Campaign for Jewish Life and Learning
Strengthening Jewish Life at UVM for This Generation and For Every Generation That Follows
About the Campaign
The University of Vermont is a vibrant community that thrives by bringing together people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives.
For generations, UVM has welcomed Jewish students and faculty members into this special community, and today Jewish life and learning are vitally important parts of UVM’s religious, cultural, and academic fabric.
Here at UVM, we remain steadfast in our rejection of antisemitism and our commitment to fostering an environment where each person feels respected and valued as an integral part of our academic community.
By supporting the lived experiences of students from every background, investing in cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and researching and celebrating Jewish people’s manifold contributions to global society, we are creating an inclusive and intellectually rigorous space for not only Jewish students in our community, but for every student on campus.
By doing so, we are supporting not only the experience of Jewish community members, but also the experience of every community member.
But there is more to build.
The Campaign for Jewish Life and Learning is a $20 million fundraising effort to strengthen and sustain Jewish life at UVM for the long term - through vibrant programming, academic excellence, and a sense of welcome that meets this moment and the next.
Strength and Vibrancy Because of Donors
We’ll do this with the help of donors like you.
With your help, we will build a permanent foundation to support Jewish students and academic inquiry at UVM - one that is not vulnerable to political, financial, or social tides.
Together, we can ensure Jewish life and learning remain strong at UVM - not just for this generation, but for generations to come. With your support, we will:
Grow Hillel at The University of Vermont, a vital hub for Jewish student life, by investing in professional leadership, programming, and a permanent center of connection and culture.
Build support for the Jewish Studies Program, a young academic program, by funding a faculty position, student research, and programming.
Strengthen belonging and dialogue across campus by supporting interfaith programming, student-led Jewish identity groups, and spaces for open conversation and connection.
Start a Conversation
Brennan Neill '97 is the director of this campaign at the UVM Foundation. To start a conversation with him, use the button below or give him a call at 802.963.0605 (c).
Teaching and Learning
Academic exploration is central to Jewish life at UVM.
The Jewish Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences approaches Judaism not only as a religion, but as a global civilization - with deep historical roots and a rich tradition in language, literature, philosophy, ritual, and the arts.
Courses span multiple disciplines, reflecting the complex and evolving nature of Jewish experience.
Rooted in the Religion Department, Jewish Studies collaborates across campus - with the Miller Center for Holocaust Studies, the Humanities Center, and others - to build an academic ecosystem grounded in inquiry, reflection, and inclusion.
These partnerships also extend beyond campus, engaging local organizations and public audiences in meaningful dialogue and learning.
Jewish Studies is still a young program at UVM; the first courses were offered in 2017. With donor support, it can grow into a nationally recognized center for scholarship, cultural exchange, and public engagement.
Your gift helps expand course offerings, bring leading scholars to campus, and create research and community-based learning opportunities that prepare students to lead with understanding and purpose in a pluralistic world.
Giving Opportunities
Endow a Chair in Jewish Studies
Endowed faculty positions help UVM recruit and retain exceptional scholars and teachers who are deeply devoted to their students and fields of study. By endowing faculty positions in Jewish Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, donors would provide valuable opportunities to strengthen Jewish Studies at UVM in perpetuity. You would ensure that UVM is always home to a marquee scholar-teacher focused on this area of vital importance. ($3 million endowment)
Create a Director's Endowment
The director of the Jewish Studies Program plays a vital role in guiding, overseeing, and coordinating the diverse work of the Program. By creating a flexible endowment for the director, a donor can ensure that the Jewish Studies Program will have the resources to support curriculum development, establish regular programming, and bring leading scholars to campus. ($1,000,000 endowment)
Endow a Faculty Research Fund
Support for faculty research is an investment in knowledge creation, cultural understanding, and the enduring impact of Jewish Studies at UVM. An endowed fund would provide resources for faculty to conduct in-depth research, participate in conferences, and publish influential work. Faculty research also drives strong teaching and mentoring experiences for students, adding another layer of impact to this investment. ($250,000+ endowment)
Endow a Student Research Fund
Student research is a powerful learning tool that has a significant impact on students becoming informed and engaged graduates. Support for student research projects, conference participation, and other scholarly endeavors enriches the student experience, reduces financial barriers to high-value learning opportunities, and helps students contribute to scholarship and dialogue in this area. ($100,000+ endowment)
Hillel at the University of Vermont
Hillel welcomes all UVM students and provides an environment where Jewish students, their friends, and allies can express themselves through Jewish culture and religion.
