Welcome T0 Berkeley Hillel
Elevating Jewish Student Life, Inspiring Tomorrow's Leaders Today.
Berkeley Hillel taught
me the true meaning
of community.
- Danielle Natelson Class of ‘11 & Current Board Member
Berkeley Hillel taught
me the true meaning
of community.
- Danielle Natelson ‘11
About
Berkeley Hillel is the heart of Jewish life at UC Berkeley, where everyone is welcome. For generations, we’ve built longer tables while feeding growing imaginations.
Students take comfort in arriving just as they are and define for themselves what it means to engage Jewishly. We’re driven by creating transformative college experiences and supporting our students’ successes — whatever they may be.
Here, students actively tend to a garden for the spirit as they socialize, study, and grapple with some of life’s biggest questions. We hold space to kick back and relax as we do for students to take ownership in crafting their unique Jewish experience.
From orientation to graduation, and through each semester, students make Berkeley Hillel their home away from home while sparking lifelong learning and friendships. We help each other thrive through learning and leadership fellowships, Shabbat and holiday services, a weekly BBQ, immersive travel, and so much more.
And threaded throughout everything we do, our Jewish values tie us closer together
You are always welcome here.
Welcome to Berkeley Hillel
Our Mission
Enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, Berkeley Hillel will advocate for its mission to the greater campus community and will model in its actions: excellence, innovation, accountability and fun.
Kosher in Berkeley
Berkeley Hillel offers a weekly Kosher BBQ on Wednesdays during the regular semester as well as a Shabbat dinner every Friday. All food served at Berkeley Hillel is glatt-kosher and cooked by our team of student kitchen interns.
Beyond Our Walls
- Engaging with Berkeley Hillel is dynamic, fluid, and unique for each student.
- Our modern building houses a wide array of amenities and offerings, but our students, staff, and greater kehillah (community) creates an authentic home away from home.
- Regardless of your background, interests, or how you practice Judaism, you are always welcome at Berkeley Hillel.
Transformative Growth
- We celebrate our differences. Berkeley Hillel students are champions for deeper understanding, diversity, inclusion.
- We spark curiosity and hold space to grapple with life’s most puzzling questions.
- Berkeley Hillel students actively engage with Jewish life authentically and on their own terms.
Student-Powered
with Student Power
- Berkeley Hillel is a community garden for the spirit. Students engage other students, tell their own stories, and continually redefine their relationship with Judaism.
- Students are empowered to take ownership of their Jewish identities as we nurture, support, and offer resources.
- Lifelong friendships and meaningful connections begin here. Berkeley Hillel cultivates a community that persists long after the college years.
Join the Mishpacha
The Berkeley Bear Mishpacha is a special giving community of parents and grandparents that supports Jewish students at Cal.
The Berkeley Bear Mishpacha provides a space for families of Hillel students to give back to their Jewish “home away from home” and enables Hillel to deliver impactful and joyful programming to your students!
Support Hillel Students
Backing Hillel students at Berkeley is about supporting a community where students explore their Jewish identity and share ideas in a welcoming environment. Your help creates a place where diverse perspectives are respected, fostering a campus where Hillel students can learn, connect, and feel supported. Join us in building a strong community.
