Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis

What Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis does

Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU Hillel) is a nonprofit, pluralistic Jewish campus organization serving approximately 1,600 Jewish undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis, where roughly 24% of the 8,100-person undergraduate body identifies as Jewish. The organization's stated mission is to serve as the catalyst for Jewish life among college students at WashU, connecting students through service and social justice, Israel engagement, religious life, learning, and social and leadership programs. It is the only pluralistic Jewish organization on campus, welcoming all expressions of Judaism, and additionally supports Jewish Student Associations at other local colleges and universities.

Core programs include weekly Shabbat dinners (free to students), High Holy Days services and meals (drawing 1,000+ students annually), Passover programming, Birthright Israel trips (winter and summer, via Israel Outdoors), a subsidized Spring Break Israel volunteer trip, Jew-It-Yourself (JIY) grants for student-hosted meals, The Collaborative (student-idea funding), and a Shabbat Hosting Lab fellowship. The organization supports seven student groups (Hillel Leadership Council, Jewish Student Association, First Year Students of Hillel, Staam A Cappella, Challah for Hunger, WIPAC, and LGBTJew). Physical infrastructure centers on a renovated Hillel building at 6300 Forsyth Blvd featuring a Vaad Hoeir-certified Kosher kitchen, coffee lounge, multipurpose rooms, and courtyard; Kosher access is extended campus-wide through a Sodexo partnership operating the L'Chaim station on the WashU meal plan. Technology footprint is limited to standard digital tools (Formsite, Microsoft Forms, Mailchimp/Constant Contact) for event registration and newsletters.

The business model is philanthropy-driven. WashU Hillel does not receive funding from the university itself and is supported by a Parent Leadership Circle (seven tiered annual giving levels from $180 to $5,000+), a new 2025-26 Meal Sponsorship program ($1,000-$3,600 per event), the Jewish Federation of St. Louis (beneficiary-agency status), Hillel International (affiliation and shared staffing), and ancillary streams including care packages ($36), merchandise, and $360 commemorative Brick Pavers. Distribution is regional (St. Louis metropolitan area), with professional staff of roughly seven and an Orthodox Union-JLIC rabbinic couple. Leadership is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Laura (Siegel) Whalen, with Jacqueline Ulin Levey serving as Executive Director & CEO.

Name

Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis

Legal name

Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis

Website

https://washuhillel.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WashU Hillel is a nonprofit, pluralistic Jewish campus organization serving approximately 1,600 Jewish undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis through free Shabbat dinners, holiday programming, Birthright and Israel trips, student grants, and seven student groups, funded primarily by parents, alumni, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, and Hillel International.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Campus Life Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nutrition, Dietary Management & Allergen/Accommodation Services (EDALADAJ)

Keywords

• Jewish campus engagement
• Student religious programming
• Shabbat and holiday services
• Israel engagement trips
• Kosher dining services

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: WashU Hillel relies primarily on charitable donations from parents, alumni, and community members. Donation tiers range from $180 to $5,000+, with benefits including care packages, merchandise, recognition at events, and courtyard paver engraving.
2. Parent Leadership Circle: Annual giving program with seven contribution levels ($180 to $5,000+) offering student benefits such as care packages, swag, challah covers, mezuzahs, and event recognition.
3. Care Packages: Special Treat Express program delivers cookie cakes or cupcakes ($36 per package) to students, providing a direct revenue stream from parents and families.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of WashU Hillel branded merchandise including T-shirts ($18-20), tumblers ($18), tech organizers ($10), and onesies ($18).
5. Meal Sponsorships: New 2025-26 academic year program offering sponsorship of Sunday Bagel Brunches ($1,000), Friday Night Shabbat Dinners ($2,500), and Saturday Shabbat Lunch & Seudah Shlishit ($3,600).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WashU Hillel is a pluralistic Jewish campus organization that serves approximately 1,600 Jewish undergraduates at Washington University in St. Louis through weekly Shabbat dinners, High Holy Days and Passover programming, Birthright and Spring Break Israel trips, Kosher dining, student leadership councils, and a Kosher-certified kitchen. The organization is affiliated with Hillel International and is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, funded primarily through donations, parent leadership circle giving, meal sponsorships, merchandise, and care package sales.

