Founded in 1923 in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, Hillel International has served as a safe space and community for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike to learn and connect to Judaism as a culture and heritage. It’s the largest Jewish student-led organization in the world, and very much an active student organization at USM. It’s a space for students – Jewish and non-Jewish – to take part in traditions such as Shabbat Dinners, holiday celebrations, and other educational programs. Unfortunately, the current political climate we live in affects every citizen.

The tense atmosphere following Donald Trump’s election may very well slow down Hillel’s operation and the frequency in which it can hold events and fundraisers, due to Trump’s recently proposed nationwide DEI changes. “We’ve had prospective members voice concerns about how they don’t feel completely safe coming to Hillel events because of this.” Amanda Satin, the acting head of Hillel at The University of Southern Maine, feels the pressure of the ongoing political discourse and an increase in antisemitic rhetoric directly. Notwithstanding, she has been committed to Hillel’s mission: to educate, accommodate, and strengthen the community through coexistence and tolerance for everyone, regardless of who they are. 

While USM upholds strict policies regarding hate speech and discrimination, off-campus influences such as social media, post-based forums and even posters have been the go-to medium for the aggressors’ ideology. At a Hannaford early this February in Jay, Maine, physical manifestations of this were found in the form of black and red flyers filled with hate speech; almost as if it were a recruitment advertisement. It came from a hate group calling itself the New England White Network, though their name doesn’t deserve any recognition. The persistence of hate to this degree just capitalizes the importance of Hillel and other diversity, equity, and inclusion groups, as well as the need to educate and advocate for cross-cultural understanding and respect.