Jill Spiegel
Position of Interest: President
In the event that you do not get elected to your desired position, you may “drop
down” or run for alternate positions.
Please list any alternate positions that you have in mind in the order of interest.
-Social Chair
Please write a paragraph response to the following questions. All responses will be posted on the web:
1) Describe your involvement with Hillel.
As a freshman, I began my involvement with Hillel as an active member and FYSH co-president. It was through FYSH that I had opportunities with planning programs (for example: FYSH pizza and movie nights, the FYSH women’s lock-in, the FYSH Shabbat, etc. etc.) and inviting new people to join. I began to learn how to advertise our programs, come up with my own ideas for programming, and pass my excitement for FYSH onto others. I became involved with the rest of the Hillel community as well, hanging out in the JAC quite often, attending Shabbat dinners, holiday events, was on the planning committee for L’chaim at Lucille’s (a bar party that attracted over 500 students in the Baltimore area to Power Plant Live), and attended Hillel’s alternative spring break last year. To sum up my first year’s involvement with Hillel cannot be said in a simple sentence, but my gratitude has kept me actively and happily involved with this organization for my sophomore year.
This year as a sophomore, I am the FYSH advisor. I was one of the first faces to meet and greet new freshman at the Welcome Back BBQ and the open houses in the JAC. Working with the JCSC, and meeting over the summer, we began to plan programs to attract new faces and engage our freshman. Some of the programs we have had this year for FYSH include: a bagel brunch, a scavenger hunt at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, pizza nights, going to Arundel Mills Mall, ice skating, a Wet Hot American Summer movie night, an incredible freshman overnight at Kamp Grounds of America, and in April FYSH will be going to NYC to see the musical RENT…but, stay tuned for the rest of our events to come. As FYSH advisor, I have formed bonds and friendships with many of my freshman, and have learned a great deal about what good programming really is. I have made sure to know each freshman for something that is individually special about them and have made every effort to contact them about FYSH programming, other Hillel events, and to simply find out how their first year is going. In the long run I have learned what truly matters when it comes to events and planning, and how to keep students interested. Along with Stephanie (the JCSC), a FYSH committee was formed to seek planning input from the freshmen and give them the opportunity to come up with ideas for FYSH events. I am truly proud of my work this year, the freshman involved with FYSH, and the support everyone in Hillel has offered.
I have continued to stay an active member throughout my sophomore year; you can find me regularly (daily, twice daily, etc…) in the JAC, at Friday night Shabbat services/dinner, and at other Hillel events, as well as having the ability to plan events for the entire Hillel (such as the showing of “Trembling Before God” with the Queer Student Union on April 1st).
My gratitude for what I have been able to accomplish, do, and achieve through Towson Hillel has become a major part of who I have become as a Jewish, young, college student. By continuing my involvement with Hillel for a third year is my way of giving back and strengthening who I am as a Jewish, Towson University leader.
2) Why do you want to be on the Hillel board?
I find in myself the strength to work with anyone and the want to be a driving force for Towson Hillel. I have learned, gained, and enjoyed my past two years as an active member of Hillel (and now board member) so much that I strive once again to continue my involvement. As a part of the Hillel board I will continue to strengthen my always developing leadership abilities, and I will continue to be an integral part of the Jewish community at Towson. As a piece of the Hillel board, I will continue to have behind the scenes involvement with the organization I love. Knowing that because of an event I plan, or am a part of, I am making a difference and serving our Hillel means the world to me. I cannot imagine next year without planning, leading, and guiding fellow Jewish students, and the rest of the board, through our Hillel.
3) Why do you feel you would be good for the position that you are running for?
I may only be a sophomore this year, but it does not take me very long to realize what is truly important to me, and what I am strongly passionate about in life. My passion for Towson Hillel is at the top of my list as to why I would make a strong, hardworking president. Throughout the past two years, as an active member of our Hillel, I have learned from past and current presidents what strong leaders are capable of doing, and it is my goal to continue the line of strong Hillel leaders to enhance Jewish life on campus, and to allow Hillel to become an even stronger asset to the Towson University community.
