Hillel of Metro Detroit JCSC 2002-2003 Yearbook
10 Engagement Stories

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Some Great Engagement Stories

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I was tabling at WSU (Wayne State University) and my JEWdar went off. This student was also carrying a guitar case. Since I did get a degree in Music. starting up the converstation with him was easy. We talked, and I then helped him out with his Music Theory homework. He stops by the office every once and a while and we go down to the game room and play pool, something that we are both horrible at!

  • Lesson Learned: Play on common interests

A grandfather called our office and told us that his granddaughter was on the WSU Hockey Team and that he would like to get her involved. So I called her and tried to setup a meeting. Her schedule was extremely busy and we were having a tough time finding a good time. So I went to her practice and afterwards we hung out. I had never met a hockey player before, let alone a female one! We kept on communicating via email and the phone and when their season started we setup a date to make a Hillel event out of one of their Hockey Games.

  • Lesson Learned: Try new things, you might like it, even Women's Hockey!

I met this student at the beginning of fall semester while I was tabling at Wayne State University (WSU). It turns out she was Canadian, the first one I had ever met,  since I am from California. We talked for about 30 minutes at the table and then we setup a coffee date. At the coffee date we found out that we both had a passion for the NBC show, "ER". Since that coffee date we have gotten together at least once every two months at WSU to watch "ER" together.

  • Lesson Learned: Find something secular to focus on, then adapt it to Judaism and engagement

I met this student cold calling a list of former BBYO members who are now freshmen in college. When he picked up the phone there was an instant connection. We seemed to be fans of all the same comics. I decided to then buy him some food. The rest is history. He has come to a few events this year and will be a participant next year in many events.

  • Leasson Learned: Food... use it!

I met two students, let's call them Adam and Eve, while I was tabling at Oakland Community College (OCC). The Eve is very beautiful and Adam knows it. So they talked with me for a while, and then they gave me their numbers. Then Eve left. Adam conveyed to me that he wanted to get to know Eve a little better and asked me to help him out. There was an event later on that week that I then personally invited both of them to attend. They both came, and now they are good friends that have come to a few more events.

  • Lesson Learned: Be a Yenta!

Before the 2nd annual National Palestinian Solidarity rally at University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) brought about 10 students to help rally for Israel. One of the students who came was a freshemn who had never been to a EMU Hillel event. She was new and was not only engaged by me, but all the other empowerment students as well. Since then she has been to some events and met her sorority sisters through EMU Hillel.

  • Lesson Learned: You don't have to do all the engaging, let the other students help you out!

I was at my first conversion ceremony for one of our EMU students. He brought a few of his friends and one of them relayed to me that she just found out that she had Jewish roots that had been changed during the Holocaust. We talked and I invited her to get in touch with her lost Judaism at a Shabbat dinner then she came with us to the Midwestern Regional FYSH Shabbaton at the University of Chicago. She is on her way to becoming an empowerment student.

  • Lesson Learned: Anytime is a good time for engagement.

I was doing an Israel Awareness Day Table at OCC and a few people stopped by and wanted to know more. My hands were full. I was the only one at the table and I had four people asking me questions all at once. Then, let's call him "Moses", came up to the table and started answering questions to help me out! It was great. He was very knowledgeable because he had just gotten back from Israel. He had never been involved in Judaism, other than Israel, and after we answered the questions together, Moses stayed out there till I packed up. We still stay in touch online and he is a new member of our Tzedek Team.

  • Lesson Learned: Take help where you can get it!

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