Awards Won:
   From Hillel's International Center:   <No award received from Hillel's International Center>

Jewish Content Presentation:
All sessions can be found on gunston.gmu.edu/hillel, click on ASB
Tearing Down and Building Up
Students were set up with a partner to review three sets of texts including Noah, Gan Eden and others. Between each text the group re-gathered to discuss the questions as a community.
Judaism and the Environment
Participants were asked to find something outside and bring it back indoors. After being partnered up, one person would close their eyes and feel/smell the object. After both partners had done so, all objects were placed on the table and students were asked to find the object they had held in their hand. This activity led into a conversation on noticing and appreciating what surrounds us.
The students were then split into three groups to discuss land ownership, wasting, and planting. Text included Martin Buber, I and Thou, 57-58, Sefer HaChinuch 529; 13th century, Leviticus Rabbah 25:3, Pirke Avot, 2:21, and Deuteronomy 20:19, amongst others. Three facilitators rotated groups to help moderate the conversations that were accompanied by Jewish texts and discussion questions.
After these three topical breakout sessions concluded, the group came back together to hear the Joni Mitchell song Yellow Big Yellow Taxi ("Don't it all seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone?") and journal for five minutes.
Biodiversity- First, we offered three different definitions, from the scientific to the spiritual, for the word biodiversity. Then, the group broke into chevruta (2-3 students per group) and four texts were divided up between the chevruta groups, which studied for 10-15 minutes. We reconvened as a group and discussed each text, followed by examining some disheartening statistics about endangered and extinct species and the destruction of different habitats around the world. Our main question became, How can we reconcile the spiritual statements from Jewish leaders with the realities of today's world? How can we be faithful Jews and advocates for change at the same time? We ended with a final text from Rav Kook, stating the interconnectedness of all life.
Tikkun Olam
Participants gathered in one large group to first discuss what Tikkun Olam is and we shared a story highlighting the Kabbalistic significance of doing Tikkun Olam work. Next we all broke into three groups of about 12-14 participants each for a text study covering the significance of repairing the environment in comparison to the importance of teaching the next generation to do so.
The second part of the program was how to incorporate this mitzvah into both our lives within the Jewish community and privately. We had international Tzedek fellow, Rachel Weiss, give a presentation on determining the roots of social injustices and talk about the CASE methodology for service programming. Students then had the option to break into their campuses to do a need analysis of their home area and then to come up with a program to respond to that need. They also had the option to meet with Rachel Weiss to talk about how they could use advocacy and awareness techniques to improve the current situation of the trip and the park we were working in. We ended the program by handing out a list of different things participants could do on an individual basis to help green their dorms and Hillels.
Fate
We started together as a large group, looking at the stars. We read a prayer from Maariv in English and Hebrew. We then split into 3 smaller groups. Each group was led by UVA Student facilitators. We discussed stars, astrology and mazel. What they mean today, what they meant in the days of the sages, and what Judaism says about them. Many personal stories were shared by participants. To close, everyone received a Hebrew Birthday certificate.
Sabbatical
To get students in the mood of the last few moments of Shabbat and the final Jewish learning, we sang a niggun (melody) that is traditionally sung during Seudah Shlisheet (third meal of Shabbat).
Group read over explanation of Shemita (Sabbatical) and Yovel (Jubilee) Years together and discussed the relevance of letting G-d's land lie fallow in the seventh year with human rest on Shabbat. Questions raised about whether Sabbatical year is still important for modern times, and how we should observe it. Then, group read over Jeremy Rivkin article in "Let the Earth Teach You Torah" about the fast-paced society we live in and how we might cope with technological and environmental changes.
Groups broken up into smaller groups to discuss further questions of small changes we can make in our lives that will make a difference to the environment, how "rest" is to be observed on Shabbat and holidays, and whether Shabbat can lead us to act more responsibly the other six days of the week.
Everyone later reconvened to talk about environmental harmful activities that we do during the week that we would like to stop doing on the next Shabbat.