Of all the national religious organizations for colleges and universities in the world, Hillel stands out as not only one of the largest, but one of the most active as well. However, no organization can function without leaders, and a nearby Hillel has found itself unceremoniously understaffed.
At Wellesley College, a women’s liberal arts college in Wellesley, administrators fired both the chaplain and director of the school’s Hillel as part of its restructuring of the organization. With the removal of these two important leadership positions, Wellesley’s Hillel community is left with just one part-time director for the remaining months of the school year.
According to a Friday letter from Dean of Students Debra DeMeis, the removal of current staff is justified by the school’s search for a full-time campus rabbi, who will “anchor Jewish life on campus.”
“Students will have a Jewish leader who can integrate Jewish wisdom and learning into their daily lives, and who can help them make meaning of the world in connection with Jewish values, ethics, rituals, texts and observances,” DeMeis wrote. “Having one staff member will provide a consistent presence on campus to whom students can turn when they are seeking guidance.”
Although Hillel is certainly religion-based, there is a difference between religious life and recreational religious life on a college campus, and Hillel caters toward both. While a full-time rabbi is an asset to Hillel, and an important one to say the least, a rabbi and a director oversee two extremely different aspects of Hillel. Both are important, and a full-time rabbi should not be seen as a replacement for the director.
Unfortunately, this so-called restructuring comes at an inopportune time for Wellesley Hillel students. As tensions between Israel and Palestine rise abroad, so too are they rising on college campuses, and Wellesley is no exception.
Wellesley’s chapter of the pro-Palestinian activist group, Wellesley Students for Justice in Palestine, has taken to campaigning anti-Israel sentiments on campus, The Boston Globe reported on Sunday. Members have hung posters depicting Palestinian children being killed while battling with Israel, a tagline that reads “What does Zionism mean to you?” and accusations that Israel has committed murder and apartheid.
As the tension between the two student organizations grows, the students of Hillel are complaining that the school has taken away their support system at a time when they need it most.
“The college’s handling of the situation was really bizarre and upsetting for the entire Jewish community,” Jordan Hannink, former co-president of Wellesley College Hillel, told The Boston Globe. “We’re going from having tremendous support to having virtually none.”
The students of Wellesley are justified in wanting at least a consultation before the majority of their support system was let go. While the school does have the authority to fire and hire anyone they employ, the abrupt staff removal of such an important campus institution is a blatant disregard to its members’ feelings.
At Boston University, Hillel, or the Florence & Chafetz Hillel House, is the largest student organization on campus. According to Hillel International, 28 percent of BU’s undergraduate student body is Jewish, amounting to approximately 4,500 students in total.
In the 2013-14 academic year, BU Hillel let go of some key staff members. At the start of the fall 2014 semester, three new staff members – an interim executive director, a director of student activities and an Israel programmer – filled the empty spots, The Daily Free Press reported on Sept. 3.
In a student organization where thousands of students could be involved, no one would expect all the members to have a say in staff changes. However, while BU Hillel students did not choose the three new members of their staff, board members were kept informed and worked hand-in-hand with the incoming staff members to ensure a smooth and quick transition. BU Hillel was not left understaffed or in the dark.
Although students can’t make all the rules, the members of Wellesley Hillel should have been given some say in the removal of their director and chaplain. Without adequate leadership, the group loses the support and guidance they sought by joining Hillel in the first place.