Product overview

WashU Hillel is a pluralistic campus Jewish organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs, services, and student groups. Core offerings include weekly Shabbat dinners (free for students), Jew-It-Yourself grants for student-hosted meals, Birthright and Spring Break Israel trips, and holiday programming for High Holidays and Passover. The organization supports multiple student groups (Hillel Leadership Council, FYSH, Jewish Student Association, Staam a cappella, Challah for Hunger, WIPAC, LGBTJew) and provides funding through The Collaborative and Shabbat Hosting Lab. Ancillary offerings include care packages (Send Love From Home), commemorative brick pavers, merchandise, and parent/alumni engagement programs. All programs serve to connect students to Jewish life, culture, and community at Washington University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Send Love From Home Care Packages Care package delivery service featuring customized cookie cakes or cupcakes with balloon and personalized card, delivered to students by WashU Hillel staff for birthdays and special occasions ($36 per package).
• WashU Hillel Merchandise Store Branded merchandise store featuring WashU in Hebrew and Hillel-branded t-shirts ($18-20), tumblers ($18), tech organizers ($10), and onesies ($18).
• Commemorative Brick Pavers Engraved brick pavers installed in the Hillel courtyard honoring students or commemorating milestones; 3 lines of text, 13 characters per line, Hebrew text available, $360 per brick.
• Parent Leadership Circle Tiered annual parent giving program with seven contribution levels from Strength ($180) to Champions ($5,000+) offering students benefits such as care packages, Hillel branded merchandise, branded Challah covers, branded mezuzahs, Deli/Dessert care packages, engraved courtyard pavers, and recognition as Passover sponsor.
• Meal Sponsorships Sponsorship program for 2025-26 academic year offering Sunday Bagel Brunches ($1,000), Friday Night Shabbat Dinners ($2,500), and Saturday Shabbat Lunch & Seudah Shlishit ($3,600) sponsorship opportunities.
• Birthright Israel Trips Free Birthright Israel trips offered every winter and summer break through Israel Outdoors, the only non-denominational pluralistic Birthright trip offered specifically for WashU and other St. Louis area college students.
• WashU Spring Break Volunteer Trip to Israel 2026 Subsidized spring-break volunteer mission to Israel for WashU students with a $400 subsidy from WashU Hillel reducing the student cost to $200.
• Shabbat Hosting Lab Fellowship Five-week fellowship program teaching students Shabbat rituals and hosting skills, culminating in participants hosting two Shabbat gatherings; includes a $300 stipend upon completion.
• The Collaborative Program offering mentorship, resources, and funding for WashU students to develop and execute their own Jewish programming ideas and initiatives.
• Jew-It-Yourself (JIY) Grants Funding grants that enable students to host their own Shabbat or holiday meals and gatherings on campus, with the choice of either a subsidy or a fully catered meal.
• L'Chaim Kosher Dining Station Kosher food station at Bear's Den prepared by Sodexo under Rabbinic supervision of the Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis, providing hot certified Kosher meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the WashU meal plan for all undergraduate students.
• Alumni Engagement Program Alumni programming including reunion weekends, honor cords at graduation, and ongoing opportunities for WashU Hillel graduates to remain connected and engaged with the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600+ Jewish undergraduates served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Hillel InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashU Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International, the world's largest Jewish student organization spanning more than 550 colleges and universities. This affiliation provides access to resources, best practices, global programming, and connection to Jewish college students worldwide.
• Israel OutdoorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsrael Outdoors is Birthright's most popular trip provider. WashU Hillel offers Birthright Israel trips every winter and summer break through Israel Outdoors. This is the only non-denominational, pluralistic Birthright trip offered specifically for WashU and other St. Louis area students.
• OU-JLIC (Orthodox Union - Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOU-JLIC Co-Directors Rav Shlomo and Kyra Ashkanazy serve observant Jewish students at WashU. They host Shabbat meals, Seudah Shlishit, and provide religious guidance. Partnership provides Orthodox and Conservative services and home hospitality for High Holy Days.
• SodexomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSodexo prepares Kosher food under Rabbinic supervision of the Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis. The L'Chaim station in Bear's Den provides hot certified Kosher meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the WashU meal plan.
• Vaad Hoeir of St. LouismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis provides Rabbinic supervision for Kosher food preparation at WashU and certifies the Hillel kitchen. Their L'Chaim station serves Kosher meals campus-wide.
• Washington University in St. LouismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose relationship with the university including presence at orientation, Chancellor participation in Shabbat dinners, and campus circulation access. Hillel does not receive financial support from the university but operates as a valued campus partner.
• Jewish Community Center (JCC) of St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the largest and most active Jewish community centers in the country with programs for all ages. The Staenberg Family Complex features state-of-the-art health facilities. Part of the broader St. Louis Jewish community ecosystem.
• Campus for All (Hillel International)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus for All, powered by Hillel International, helps Jewish college students find support, connect to campus Jewish community, and feel more confident standing against antisemitism and misinformation on campus.
• Zelda's Catering (Skokie, IL)minorOthersZelda's from Skokie, IL provides catered Kosher meals for Passover Seder, Shabbat dinners, and holiday programs at Hillel.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hillel at University of Pennsylvania: Direct peer as a fellow Hillel chapter at a private university with a sizable Jewish student body. Comparable model: pluralistic programming, Shabbat dinners, Birthright trips, and parent giving tiers on a single campus.
• Hillel at Harvard University: Direct peer as an elite-university Hillel chapter with similar pluralistic model, parent leadership giving structure, and breadth of student groups. Strong physical building infrastructure and kosher kitchen similar to WashU Hillel.
• Chabad on Campus: Direct peer as another major Jewish campus organization offering Shabbat meals, holiday programming, and student engagement. Differs in denominational focus (Orthodox) but competes for the same student time and donor dollars.
• Hillel at Brown University: Direct peer as a Hillel chapter at an Ivy-adjacent university with comparable programming (Shabbat, Birthright, student leadership) and donor base. Similar small-staff structure and reliance on parent giving.
• Hillel at NYU (Bronfman Center): Direct peer as a Hillel chapter at a major urban university with a large Jewish undergraduate population. Operates the same portfolio (Shabbat, holidays, Birthright, Israel engagement, student groups) on a comparable scale.
• Hillel at Emory University: Direct peer as a Hillel chapter at a private research university in the South with a comparable Jewish undergraduate population, building-based model, and Birthright/Israel engagement portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Birthright Israel Foundation: Broader incumbent in the Jewish campus engagement space. Funds and organizes the Birthright Israel trips that WashU Hillel distributes through Israel Outdoors, making it a programmatic upstream partner and scale comparator.
• Jewish Federation of St. Louis: Broader incumbent that is WashU Hillel's umbrella financial partner. Operates at a regional scale across the St. Louis Jewish community (60,000 members, 25+ congregations, 6 day schools) and shares overlap in fundraising and donor stewardship.

Emerging players

• MEOR (Mentoring, Education, Outreach and Recruitment): Emerging player in Jewish campus programming focused on educational engagement for college students. Competes partially for student attention and donor mindshare on campuses with Hillel, though typically targets a narrower Orthodox-leaning segment.
• Moishe House: Emerging player providing Jewish peer-led residential community programs for young adults, including referrals to WashU Hillel for grad students. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but competes for the same Jewish young-adult donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/washuhillel
• Instagraminstagram.com/washuhillel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washuhillel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis