It’s a Small World After All
By Sami Brandspiegel, Class of 2017
Rutgers Hillel Student Board Vice President 2015-2016
Rutgers Hillel Student Board President 2016-2017
Jaclyn Platt ’18 and Sami Brandspiegel ’17
at the Rutgers Hillel Welcome BBQ on August 31, 2015
“Oh, you must know her! She’s Jewish!” is a common phrase that I hear when I am talking to synagogue members, friends from home, or friends at Rutgers. Jews and non-Jews alike have this preconceived idea that all Jews know each other, and in some ways that is true.
I have been fortunate to attend Jewish day schools in 2 different states – Pennsylvania and New York. I attended Jewish day camps and overnight camps, and I grew up immersed in Kadima and USY. Now I am a proud member and a leader of Rutgers Hillel. It is exciting when you meet someone that knows someone who knows someone, and it is no secret that we have all played a game of Jewish geography for an extensive length of time. But it is not only exciting, it is amazing. It is an incredible feeling to learn how small the world truly is and to know that no matter where you are there is always a Jewish connection.
Rutgers Hillel is just one of the many stops around the world that brings together Jewish young adults and gives them the skills and resources to live Jewish lives. In my past 3 years at Rutgers and at Hillel, it has been a place for me to hang out between classes, to enjoy Shabbat dinners with my friends, and to gain leadership skills. It has provided me with an amazing support system that I am grateful for. As the 2016-2017 Rutgers Hillel Student Board President, it is my hope that I, along with the members of the Student Board and the members of the Rutgers Hillel community, will join together to continue to make Hillel one of the great stops on the world tour of Judaism and to make it a home for all Jewish students at Rutgers.
I am humbled to be honored as a Rising Star at the 2016 Gala, and I know that without the support of those who I have met at Hillel I would not be who I am today.
Josh Blackman ’18, Sami Brandspiegel ’17, and Andrew Goldwasser ’18 at Rutgers Dance Marathon
Rutgers Hillel is proud to honor Sami Brandspiegel at the Annual Gala on Thursday, June 2nd.
Rutgers Hillel cultivates the next generation of Jewish leaders. Sami is a true testament to that.
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