She sits in her kitchen in Delray Beach, knits them blankets, and tells them to meet other “nice, Jewish kids.” Who is she? The prototypical Jewish bubbie, of course. This fall, Hillel student leaders at the University of Central Florida decided to take their admirations for their grandmothers to the next level.
“Make Bubbie Proud” – the theme of UCF Hillel’s fall kickoff campaign – sought to seize attention on the Orlando campus of UCF, which enrolls about 4,400 Jewish students. “Bubbie” – Hillel at UCF’s unofficial new mascot – was emblazoned on T-shirts, fliers, shot glasses, posters, and on a 10-foot banner, which featured a life-size version of Bubbie and hung over the entrance of the Student Union during the first week of the semester.
The campaign created a buzz on campus and throughout the Jewish community in Central Florida, where it was featured in the Heritage: Florida Jewish News and The Central Florida Future, UCF’s campus paper. “Make Bubbie Proud” also made top news on the web sites of Hillel International and the World Jewish Congress.
While Central Florida Hillel was founded only five years ago, the young Hillel organized an impressive slate of kickoff events during the first two weeks of fall, including an all-day welcome back fair, a “freshman feast,” a cheesecake sampling, a comedy Shabbat, a Havdalah barbecue, an ice cream social, and a hookah night. Each event’s attendance topped 100 students, and the cheesecake sampling was CFH’s largest-ever event, drawing nearly 250 students. The last event scheduled, an “I Love the Nineties” Shabbat, was postponed due to Hurricane Frances, which blew through Florida Labor Day weekend.
“We are proud of the programs we had for Welcome Week. They served as a great way for students to become familiar with Hillel early in the year, so they don’t feel intimidated or overwhelmed by all the new changes in their lives,” said Jason Harris, a UCF sophomore who chaired the kickoff programming this summer.
Central Florida Hillel provides the Jewish students attending college at UCF with opportunities to explore their Jewish identity regardless of their background, affiliation, or level of observance. And that’s enough to make any bubbie kvell.
