What It Means to Be Home

Dear members of Harvard’s Jewish Community,

This past weekend, Harvard Hillel’s newly elected Student Board gathered for our annual retreat. And while we did spend time talking about programming and logistics (we are a student board, after all), the heart of our time together was something much simpler: getting to know each other.

We went around and shared our stories. How we grew up. What Jewish spaces shaped us. The moments when being Jewish felt easy, and the moments when it required something more intentional. Some of us come from Reform backgrounds, others Orthodox or Conservative. Many of us have moved between denominations or found ourselves in communities that didn’t quite fit the labels. But as each person spoke, something became clear: these different journeys have brought us together and strengthened our shared sense of belonging and responsibility for building Jewish community here at Harvard.

When we reflected on what we most want Hillel to be for our peers, the answer was unanimous: home. A place where everyone is seen, valued, and connected. The kind of place where you can be silly during a photo op and then, moments later, find yourself in a conversation that actually matters. That shift happened naturally all day long, and it reminded me why this work feels so worthwhile.

I think about all the students who walk through our doors for the first time, not sure what to expect or whether they’ll fit in. What I hope they find is what I saw this weekend: a community where people genuinely want to know your story. Not because it’s useful for programming, but because belonging and connection are what being in community actually means.

This is what home looks like. And I’m proud to be building it alongside such an incredible group of students.

Shabbat shalom,

Rachel Eilbaum
Senior Director of Jewish Student Life