I have had experience with creating many different levels of programming. Whether it be Jewish discovery/learning programs at the past two FYSH overnights, bar/party planning from being on the L’chaim at Lucille’s committee, casual programs such as dinner/movie nights, and have planned trips to places off-campus (NYC, local malls, Baltimore). As the FYSH advisor I have learned what engaging new students is all about, working with others, and how I can make a new student’s involvement with Hillel happen. I enjoy meeting new people, learning something new from anyone I meet, and gaining from others’ differences. Together we form this Hillel and make a community of our own, and as president my engaging of students will never end, but only become something more. Having experience with program planning, seeking new students, and learning how to keep people involved with Hillel helps me to understand the needs and wants of our organization. I know this to be incredibly crucial to the role the president will have.
I have been and am currently still involved with other campus-wide organizations, but my leadership role in those organizations is nothing compared to what I have done and can continue to do for this Hillel. But, it is from working with other organizations that I am aware of what else is going on throughout the Towson community, and having this knowledge can and will serve as a wonderful asset as Hillel President. An awareness of the Towson community around us is crucial to understanding what our Hillel’s needs and goals should be. Also, knowledge of other Hillels in our local area is crucial to the environment and program planning of our Hillel. I will take advantage of the resources Hillel offers, to ensure that we as an organization recognize those in the local community. Together with nearby Hillels, Jewish young adult life will be strengthened.
I have also taken advantage of many opportunities that Hillel has offered me; such as going on last year’s alternative spring break trip, and planning other events that I feel are important to our Hillel and the rest of the Towson community. I am not ever hesitant to try something that is new and different, and am always ready to offer a fellow board member, Hillel member, or Towson community member a helping hand with their own programming needs. While everyone has an individual goal of their own, we all have duty to help one another achieve what we want from this world.
I have taken advantage of the social aspects to our Hillel, as well as discovering myself religiously/spiritually through what I have been offered here. I know what is always going on with Towson Hillel, and would definitely say that I have formed amazing bonds/friendships with Hillel staff and have found some of my closest friends through Hillel. Because of that, I feel a level of comfort in our Hillel that no other organization/club has given me. Hillel is a home of mine, and our Hillel community is a family to me. I will of course be the very best leader I know I am in order to continually strengthen our Hillel, to help it grow, and to allow everyone involved within it to accomplish what they want with my help and understanding guiding them along the way.
4) What do you hope to accomplish during your year on the Hillel board?
As president, I hope to strengthen the Jewish learning experiences our Hillel offers, as well as expand on what kinds of other experiences can be available to Towson students. I want to see a more unified Hillel, and I think by focusing on our similarities through Jewish discovery may just be the key to doing that. We need creative programming ideas to get us there, and one of my main goals is to form more of an outgoing, risk taking board. I think we have been too afraid of trying new things, and I think we have been unsure of what we can and cannot do as an organization. By leading our board through planning, organizing, and the designing of programs on all different levels, I hope to launch our Hillel into new heights. I am going to work with each board member, every committee, and any person involved with the organization to make sure what we set out to accomplish does in fact get done. People will be excited about the events they are planning, and because of the shared excitement throughout the board and my enthusiasm as well, things will be accomplished. I hope to make board meetings enjoyable, an environment that is looked forward to, so that participation and enthusiasm during meetings never goes away. We cannot get a thing done if everyone is pointed against one another, arguing instead of unifying for the same cause. With each board member ready to plan, set goals, and improve our Hillel, a message of excitement will only be reflected onto the rest of our organization’s community. Enthusiasm and happiness with what we as a board are doing is very important to me and the leader I am. I plan to keep the optimism going, and if we hit a conflict or run into a problem, constructive criticism will be used to change whatever is needed.
I plan on looking back at past years for guidance; by looking at the positives and negatives of the past two years I have been here and reflect on what can be changed, or what should not be. I will seek out the board with help from this, as well as hopefully the entire organization.
