New Biography Captures the Essence of Hillel's Namesake

Hillel's lessons guide how we shape our Jewish community on campus as an inclusive and welcoming space.

A 1945 Hillel organizational booklet written under the direction of Abram Leon Sachar, one of the founders of Hillel, explains why the name “Hillel” was chosen:

“Those who launched the Foundation program at Illinois realized the enormous importance of linking it with a name that would symbolize the best tradition in Jewish life. They at once concluded that no name would carry greater significance than that of Hillel, the gentle sage of the first century BCE, who was one of the outstanding scholars and teachers in Jewish history. His patience and modesty, his devotion to Jewish tradition, above all his passionate love of Jewish learning, marked him indisputably as the ideal symbol of the Jewish spirit.”

Just as Hillel the sage provoked learning and moral imagination, Hillel today builds a Jewish foundation for our students’ lifetime and equips them to be the supporters and leaders of our Jewish community. We can take pride in following in the footsteps of our namesake by emphasizing ethical engagement and inclusiveness as core values in building community.