Meet Linzy Upton-Spatz, the new president of CSU Hillel.
Linzy, a business major, is excited about Jewish life at Colorado State University, which for her is about family and community. “Jewish Geography” plays an important role in that sense of community, both on and off campus: she loves that you can travel around the world and feel like instant family if you happen to meet another Jew — or perhaps have Jewish friends in common.
On campus, Linzy says that “CSU Hillel has created a place to cultivate and more closely unify the Jewish community and become a home away from home for so many Jewish and non-Jewish students alike. It creates a safe place for Jews to come together and express their Jewish identity in a way that is meaningful to them, whether that is in the form of sustainability, cooking, or philanthropy.”
One of the events that Linzy is looking forward to this semester is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, even though it wasn’t something she enjoyed much growing up. Says Linzy, “Rosh Hashanah isn’t a holiday we celebrated heavily in my family growing up, since I never liked the going to synagogue part of it. However, every year my mom makes a delicious holiday dinner with home-cooked Jewish foods, and it has always been a great opportunity for our family to be together.”
Food, as all Jews know, is one of the best parts of every holiday. That is why Hillel will be serving a lunch after our beginner’s service this year.
Regarding the spiritual and emotional aspects of the holiday, Linzy adds, “[Rosh Hashanah] serves as a time for renewal. Whether it is making a change in your life, setting a goal, making amends with someone, or whatever that ‘renewal’ looks in that year, I think its a great time to consider who you are at that moment and who you want to be at this time next year”
Come by an upcoming Hillel event or Shabbat and say hello to Linzy and the rest of the leadership team!
Beth Caplin Stoneburner is a CSU alumna with a master’s in creative writing. She has a passion for interfaith dialogue, and blogs about it at sbethcaplin.com. She lives in Windsor with her husband and fur kids, Zoey and Catniss Everclean.
CSU Hillel serves as an important bridge from the Jewish kid world to the Jewish adult world. We empower students to become leaders, and provide a warm and welcoming home-away-from-home for every student. Additionally, at CSU Hillel we take pride in cultivating a strong community with our weekly shabbats, sustainability projects and community mitzvahs around Fort Collins, as well as, helping our students learn about Judaism and Israel in whatever capacity most comfortable to them. To learn more about CSU Hillel visit our website and make sure to follow us on social media on Facebook at CSU Hillel and Twitter @CSUHillel.