Hillel of Colorado

A nonprofit organization

$31,733 raised by 47 donors

100% complete

$15,000 Goal

Jewish students on our Colorado campuses need Hillel of Colorado now more than ever. Since the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th, our team of staff and student leaders has been working around the clock to ensure our students have the support they need. That need is greater than we have ever seen, with students feeling scared, isolated and unsure of how to show up Jewishly on their campuses due to a 400% rise in antisemitic and anti-Zionist attacks nationwide since October 7th.  

Jewish students at our Hillel of Colorado campuses are counting on our Hillel community of friends, families, and alumni to show them that they’re not alone. Your Colorado Gives Day gift to Hillel of Colorado will empower thousands of Jewish students to celebrate Jewish pride and explore their Jewish identities with the sense of safety Hillel provides.

Join us on Colorado Gives Day or make an early gift today – together, we’ll ensure a safe and strong future for Jewish life at DU, CSU and Auraria Campus.

With your gift, you can help students looking for a place on campus to find community and a sense of belonging. A place that will support them through challenges. A place that will inspire their growth into adulthood. One with friends – and allies.

That’s why your gift to students at Hillel of Colorado is so important.

When you donate, you fund Shabbat dinners and holiday services. You fund educational and social action programming. You fund activities that enrich Jewish students and hone their values. You send students to Israel for a life changing experience. When you donate, you create a home-away-from-home. A space that over 2,000 students can call their own. Where they can decompress after class or explore their Jewish identities. Where they can receive professional mental health support and healthy food. Where they can feel part of a community. 

When you donate, you equip Jewish students with tools that empower them to fight against antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on campus in a safe space.

If we expect Jewish students to be proud Jews who embrace their roots… If we expect them to stand up to the wave of antisemitism sweeping the nation… If we expect them to pass along the eternal flame of Judaism to the next generation…

Someone needs to surround them with friends and mentors who can strengthen their connections to their heritage. 

Someone needs to inspire them to "cross the bridge" from childhood to adulthood with a strong Jewish Identity.

That someone is YOU.

Mission

We build a Jewish community whose values enrich the lives of students during their college years and beyond.

Background Statement

Hillel of Colorado Organizational History

Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader and one of the most important figures in Jewish History he is associated with the development of the Mishnah and theTalmud. Renowned within Judaism as a sage and scholar, he was the founder of the House of Hillel, a school for Tannaim. When naming the organization, Hillel was chosen because it is a symbol of the quest for higher learning. It is a beautiful name, too. It appealed to the Christian fellowship that pioneered the foundation, since Hillel was virtually a contemporary of Jesus. In the early days the Jewish community still felt the need for the Christian imprimatur.

Hillel of Colorado is part of the International organization Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life (created as such in 1994.) Hillel actually began in 1923 with humble means, noble mission and a breathtaking vision. Through the dedication of students, lay leaders and professionals, Hillel has grown from a handful of students in a rented room above a barbershop in Champaign, Illinois, to a worldwide movement with a gleaming home in the U.S. capital.

However, due to societal changes, the Hillel movement was in need of revitalization by the late 80s. Richard M. Joel (1988-2002) was hired to direct the national organization. He set Hillel on a path of renaissance. The mission became focused on "maximizing the number of Jews doing Jewish with other Jews", creative "engagement" programming and breaking out of the Hillel building to utilize the whole campus

Hillel came to Colorado (this region) in the late 1950s originally sharing staff and resources with Wyoming. The perception of Hillel in the early days was that it was more of a "synagogue" on campus. Hillel went through many evolutions. Staff alternated sites, in Boulder, Denver, CSU and the Air Force Academy. One of the first directors for Hillel was Max Frankel, a beloved local Denver persona who's been part of nearly every Jewish educational institution..

In the mid-late 90s, Hillel (which was then known then as the Hillel Council of Colorado) was going through rough times with focus and staffing. The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado asked Henny Kaufmann and Irit Waldbaum to co-chair the Board and supported them in rebuilding the board from scratch. There was a great deal of trial and error with the hiring of an executive director.

Pat Blumenthal started in January, 1997 as the Executive Director. At that time, the only person on staff was a ¾ time statewide administrator. Over the next year the board formulated a vision of building Hillel's from the ground up focusing on CSU, CU and DU. These campuses were selected because they encompass around 4000 Jewish students, over 90% of all Jewish students in Colorado attend one of these three schools.

After launching a vigorous capital campaign, the new 8,000 square foot Merage & Allon Hillel Center opened its doors on the DU campus on September 26, 2006 and the David & Laura Merage Hillel Center, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins opened on January 21, 2008.

Hillel's growth over the past decade has been accomplished due to tremendous Board leadership, professional talent and commitment, student leadership, community support and major contributions from key partners: Jewish Colorado, Rose Community Foundation, and Hillel International.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Hillel of Colorado

other names

Hillel Council of Colorado

Year Established

1984

Tax id (EIN)

52-1758791

Category

Religion-Related

Organization Size

Medium Organization

Address

2390 S Race St
Denver, CO 80210

Headquarters

2390 S. Race Street
Denver, CO 80210

Mailing

2390 S Race Street
Denver , CO 80210

Service areas

Denver County, CO, US

Larimer County, CO, US

Phone

3037772773

Other

970-519-1925

Social Media