How does Hillel approach the spiritual lives of students on
a busy campus like Vanderbilt and create a place for worship in their lives?
That’s a great question, and I’ll answer with another question: how do Vanderbilt
students define spirituality? We are here to serve the needs of Jewish students, and we recognize that for some students that might mean social and cultural events, for others it might mean religious services, and for still others it might mean baking and
selling challah to raise money for alleviating hunger (our flourishing Challah for Hunger group). It’s sacred community-building.
As the year begins, can you tell us what Hillel is planning?
The academic year is also the beginning of the Jewish year, and with that — High Holidays! After that, we dive right in with programs and speakers in October,
kicked off with Falafel at Midnight on October 3rd at, yes, midnight.