Helping students thrive in finding their Jewish identities is key to Lauren Goldberg’s position at Hillel.
Goldberg, the office administrator and engagement professional at Hillel, spends many of her hours directly working with Ohio University students and encouraging their identity growth as Jewish students.
Going on trips to other areas, like the recent trip she led to Israel over winter break and the trip to New Orleans last spring break for a social justice project, are when students are really immersed in study or experiences, said Goldberg.
“Those (trips) are certainly the most transformative experiences for the students because there is a tremendous amount of growth that happens in a short amount of time,” said Goldberg.
Goldberg said that one person who was influential in her spiritual growth was her grandmother.
“We had a very close relationship, so I think the things that she showed me that related to Judaism I still link to her,” Goldberg said.
Seeing anything that was anti-Semitic galvanized Goldberg towards a relationship with herself as identifying as a Jewish person, she said.
“I remember a few years ago seeing a swastika painted on a building in a town that I lived in and I saw it for a few days and realized that it had been there for a really long time and that nobody was doing anything about it,” said Goldberg. “So I went and got a can of paint and painted over it.”
Police came after that and questioned what Goldberg was doing, but she explained that as a Jewish person she could not drive past it for another second without doing something about the symbol.
Rabbi Danielle Leshaw has recently played a huge role in Goldberg’s Jewish identity, said Goldberg.
Leshaw and Goldberg have worked together at least five days a week in the Hillel office and their skills and talents really compliment one another, said Leshaw.
“She’s a real blessing to have here in Athens,” said Leshaw. “We’re grateful that she’s able to work with Hillel and the students really appreciate her and all that she does.”
Goldberg constantly has conversations with students about what it means to be Jewish and provides them with opportunities to learn more about their Jewish selves, said Leshaw.
Danielle Fultz, part of the intern team at Hillel and a junior studying French language and literature, said Goldberg is a mentor for the students.
“She’s like wonder woman,” said Fultz. “She cooks and she takes care of all Hillel business and she makes sure that Jewish life on campus is thriving and that Jewish students on campus are thriving.”
sm559111@ohiou.edu