We will set goals as a board, as an organization, and as a community, and by the end of next year they will be accomplished. I will set goals for myself as president; to ensure what I know the board is capable of does in fact get done-but I truly believe this is something that is ever changing and will depend on the dynamic of our new board and what Hillel will be by the beginning of next year. I will set goals for myself as a Hillel member, looking from the outside in to make sure the organization is happy, learning, sharing, and developing. I will assess if our Hillel is delivering to its entire membership what is necessary and effective for each individual. If things are not working, change will occur.
In turn, what will be accomplished is transformation, while staying close to tradition. In an organization that has been changing and reforming for the past few years, it is time we set some things in stone and make traditions of our own, as a community and a home to many Jewish students. We have had effective programs in the past, socially, religiously, and intellectually, and they should continue to be a part of our Hillel community. But, it is time to change, to look at ourselves as a family on this very campus and decide what can be done to effectively enhance Jewish life at Towson.
I will work with other organizations, informing the Towson community of what our Hillel is accomplishing, and what we need from outside sources to get our goals accomplished. We will continue to be strong, to keep learning from out Jewish heritage and from one other. It is my own personal goal to discover what members of Hillel want to get out of their experience, what will make Jewish life for them complete and special, whether they are living on campus or not.
I hope to make sure people know who I am and what I am available to do for everyone. I will make my name known to each member, so that any one can give suggestions and know who to contact directly to ensure every need is met. Working together as a student board, as an organization, and as a Jewish home there is so very much that we can set for ourselves to accomplish. I want to help Jews continue to do Jewish, and plan to make sure every goal I personally set or any other goal set by Hillel as an organization is in fact successfully accomplished.
5) Describe previous programming experience that you have had with Hillel.
Through my involvement in FYSH (both my freshman and now sophomore year) I learned how to plan programs, advertise for events, and attract faces to the specific activities. As a freshman in FYSH, I worked with fellow freshman students, the FYSH advisor, and the JCSC to brainstorm ideas for events, and actually plan some of my own. I had a strong role in planning the freshman women’s retreat last year, and spent a lot of time organizing ideas and ways to attract a good group of girls to the event. Through the FYSH committee that we formed last year, I learned how to work with a group of other students to come up with events. Through my experience with the FYSH committee of last year, I learned how to work with others, how to change programming ideas to fit the needs of everyone in the group, and how to attract people to events through advertising and fun, exciting activities.
As a freshman I also joined the planning committee for L’chaim at Lucilles. As a member of that specific planning committee, I attended several meetings to come up with ideas and give my opinion to the various things necessary in planning a large event (such as: giveaways, location, transportation, and event activities). I worked with a team of students and two Hillel staff members to create a night of dancing, a Jewish dating game, and mingling at Lucilles in the Power Plant. Our event was catered to the Jewish students in the Baltimore area (Towson, Goucher, UMBC, and Johns Hopkins all came out, as well as the University of Delaware), and over 500 students in total attended L’chaim at Lucilles.
Now, as a sophomore, I am a part of the Hillel board as the FYSH advisor. During last summer, the planning of programs for this year began by meeting the JCSC before the start of the fall semester. We brainstormed many ideas at that first meeting and started to plan out the first semester’s course of events. Events for FYSH’s first semester include an opening bagel brunch in the hillel, a scavenger hunt at the Inner Harbor, various pizza/movie nights, and a visit to the Arundel Mills Mall. During the first semester a FYSH board began, and was made up of freshman who had an interest in playing a role in FYSH programming. With the FYSH board, the JCSC and I began to plan the second semester’s events. So far this semester we have had pizza/movie nights, ice skating, a freshman retreat to Kamp Grounds of America, and a trip to NYC to see RENT will be happening in April. The freshman retreat was a lot planning in itself, with the need of various activities for an overnight trip. The retreat included: sharing of a personal object, mapping out our Jewish journeys, relay races, taboo and twister, making face masks and discussing what masks we wear in society/who we pass as, and finally writing something meaningful about every participant at the overnight. The JCSC and I made personalized goodie bags for each freshman that came, and I think it is very safe to say it was the best event that FYSH has had so far this year.
