Building the Future of Jewish life on campus at the BBYO International Convention. February 25, 2026 Every year, thousands of Jewish college students step onto campus for the first time already knowing that Hillel is waiting to welcome them into a warm, thriving Jewish community. That's because Hillel is there to support first-year college students long before orientation - including by meeting them in their current communities. At this year's BBYO International Convention (IC) in Philadelphia, Hillel International staff joined more than 3,500 Jewish high school students from 60+ countries who came to hear from and meet inspiring speakers, deepen their leadership skills, serve the local community, celebrate Shabbat and learn together, enjoy exclusive music performances, and do their part to strengthen the Jewish future. "While at IC last week, it was great to see the awesome Jewish joy and pride on display," said Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman. "And, based on our deep Hillel partnership with BBYO, I'm glad our teams had the opportunity to help the young leaders at IC chart their paths from high school to Hillel, where they'll continue their Jewish and leadership journeys." In fact, the Hillel International team met hundreds of students, shared what they love about Hillel, and introduced them to all of the Hillel resources for their college search journey. Students learned about the Virtual College Prep Series, scholarships for incoming students, and its College Decision Hub. And, in addition to gifting custom sweatshirts, Hillel International sponsored a headshot booth and launched the 2026 Graduation Giveaway to connect high school seniors with their soon-to-be campus Hillels. "I'm so glad that when I get to college, there's going to be another Jewish organization for me to get involved with," said Koby, a rising high school senior. "The community aspect of Jewish life is so important to me, and the idea that it will continue in college makes me feel even more excited about my future." "We're grateful to be a part of BBYO IC and to experience such an inspiring, high energy vibe while connecting with Jewish high school students from around the world," added Kari Exler, Hillel International's senior manager for high school and teen marketing. "It's the first step in supporting them from high school through college and beyond." "We the Future" was the theme of this year's convention, and the topic was front and center for student participants, as well as staff, speakers, and session facilitators. Over the course of the four-day convention, teens moved from conversation into action, learning how to listen across differences, lead with courage, and participate meaningfully in civic life. "Coming from a town with a smaller Jewish population, IC gives me an opportunity to feel seen and understood religiously," said Hannah, a student from the BBYO Liberty Region. "As a sophomore beginning to embark on the college decision process, I went to the Hillel table, and I was so excited to learn more about what Hillel does." Anna, a senior from BBYO's Keystone Mountain Region, shared the experience of being one of few Jewish students in her community, and feeling especially grateful for the connection she's found at BBYO - and her excitement for what Jewish life in college could look like. "Celebrating Shabbat with nearly four thousand other Jewish teens reminded me how large our movement is and the support system I have," she said. "As I graduate from high school and leave BBYO, I'm eager to stay active in Jewish life through opportunities like Hillel, and I'm grateful to know I have such a wonderful community to back me up!" Check out Hillel International's College Decision Hub and find a Hillel on a campus that you're exploring. Discover the crew that's right for you. Search colleges and universities for all kinds of Jewish experiences

Building bridges at the Super Bowl LX Black-Jewish Unity Summit. February 10, 2026 The Black-Jewish Unity Dinner series is back - this time out in sunny California! This past weekend, Hillel International co-hosted the second annual Unity Summit at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Golden Gate, in partnership with the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and UNCF. The event brought Black, Jewish, and Black and Jewish student leaders together for transformative conversations on leadership, identity, and standing up to hate. And thanks to additional support from the National Football League (NFL), several professional athletes also joined the program to lend their voices and experiences. "Building relationships is still one of the most powerful ways to counter hate," said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International. "What we've learned from Unity Dinners is that when Black and Jewish students sit down together and share a meal, they often discover they have far more in common than they expected. Students consistently tell us these conversations matter, which is why we are working alongside our partners to continue to expand the Unity Dinner series." The Unity Summit is part of an ongoing Unity Dinner program that has brought together hundreds of students to strengthen Black-Jewish partnerships in America. This academic year, gatherings are being held in 14 cities - and as part of the Sports x Unity initiative, many are tied to key sports moments, such as the NBA All-Star Weekend and the Super Bowl. Last year's Unity Dinner series reached 600 students, and the program is on track to reach more than 1,800 this academic year. Friday's program kicked off with an intimate dialogue among student leaders, including participants in the Super Bowl LX Select 25 Experienceship, a cohort of 25 HBCU students from across the country with Jewish student leaders from local campus Hillels. NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent delivered opening remarks, before shifting the room into conversations about shared experiences and combating hate on college campuses. "There is so much misinformation and a lot of stereotypes that are not true," shared one of the Black and Jewish student participants. Reflecting on a conversation about common stereotypes about Jews, the student continued, " And after our conversation, [one of] the students was like, 'I would have never known that this was inaccurate or that this was a stereotype. Thank you so much for educating me.'" Later, student leaders were joined by ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, who moderated a fireside chat between New York Giants' outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho as they shared their experiences and discussed ways to build unity across differences while leading with purpose. "Sports have the unique power to unite people across backgrounds and beliefs," said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and founder of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. "The Unity Summit is a powerful example of that. It brings student leaders and athletes together at the biggest sporting event of the year to confront hate and division. When we create space for these conversations, we take an important step toward building bridges and defeating hate in America in all its forms." Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, offered a similar perspective. "The Black and Jewish communities have a rich history of collaboration and understanding," he said. "These Unity Dinners have been monumental in bringing people together under shared experiences to combat hate and discrimination in all forms." A student participant from UC Berkeley said she was inspired to take the conversations from the evening back to her own campus, "Hopefully we'll be able to plan one of our own unity dinners on our campus," she said. "Although it might seem like from an outside perspective that the Black community and the Jewish community are very different, we do have these important shared values about togetherness and justice." Discover the crew that's right for you. Search colleges and universities for all kinds of Jewish experiences