Olam audited 35 Hillel International institutional actions. 14 align with the Democratic platform. Zero align Republican. October 7 changed what Hillel added — but not what it kept.
OLAM RESEARCH · OLAM.BUSINESS
The Olam Hillel Research Project, Study 2 of 3. Edited Aug 25, 2026.
Part of Olam's Hillel International audit series. Companion coverage: Who Runs Hillel? Auditing 1,269 Campus Professionals and What Makes This Jewish? Inside Hillel's Keshet Audit.
Hillel International took 14 institutional positions consistent with the Democratic Party's 2024 platform and zero consistent with the Republican platform, according to an Olam audit of 35 national institutional actions taken since 2022. The finding comes as Hillel's revenue rose from $57.9 million to $73.2 million and campus antisemitic incidents increased tenfold, from 289 in 2022-23 to 2,334 in 2024-25. The largest Jewish campus organization in the world had the resources to respond to the crisis. This audit is about what it chose to build alongside that response.
The Finding: 14 Democratic-Consistent Positions, Zero Republican
Of 35 identifiable Hillel International national institutional actions, 17 take a directional position on contested U.S. public policy. Fourteen of those 17 are consistent with the 2024 Democratic Party platform. Zero are consistent with the 2024 Republican Party platform. Two, both voter registration programs, scored bipartisan. One civic engagement partnership was coded unclear for insufficient evidence. A separate symmetry test searching five categories of Republican-aligned activity found zero items; on abortion specifically, Hillel took the position opposite the Republican platform.
| HILLEL POSITION | DIR | PLATFORM MATCH |
| Racial Justice guide: multi-year antiracism plan | D | Dem: 'address systemic racism'; GOP opposes |
| Thrive: trans/LGBQ+ youth coalition | D | Dem: protect trans youth; GOP opposes |
| Keshet Shivyan cohort: external audit | D | Dem: LGBTQ+ rights; GOP opposes |
| JQY partnership: Queer Jewish resources | D | Dem: LGBTQ+ rights |
| Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition signatory | D | Dem: climate 'existential threat'; GOP opposes |
| Climate Action Plans 2023 + 2024 | D | Dem: climate action; GOP opposes regulation |
| $500/student climate break trip subsidies | D | Dem: climate action programming |
| Abortion committee formed after Dobbs | D | Dem: 'restore Roe'; GOP: 'protect unborn' |
| Published statement opposing Dobbs | D | Dem: reproductive rights; GOP supports Dobbs |
| NCJW partnership: abortion and gender-affirming care | D | Dem: reproductive freedom; GOP opposes |
| Service intern: Racial/Climate/Disability Justice | D | Dem: social justice; GOP opposes DEI mandates |
| Harvard amicus brief vs. Trump funding freeze | D | Filed against Trump admin policy |
| AVP of DEI (institutional priority) | D | Dem: 'advance equity'; GOP opposes DEI mandates |
| MitzVote voter registration | O | Both platforms support participation |
| Student Vote Choice with ADL | O | Bipartisan voter registration |
Hillel International: Key Numbers
| Organization | Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world |
|---|---|
| Campus presence | 850+ campuses |
| Revenue | $73.2 million (up from $57.9M) |
| Post-Oct 7 fundraising | $70M raised; $200M+ centennial campaign |
| Professionals audited (Study 1) | 1,269 named across 250+ campuses |
| Institutional actions audited (Study 2) | 35 total; 17 directional; 14 Democratic-aligned, 0 Republican-aligned |
| Antisemitic campus incidents | 289 (2022-23) to 2,334 (2024-25): a tenfold increase |
| Chair-elect, Conference of Presidents | Matthew Bronfman (Hillel Board of Governors chair), elected May 2026 |
Hillel International's Social Impact page, live on hillel.org as of this publication, lists the organization's institutional priorities beyond Jewish campus life: an Abortion Access and Reproductive Freedom committee with an official statement opposing the Dobbs decision; membership in Thrive: The Jewish Coalition to Defend Trans and LGBQ+ Youth; membership in the Greater Washington Keshet Shivyan Cohort; signatory of the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition with published Climate Action Plans; a Guide to Racial Justice Learning and Action; the MitzVote voter registration campaign; and a full-time Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reporting to C-suite leadership.
Methodology: 35 Items, 4 Measures, Hillel's Own Public Record
This audit examines Hillel International's national institutional activity only. It does not cover what happens at campus Hillels on Friday nights. Local chapters run thousands of Shabbat dinners and events that don't generate headquarters web pages. Those are outside this audit's scope.
