Congratulations to all of today's Emory graduates!

On Saturday, Hillel at Emory hosted a reception at the Marcus Hillel Center to say "l'hitraot" to all the graduating seniors and their families. It's not "goodbye" but rather "until we meet again." The students and families - nearly 70 people in all - heard from Hillel director Michael Rabkin as well as Daniel Reiser, Hillel's Senior Program Director, who offered a beautiful d'var Torah on how the Jewish holiday cycle helps us recognize - and honor - transitions. (Listen to it here on Daniel's blog.) Also in attendance were Robin Forman, the Dean of Emory College, and Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory.

Today's commencement ceremony featured benedictions by those who were active in Emory's religious life. David Micley, who has been an active Jewish leader at Emory in developing Hillel's Chevruta program and the Children of Abraham initiative, delivered the Jewish prayer. President James Wagner commended students for bringing back to Emory the tradition of the yearbook, a project spearheaded by long-time Hillel student leader Kenny Liebowitz.

While many graduates are leaving Atlanta to pursue their careers, we are thrilled that many are staying in town. As they leave the Emory "bubble," the Atlanta Jewish community is welcoming them with open arms - from the local synagogues to the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and other Jewish organizations. Hillel will always be a home for alumni, and we encourage alumni to stay in touch.

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Photos from the graduation reception after the break.

At a special Shabbat dinner on April 22, Hillel honored graduating seniors, student leaders and departing Hillel professionals. More than 100 students attended this special night of celebration.

The outgoing board, led by co-presidents Graeme Ossey and Dorothy Abrams, was recognized for their dedication and service to the Jewish community of Emory.

Since 1997, there have been more than 60 recipients of the Sam Bredow Memorial scholarship at Emory University. The scholarship is distributed jointly by Emory University and Hillel at Emory each year. The 2011 recipients are: Leah Dodell, Michael Goldberg, Alexandra Selby and Erika Reif.

Sam Bredow served as an advisor to Tau Epsilon Phi, Mu chapter, at Emory University for over 35 years. He was a friend and mentor to literally thousands of students, many of whom viewed him as a member of the family. The Sam Bredow Memorial Fund was established to honor the memory of this man who gave so much to the university. Its purpose is to assist Jewish students in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences who are in need of financial aid and who have demonstrated leadership within one or more of the recognized Jewish organizations on the Emory campus and/or within the greater Emory community.

Sam's daughter, Sherry Maziar, hosts an annual luncheon for the scholarship recipients along with the Maziar family. This year, the luncheon was held in the Marcus Hillel Center's Arogeti Chapel. Many thanks to Sherry and Harry Maziar and their children for their support of Jewish life at Emory.

We wish a mazal tov to this year's scholarship recipients, who are each shining examples of service and leadership to their community at Emory.

Pictured here with the 2011 Bredow Scholarship recipients are Sherry & Harry Maziar (far right) and Dean Joanne Brzinski (fourth from right).

For more information about contributing to the scholarship fund, please contact Randy Gorod, Emory College of Arts & Sciences Director of Development for Major Gifts at 404.727.5557 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."
-Harriet Tubman

Mental slavery is an inability to view events, or one's self, differently from commonly held beliefs. Mental slavery cripples it's victim, can make them despairing, close-minded, and destructive to themselves and their community.

The friend who insults another is a mental slave. The family member who stereotypes or dislikes another race is a mental slave. The student who believes thing cannot change for the better is a mental slave. They are under the influence of ideas that are not really theirs, biases they are not fully aware of, that cause them to react in ways that have nothing to do with real goals or desires.

The Passover Haggadah usually doesn’t give much emphasis to Moses, but his story is a telling one.

If you're visiting our website today, there's a good chance you just heard you got into Emory. Congratulations!!!

That means it's decision time, and Hillel is here to help. If you have any questions about Jewish life on campus, want to talk to a student about Emory, or want to arrange a visit to campus - let us know! Give us a call at (404) 963-2548 and ask for Michael Rabkin or Daniel Reiser. You can also find our contact information here.

If you know you are definitely coming to Emory, take a moment to fill out our student connection form, and someone will be in touch with you personally. We'll also send you a welcome kit over the summer so you know what kinds of things to expect during your first few weeks at Emory.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!