Building multicultural & interfaith connections at CSUN
CSUN stands as one of the most culturally diverse college campuses nationwide, encompassing an array of cultures, religions, and more. In response to the increasing prevalence of antisemitism globally, Hillel 818 has prioritized forging connections with various groups and communities. This initiative led to the establishment of the inaugural Multicultural & Interfaith position within the Hillel movement in 2022. Presently, this effort expands further with the introduction of our first student-led Multicultural & Interfaith Intern position.
Ellen Borenstein, our dedicated Multicultural & Interfaith Coordinator, shared her thoughts on the development of these roles. "CSUN has long held a reputation for its exceptional diversity, earning accolades in this regard. Following the challenges of the 2020-2022 academic years, our campus has been striving to reconstruct what was lost. Roles like ours endeavor to transcend insularity, fostering connections to rekindle what once existed. Unfortunately, we see a lot of hate in the world and by getting to know one another we can build stronger communities and combat this hatred. However, we should not solely be focusing on hatred. Positions like mine and Ally Walker’s create low barrier opportunities for people to show what they’re most proud of in being Jewish."
Ally Walker, a senior pursuing a double major in Political Science and Gender Women's Studies, finds deep meaning in this position, aligning with her diverse passions. She expressed, "I am really excited to connect with people in general! I love sitting down with people, drinking coffee, and learning about them. I am also excited to educate people on the Jewish community and hopefully, in that process, reduce antisemitism on campus. I want to promote this through political connections and one on one conversations. I want to show people Jewish culture and invite them to our space with open arms. I hope I get genuine connections out of this internship and to increase my knowledge on how to be a better ally to other communities as well."
In Ally's perspective, this internship stands as an opportunity to delve into unexplored cultures and interact with new faces around campus. She said, “Bridge building and activism are things that I am extremely passionate about. With the multicultural and interfaith internship, I really want to interact with individuals from different backgrounds and create connections between their cultural group and the jewish community. Not only do I want to learn more about other cultures, but I want to teach them about mine. Also I love Ellen and I wanted to work more with her.”
Ellen shares Ally's enthusiasm for their collaborative endeavors this year. She reflected, “Last year was really spent trying to figure out what this position should look like and it was admittedly difficult. Building something from the ground up is never easy and last year was spent getting to know our students. While we’re excited for the programming, we’re even more excited for the connections and potential communities Ally and I will be creating to bolster the ones that are already existing with Hillel 818. Our aim is to dismantle barriers between communities, showcasing our shared attributes that outweigh our disparities, all the while celebrating the distinctiveness each individual brings to CSUN."