What I have learned from FYSH is that no program may ever turn out the way you want it to, but there is always something that can be learned from every experience formed. It has been difficult at times to get freshman to come to events, but as this year has continued on it has become easier and easier to get people interested and plan events that will attract interested freshman. I may not always be able to cater to everyone, but I have learned how to at least try and plan events that will be meaningful to someone. I am very proud of the programs FYSH has had this year and all the hard work the JCSC and I have put into it all. I have enjoyed working with various types of people this year, whether it be from FYSH or having a role on the Hillel board, and find that also to have be an essential part in programming for this organization.
6) Please answer the following if running for President:
Describe previous leadership experience that you have had with Hillel.
A leader is not always someone right in the faces of others. A leader is not always someone who is a very strong presence, but may actually be someone who works behind the scenes and gives of themselves in that way. I am both of those people: the one who has been out in the open, making herself as a leader known, and one who has worked behind the scenes. My leadership with Hillel truly began my second semester of freshman year.
While I was an involved freshman my first semester year, I do not think I had become entirely committed to Hillel/FYSH until the second half of that year. During the spring semester, I felt in myself the need to become more of a presence in the organization, to make myself known, to become involved with more planning, and to spread my enthusiasm and new-found excitement onto others. I feel my leadership with Hillel goes back to this point because if it was not for my experience that semester of last year, I do not know what kind of leader I would be as of now. Through my FYSH involvement (as a freshman) I began to see in myself the want to enhance Jewish life for college students, to attend more and more programs, to also be the one planning these programs, and the want to make that known by becoming more of a face in Hillel. However, I really do think what many had not seen was how I was at FYSH events, or how this year I welcomed new students. People noticed my excitement for Hillel, however I do not know how obvious it was that I could be a force to welcome new students as well. A leader commits his or herself in different ways, and I have done just that through what I feel is the most important way to me: welcoming new people. Last year, I welcomed new faces warmly, openly, and appreciatively to FYSH. As a freshman, I was being the one welcomed into the organization, but I still felt the need in myself to express my enthusiasm onto others, to also have a role in attracting new people-because it truly does take an entire force of people to do this.
As the FYSH advisor this year, my role of a leader within Hillel has continued to strengthen, and continued to focus on the welcoming of others throughout the entire year. I have always had a positive attitude when it came to welcoming others, and I wanted to make sure the new faces I was trying to attract would notice my enthusiasm at its highest potential. Irregardless of how many new freshman or new students we now have this year as a part of our organization, I still feel like I got my goal done. I talked to an impossible- to-count number of people, and even though it felt like a million different individuals, I kept my welcoming spirit going. I also think my leadership this year does not end with the welcoming aspect. I truly believe that set-backs and hang-ups make a person stronger, and definitely enhance who an individual is as a leader.
This year, there have been most definitely difficult times with FYSH. FYSH has experienced a new wave of freshman this year, and the new students have not all been interested in being a part of Hillel-and that is fine and their own personal choice. But, it makes the role of the person planning and welcoming difficult when 1) you do not know who exactly to cater to because it is not completely apparent who is truly interested and 2) you become frustrated when you feel no one cares what you are doing. I have become very discouraged this year at certain times, mostly because of programming mistakes that have occurred (the lack of a bus, people not showing up when they say they will, etc.). I have also had the need to stick up for myself at board meetings, to make sure that I stick strongly by my wants and what I feel is best. I have been truly tested as a leader this year, but this second semester I have a different outlook. I have been using the past (even if it was just a semester ago) to help me look toward what can be done with what we have. FYSH is absolutely not a 30 person group, but it does have core students interested in what the JCSC and I are planning. That alone means more than words can express, and that is my driving force, along with the want to enhance our Hillel through new students. I feel my leadership can best be seen through the welcoming I have done, and what I have learned from the “bumps in the road.” I know I will always be tested as a leader, but I have the past to help me, and my bubbly, optimistic personality to take me to higher roads and do more than I ever could have imagined before second semester of freshman year.