Rudy Abrams (née Brandt)

This photo was taken at my wedding in June of 2026, almost 10 years after I first stepped foot in Berkeley Hillel. I met my husband Sam at Hillel, and our relationship was forged and grew within the safe and welcoming community there. Rabbi Adam officiated at our wedding, Micah (who we met when he worked on Hillel Staff) was one of our groomsmen, and we were surrounded on our wedding day by the love of many other friends from our time at Berkeley Hillel. It is safe to say that Berkeley Hillel changed my life. It gave me some of my closest and most cherished friends, and it gave me the love of my life. So many of the conversations that Sam and I have now about what kind of Jewish home we want to have, and what kind of Jewish family we want to raise, are rooted in ideas we first explored and experiences we first had during our time at Hillel. Whether it was my time as a DOFI, serving on the student board, or just napping, studying and snacking with friends between classes, my memories at Hillel are by far the most valued from my time at UC Berkeley and I carry a piece of those four years with me every day of my life.