Community Engagement and Tzedek

The Jewish concept of tikkun olam (to repair the world) is central to the mission of Trinity Hillel, and we seek to create experiences for learning, building community, and doing good in the world through a Jewish lens.

Alternative breaks

Trinity Hillel coordinates travel opportunities and alternative breaks to allow students to use their spring break time to step out of their usual surroundings and engage in social action and experiential learning in a new environment.

As part of a short-term service project, you will be challenged to see and understand complex social issues, and to explore questions of Judaism and social responsibility.

In the past, students have travelled to Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Trinidad & Tobago, and Uganda, where they worked alongside local communities to identify their needs, develop projects, and implement solutions.

Social action

Each year, the Hillel Student Board identifies projects to get involved in locally and internationally.

• Trinity College Hillel has a Challah for Hunger chapter that bakes challah loaves to sell on Friday afternoons. Proceeds go to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the local organization Foodshare.
• Hillel teams up with other student groups on campus to host the annual Pink Shabbat for Breast Cancer Awareness, in conjunction with Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization that supports young Jewish women with breast cancer and their families.
• Many other volunteer opportunities take place for students throughout the year, including ongoing collections for local food pantries; partnering with the Save a Child’s Heart in Israel, participating in International Good Deeds Day; and more.