Innovative program at CUNY colleges retools Hillels as social service hubs for students

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY—Financial problems and stress almost forced Benjamin S. to drop out of college last year. 

“Some days I just wouldn’t eat because I didn’t have any cash on me,” said Benjamin, a student at Baruch College in New York who asked that his full name not be used to protect his privacy.

But thanks to a program at the Hillel at Baruch and other schools in the City University of New York system, Benjamin received food assistance and mental health treatment to manage his stresses and stay in school. Now he’s on track to graduate in December with a degree in marketing analytics, and he got help finding a job from a career counselor placed at CUNY Hillels by funders of the program, including UJA-Federation of New York and several major foundations.

Benjamin is one of many Jewish students in New York to receive such help through a strategic partnership between UJA and Hillel. The program, begun in 2022, provides funding for Hillels to hire social workers on-site to help Jewish students and connect them to a range of newly available services ranging from mental health and wellness, access to a kosher food pantry, academic and career counseling, and cash assistance. 

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