Hillel of Silicon Valley

“Hillel of Silicon Valley provides a welcoming, supportive environment to enrich students’ college experience and enable them to connect with the Jewish community.”

The college years are a pivotal time in a young person’s life. It is a time of self-exploration and discovery as they develop into adulthood.  National statistics tell us that 85% of all Jews between the ages of 18 and 26 are on college campuses.   Hillel of Silicon Valley is uniquely positioned to reach these young adults and inspire major shifts in their relationship to Judaism.   For many students, Hillel is their first connection with a Jewish community.  Opportunities are created for students to find their Jewish paths,  to build Jewish friendships, to develop leadership skills, and to explore personal passions through a Jewish lens.  As Hillel students become more involved, they seek diverse ways to express themselves Jewishly and find those ways that resonate most strongly with their individual backgrounds, personalities, and needs. Their experiences encourage them to become more deeply connected.  Hillel ensures that there is a pro-active voice on the campuses in support of Israel and that students have opportunities to explore and positively connect with Israel.  In an effort to promote cultural understanding and combat anti-Semitism, Hillel sponsors many interesting speakers and cultural programs that educate that entire campus community.  Significant for our community is the number of Hillel of Silicon Valley alumni who work locally and have affiliated with the greater Jewish community.

Creation of Hillel of Silicon Valley’s Legacy Circle

Hillel of Silicon Valley’s Board of Directors has embarked on an ambitious campaign to secure the future of Hillel of Silicon Valley.  Endowment and bequest donations are truly the gifts that sustain and build an organization.  The Legacy Circle embodies Hillel’s commitment to cherish the legacy that members create in ensuring a strong Jewish future and a vibrant presence on the Silicon Valley college campuses.

Why make a bequest or planned gift to Hillel of Silicon Valley?

•  Hillel of Silicon Valley uniquely serves the needs of individual Jewish students and is the primary Jewish organization that fosters Jewish campus life on Silicon Valley College campuses.

• The majority of students served by Hillel of Silicon Valley work one to three jobs while attending school.  Most live in apartments or off-campus apartments.  Hillel provides a community college experience for these students who would not otherwise experience a campus social life.

• Hillel provides a safety net for students that are not able to meet basic food, shelter, medical, or school needs.

• Hillel of Silicon Valley creatively engages and empowers Jewish students through personal interactions and compelling initiatives.

• Hillel of Silicon Valley is a fiscally sound organization that has operated in the black for the last seven years and successfully ran a capital campaign despite the recent challenging economic climate.

• Hillel of Silicon Valley nurtures intellectual and spiritual growth in a pluralistic community.  Hillel is unique in supporting students of many diverse backgrounds, religious affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, political convictions and social interests.

• Hillel of Silicon Valley links Jewish students and the campus community to the larger Jewish community.  Hillel contributes to the lives of Jewish college students, the campuses, the Jewish community and the world at large. 

Who benefits from your bequest or planned gift to Hillel of Silicon Valley?

Hillel of Silicon Valley makes a difference in the lives of Jewish college students, strengthening the Jewish future for generations to come.

Hillel is active at  San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Foothill College, De Anza College, and West Valley College.   Hillel serves the estimated 1500 Jewish students and represents the face of Judaism and Israel to the over 70,000 students that attend these campuses.  

A planned gift can change lives.

While in college, Jewish students active in Hillel become skilled at using their Jewish knowledge and leadership skills on campus and in the community.  Hillel students have taught in local religious schools, have led synagogue youth groups, and have worked as counselors in local Jewish day camps. They are active in designing and implementing “Tzedek” projects through which students participate in immersion experiences to do concrete social action work helping the Silicon Valley community ― both Jewish and general ― in the context of Jewish learning.

Students have served on the boards and become professionals in local synagogues and agencies. Many have moved into leadership positions with the Young Adult Division of the Federation. Because Hillel of Silicon Valley makes being Jewish such a positive experience, students willingly explore leadership roles in Jewish organizations in the Bay Area and beyond. In this way, Hillel not only enriches the lives of the students it serves during college, but contributes to a strong and vibrant Jewish community.

Enabling Hillel students to participate in these experiences is one of the best investments the Jewish community can make.

 For more information on how to leave a planned gift or bequest to Hillel of Silicon Valley, please call Sarita Bronstein, Executive Director at 408-286-6669x10 or email director@hillelsv.org.