Encouraging a Safe Space for Jewish Students at UCF

Authors

Alexandra Messina, University of Central FloridaFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

LDR

Course Number

3215

Faculty/Instructor

Professor Brad Crawford

Faculty/Instructor Email

crawford@ucf.edu

About the Author

My name is Alexandra Messina, I am a second year LEAD Scholar and I will be graduating with a Criminal Justice BA in Spring 2025. I would like to thank Professor Brad Crawford and the entire LEAD Scholars program for the opportunity to do this. I would also like to thank the UCF Hillel, Chabad, and Yehudi teams for all that they do for the Jewish community on campus.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

October 7, 2023, was a horrifying day for Israel and the larger Jewish community. Since that day, American Jewish students have faced antisemitism and isolation on campuses around the country. Having a safe space for Jewish students to feel comfortable at school is more important now than ever before. The Hillel, Chabad, and Yehudi organizations at UCF do a great job of providing this space. I partnered with the Hillel to be an active, helpful part of the community that I enjoy being a part of so much. The majority of my time was spent working with freshmen, which was an incredible way to bring in new people to the Jewish community on campus. The Fresh Fest event at the beginning of the year encourages new students to get to know their Jewish community on campus, weekly Nosh and Shabbat events bring everyone together, and classes like JLF and JewishU ensure that everyone is learning and growing in their own religious knowledge. I hope that in having done this, I have made a positive impact on my community and helped others to feel at home and comfortable while being proudly, visibly Jewish.

Additional Resources

(2024, October 11) 5 Jewish Stories of Post-October 7 Strength on U.S. Campuses. AJC. https://www.ajc.org/news/5-jewish-stories-of-post-october-7-strength-on-us-campuses

Lapin, A. (2023). Study finds Jewish life on US campuses boosted but battered by October 7 fallout. Timesofisrael.com. https://www.timesofisrael.com/study-finds-jewish-life-on-us-campuses-boosted-but-battered-by-october-7-fallout/

Crawford, B. (2024). LDR 3215. Leadership Through Service: An Advanced Leadership Experience [Syllabus]. University of Central Florida.

Who Are We? | UCF Hillel. (2023). UCF Hillel. https://www.centralfloridahillel.org/missionandvision

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Keywords

Jewish; Judaism; Hillel; Spiritual Leadership; LEAD Scholars

Recommended Citation

Messina, Alexandra, "Encouraging a Safe Space for Jewish Students at UCF" (2024). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2024. 52.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2024fall/52