UVM was among the first elite universities to openly welcome Jewish students (beginning in the 1930s), and Jewish students have found a safe haven at UVM since Professor Harry Kahn founded Hillel in the 1950s. Today, it is housed in the Hillel building at 439 College Street. Jewish students proudly know that UVM can be their supportive home away from home.
Through Hillel’s programming, students find opportunities for community building, mentorship, and professional development.
Students have fun and celebrate holidays through a broad array of activities in every season, from seder in the Davis Center, to Kayak Tashlich on Lake Champlain, to Skiing Against Antisemitism on Vermont’s legendary slopes.
Hillel also sponsors important educational activities. This year, campus engaged in deep, thoughtful conversations through dialogue, scholarship, and academic inquiry. Rather than shouting past one another, students and faculty have come together to think deeply, listen curiously and ask hard questions. Students are also offered the opportunity through Hillel and Birthright Israel to take a 10-day trip to Israel. This work has never been more important.
And in a time of antisemitism concerns on college campuses, UVM and Hillel’s partnership has helped hundreds of Jewish students and their friends find meaning in their shared experiences.
Giving Opportunities
Endow UVM Hillel’s Professional Staff
UVM Hillel is known throughout UVM’s community for its engaging, illuminating, and meaningful programming. Each program is another important facet of how UVM Hillel brings Jewish culture, faith, and identity to life on campus (and beyond) - and each program requires resources. By endowing and naming a programmatic fund to support core programs, you can help permanently maintain and strengthen UVM Hillel and its critical connections with students. ($3 million to $5 million endowment)
Create an Endowment
Hillel is known throughout UVM’s community for its engaging, illuminating, and educational programming. By endowing and naming a programmatic fund to support core programs, such as holiday celebrations or Fresh Fest for first-year students, you can help permanently maintain and strengthen Hillel and its critical connections with students. ($50,000+ pledge)
Make a Multi-Year Pledge
Annual, current-use gifts pledged over multiple years gives Hillel the flexibility to meet urgent needs, pilot new programs, and serve students in real time. These gifts are among the most important resources for sustaining the vibrant, evolving experience students count on every day. ($10,000+ commitment pledged over 2–5 years)
Belonging, Dialogue, and Exploration
At UVM, we respect and celebrate the diverse ways that students express their Jewish identity, whether through religious practices, cultural traditions, or interpersonal connection. Students find a multitude of opportunities outside the classroom to connect, learn, and create a sense of shared purpose and inclusive excellence.
Your gift has the power to transform the spaces and programs that shape the quality of Jewish life on and around campus.
Giving Opportunities
Endow a Fund to Support the UVM Interfaith Center
The Center plays a vital role in fostering dialogue and understanding between Jewish community members and people of other faiths and identities, as well as exploring the intersectional identities of Jewish people at UVM. Creating an endowment for programming like this ensures these conversations continue for generations to come. ($50,000+)
Support a Jewish-Identity Student Club
There are three Jewish Identity-focused student clubs on campus: UVM Hillel Club, UVM Chabad Club, and the Jewish Student Union. Each organization is completely student-run and has a different focus. Your gift can enhance their programming and activities. And you are putting your support directly in the hands of engaged student leaders on campus.
Chabad at The University of Vermont
Chabad is a vibrant, welcoming home where Jewish students can celebrate tradition, explore their identity, and build lasting community. Led by Rabbi Zalman and Chani Wilhelm, Chabad offers weekly Shabbat dinners, holiday events, learning opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship in a warm, family-style environment. Every student - regardless of background or level of observance - is embraced with joy and respect. Chabad relies on donor support to sustain and expand its impact, ensuring that Jewish students at UVM have a place where they feel seen, supported, and inspired. (any gift amount)
How You Can Help Today
There are many meaningful ways to make your commitment to the Campaign for Jewish Life and Learning at UVM.
You can support an existing fund and join with other donors to maximize your giving. Or you can create your own new fund or endowment, so you can see directly the impact of your generosity.
We’re happy to work with you to create a gift that meets your goals and makes a lasting difference.
Join us.
Now is the time to act. Now is the time to lead. Be in touch with us today and be part of something enduring.
Contact
Brennan Neill ’97
Campaign Director
(928) 963-0605 (c)