THE TISILA SCHOLARSHIP @ UW-MADISON

Leadership: Organized and executed two large-scale events at UW-Madison directly across from the encampments. Erica also worked alongside campus police to ensure a safety plan was in place allowing for everyone to attend safely.

Impact: Joined by hundreds of Jewish students, Erica’s first event inspired hope and Jewish unity through singing and dancing. Her second event engaged the community through a meaningful Havdalah service. Erica is looking to continue being a strong Jewish leader next school year by helping launch a “Students Supporting Israel” club chapter at UW-Madison!

Leadership: Planned a variety of programs for students during Passover. This consisted of teaching conversational Hebrew, educating students on Israeli culture, and moderating important discussions about how the current events in Israel affect Jews around the world.

Impact: Many of the students who participated decided to attend Birthright with UW-Madison. They unpromptedly expressed to Noga how they had a deeper appreciation for Israel and how the meaningful discussions elevated their overall experience. Noga has already begun planning more ways to integrate Israeli culture into Jewish programs for the next school year at Wisconsin Chabad and Hillel!

Leadership: Gathered numerous student testimonials regarding personal experiences of antisemitism on campus. Using these responses, Maya has been working with Jewish campus leadership to craft actionable solutions that the administration could implement next year following the rise of antisemitism at UW-Madison.

Impact: Maya shared her proposal and student testimonials with the UW-Madison Chancellor, inspiring countless Jewish students that they have a voice and are being heard. Maya and Jewish campus leadership are continuing to work toward executing measures that ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish students for years to come!

Leadership: Created and led activities at Hillel and Chabad on campus. Carli designed “Shabbat cards” that outlined different thought-provoking questions for students to connect with each other on a more personal level while exploring the deeper significance behind Shabbat.

Impact: Students became more engaged and reported having a more meaningful Shabbat experience, which encouraged them to attend additional Shabbat dinners. With such a great outcome, Carli was asked by Jewish campus leadership to implement her Shabbat Cards at even more events next year. As a result of Tisila’s impact on Carli personally, she is aspiring to volunteer and study in Israel to continue being a passionate leader in the Jewish community!

Leadership: Created a digital series showcasing different Jewish cultural backgrounds. Lana interviewed Jewish students whose families hail from around the world with a variety of traditions, beliefs, and experiences.

Impact: The Jewish community at UW-Madison grew closer, strengthening their bond as proud Jews during challenging times. Following October 7th, it was easy for many Jews to shy away from the spotlight. Lana’s series, “Shalom Stories”, welcomed Jewish students to feel comfortable sharing their stories publicly. This series will act as a platform to connect students around the country as The Tisila Scholarship launches at more campuses in the future!