After losing her mother Tambi at age eleven, University of Delaware student Tia Scheff searched for a way to honor and remember. Every year, she says, she tried, and it “never felt like the right place or time”. Tia knew she found the place and people who could help her create an event for her mom when she became involved with Hillel at the University of Delaware. Her mother pushed for her and her sister to have a strong Jewish upbringing, so it felt significant to host somet

I grew up in a Reform Jewish household near New York, went to sleepaway camp, and felt very connected to the Jewish community as a kid. However, I got to Delaware and felt instantly disconnected. I wasn't surrounded by Jewish individuals, and it wasn't as easy to be Jewish as at home. I wanted to change that, so I got involved with Hillel. My sophomore year, I was selected for an internship with the David Project (an Israel advocacy organization) and it changed my college car

I went on Birthright to Israel my freshman year of college. Going on this magical trip allowed me to bond with 35 new Jewish UD students, who I might never have met otherwise. Two girls that I met on my trip were the co-presidents of Challah for Hunger. After our trip, they invited me to come to some of the weekly bakings and I fell in love with the organization. I became the president of Challah for Hunger for the next two years. Going to Hillel events opened the doors to ma

In the past four years, there has rarely been a day that I have not been to Hillel. I have had the opportunity to plan events, work with speakers, learn from experienced staff and develop my own leadership skills. I was the treasurer of a Hillel organization, president of two different Hillel organizations, and held two different internships. This is an organization that has helped me to learn how to question my beliefs, explore the ideology of others and delve further in my

Hillel makes me feel like a little kid again. I have clear memories of attending Friday night services as a child with my extended family. I remember all the prayers we chanted and the tunes we used. I would feel jealous that my cousins could attend Junior Congregation when I was too young. I remember the excitement of the reaching the Oneg where I would fill up on black and white cookies and chocolate brownies. These nights have shaped my Jewish identity by demonstrating tha