News

Building Belonging and Inspiring Leaders at the Florida Student Leadership Gathering

Author

Paige Simunek

Date

February 21, 2025

What happens when you bring together Jewish college students from 10 Florida campuses for a weekend of leadership, bonding, and learning? You get a room full of energy and pride. You get shared moments filled with joy, meaningful connections that spark inspiration, and a renewed sense of purpose for Jewish leadership. Most importantly, you get student leaders who leave feeling deeply connected to their Hillels, confident in their leadership abilities, and ready to shape Jewish life on their campuses.

Recently, 80 Jewish student leaders gathered at the University of Central Florida to build relationships, gain leadership skills, and express their Jewish identities with joy and belonging. These students were each nominated by their campus Hillel to participate in this pilot program from Hillel International that aims to empower student leaders with the skills and relationships to lead effectively, create meaningful experiences for their peers, and foster collaboration across the region. 

With ideas and input from a leadership council that represented eight Florida Hillels, the programming was designed to be interactive and inspired by students. 

One of the most exciting sessions was “Silent Disco Talks” – a new initiative inspired by silent disco parties, but with a leadership twist! Instead of music, when students put on their headphones, they tuned into skill-building workshops featuring experts from across the Hillel community who shared insights into topics like imposter syndrome, leading with strengths, and the power of storytelling and active listening. 

Students then took these lessons into interactive workshops, which gave them a chance to put these new skills to life, feeling empowered and confident. 

In addition to building critical leadership skills, the students learned to strengthen their relationships with each other. And which activity sparks instant collaboration? Escape rooms! 

Students were separated into teams and tasked with getting out of a room within a specific timeframe. Some faced live actors,  some faced challenging puzzles, but every group had to rely on teamwork, communication, and quick thinking to escape. When students returned to the hotel after the escape rooms, laughter and joy echoed throughout the lobby.

Through it all, Jewish learning and leadership values were woven into each of the programs, beginning with a group intention and d’var Torah, or word of Torah, each day. 

One of the student leaders shared a powerful d’var Torah, where he described the challenges that the prophet Moses encountered early in his leadership journey. When Moses voiced insecurity about his leadership abilities due to his speech impediment, God responded by saying that Moses’ brother Aaron would be his spokesperson and partner. The student reflected on how Moses’ story might mirror the experience of leaders today, reminding the group that leadership isn’t about going at it alone, but instead embracing the strengths of those around us. 

“Everyone here in this room today possesses a unique skill set that makes you a leader,” the student said. “But [the Torah] teaches us that true leadership is forged from collaboration. It’s about bringing people together, understanding how working as a team amplifies our individual strengths.”

This gathering of Jewish student leaders was a powerful example of the very idea shared in the d’var Torah:  it came together through the partnership of student leaders, Florida Hillel staff members, and the Hillel International Student Engagement, Experiences, and Leadership team. Participants left with a deep sense of pride in embracing their Jewish identity, and excitement about leadership opportunities on their campuses. Through this weekend together, students built an experience where they each felt empowered and proud to shape Jewish life on campus together.

Paige Simunek is the director of student leadership at Hillel International.

The post Building Belonging and Inspiring Leaders at the Florida Student Leadership Gathering appeared first on Hillel International.