By Sara Rubinfeld, Development Manager at Hillel at University of Delaware
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In Pirkei Avot, our ancient Rabbis describe how the Torah is passed from one generation to the next. This tradition is a cornerstone of our faith, imparting those teachings to the next generation. It highlights the necessity of sharing our teachings and supporting our community’s gathering places, ensuring continuity and sustaining ourselves into the next generation.
At Hillel, we see our students at a pivotal moment in their lives. This is the time when they are exploring Judaism for themselves and discovering who they are and who they want to be as they go out into the world. Sometimes, we will see one generation return to campus as the next generation joins the nest. One beloved family who we are blessed to have as part of our community is Sharon and David (1987) Rosengarten of Hockessin, Delaware, and their three children—Janna (2019), Jake (2021), and Jamie (2027). Although not originally from Delaware, the Rosengarten family has made the state their home since 2010.
David reflected on the significant changes the university, Hillel, and Jewish campus life have undergone since he was a student 40 years ago. When he was a student, Hillel was a much smaller operation; we were located on Main Street, above National Five and Ten, with no paid staff. It was a student-led operation, with just a few programs. Certainly, nothing like what we have today. He was also an active member of AEPi on campus, and that was where he connected with Judaism and Jewish life during his time on campus. David and Sharon both spoke about how impressive it has been to watch the university invest and care for the Jewish community on campus while their children have been in school.
While Janna, Jake, and Jamie each gravitated towards different majors, friends, and aspects of Hillel, they were all comforted by the presence of a strong and vibrant Hillel on campus. During their time on campus, Janna, Jake, and Jamie have attended numerous Shabbat dinners, taken part in holiday celebrations, and participated in countless Hillel student programs. All three students participated in our Markell Fresh Fest. Hillel at UD was one of the earliest adopters of the Fresh Fest program. This innovative program allows students to come to campus two days early and learn about Hillel, get to know our campus, and connect with their fellow Jewish students.
The Rosengarten family is woven into the proud history of Hillel at UD, serving Jewish students since 1948. Currently, we support more than 2,250 Jewish Blue Hens, which is thirteen percent of the undergraduates at UD. During the school year, our students gather weekly for Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, and so much more. We have multiple student groups operating under the Hillel umbrella, including Hillel Student Life (HSL), which oversees social programming; Jewish Religious Life (JRL), which organizes learning opportunities, Shabbat, and holiday celebrations; Challah 4 Hunger (C4H), which gathers us together and baking challah and donate a portion of the proceeds to those in need; and Blue Hens for Israel (BHFI) which advocates for Israel and educates Jewish and non-Jewish students. This is in addition to paid semester internships, during which students learn valuable life and work skills. And our extremely successful Birthright Israel program, bringing students to Israel for a free, life-changing ten-day experience.