Four separate measures are reported below. They are never collapsed into a single percentage.
| MEASURE TYPE | COUNT | EXAMPLES |
| Identified staff positions | 1 | AVP of DEI (Arielle Levy) |
| Documented spending | 5 | Climate trips ($500/student), CCI expansion (108 campuses), SCN security (50+ campuses), CALL legal (~1,000 students), Birthright |
| Institutional commitments | 13 | Thrive LGBTQ+ coalition, Climate Leadership Coalition, Keshet cohort, MitzVote, abortion committee, racial justice guide, NCJW partnership |
| Public actions | 11 | Harvard amicus brief, Campus for All launch, incident tracking system, Dobbs statement, Unity Dinners |
Hillel's First Full-Time DEI Hire: Institutional Priority, Not External Policy
Arielle Levy serves as Hillel International's first full-time employee dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, reporting to C-suite leadership. Having a DEI VP proves institutional commitment to DEI as an organizational priority. It does not by itself prove external policy engagement. This audit classifies the position as an institutional priority, separate from Hillel's external coalition memberships and signed policy statements, which are classified as external policy engagement.
Before Hillel, Levy's career ran through YWCA Boston, Health Resources in Action, Health Care For All, and Operation Understanding DC, followed by independent DEI consulting. Her academic background includes a bachelor's in Sociology and Community Health from Tufts and a Master of Public Health in Health Communication.
Her involvement in identity and diversity work predates 2020. As early as 2011, while at Tufts, she participated in a project encouraging students to explore social identity. After the racial upheaval of 2020, Hillel expanded its anti-racism programming. Levy was directly involved. In Hillel's own public account, she stated: 'We have to listen before we act, but we have to act.' She added that Jews had a moral responsibility to become 'catalysts for change.'
The Policy Commitments: Abortion, Trans Coalitions, Climate Pledges
Abortion Access and Reproductive Freedom. Hillel formed a Field Advisory Committee on reproductive freedom after the Dobbs draft leaked. It partnered with NCJW. It published an official statement opposing the decision. The Social Impact page states the program ensures students can access 'reproductive or gender-affirming health care.' The page remains live.
Trans and LGBQ+ Youth. Hillel is a member of Thrive (Keshet). It joined the Greater Washington Keshet Shivyan Cohort, an external organizational audit with Keshet coaching. It partners with JQY for 'Queer Jews on campus.' Three external policy commitments, all on the Social Impact page. Olam's third study in this series, What Makes This Jewish?, examines the Keshet audit's full scope in detail.
Climate Policy. Hillel signed the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition in September 2022. It published Climate Action Plans in 2023 and 2024. The 2024 plan was published after October 7. It subsidizes climate action break trips at $500 per student.
Racial Justice. Hillel published a Guide to Racial Justice Learning and Action committing to a 'multi-year plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism.' The Service Engagement Internship trains stipended interns with deep-dive sessions on 'Racial Justice, Climate Justice, Disability Justice, and Food Justice.'
The Symmetry Test: Searching for Republican-Aligned Positions
| SEARCHED FOR | RESULT |
| School choice partnerships | None found |
| Religious liberty advocacy | None found beyond internal Jewish pluralism |
| Second Amendment positions | None found |
| Immigration enforcement partnerships | None found |
| Pro-life coalitions | None found; Hillel took opposite position |
October 7 Changed What Hillel Added. It Did Not Change What Hillel Kept.
After October 7, Hillel built a substantial antisemitism and security apparatus: Campus Climate Initiative expanded from 50 to 108 campuses. Operation Secure Our Campuses placed intelligence analysts at 50+ campuses. CALL Legal Line provided free representation for ~1,000 students. Campus for All launched online reporting. Revenue rose to $73.2M. $70M raised since Oct. 7. $200M+ centennial campaign.
But the pre-existing broader policy infrastructure was not contracted, de-staffed, or formally ended. The AVP of DEI remains on the leadership page. The Thrive and Keshet memberships remain on the Social Impact page. The abortion resources remain live.
Did Hillel International Respond Before Publication?
As of this writing, Hillel has not responded to calls.
Primary Sources
Hillel International Social Impact page (hillel.org, retrieved and archived August 2026). Hillel International IRS Form 990 filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 52-1844823). Hillel International Climate Action Plans 2023 and 2024. Hillel International Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Abortion. Keshet Shivyan Cohort documentation. Thrive coalition membership records. MitzVote (mitz.vote). Foundation grant disclosures (AVDF, Kraft/FCAS). ADL campus incident data. Harvard amicus brief filing. 2024 Democratic and Republican Party platforms (exact citations in methodology appendix). Related coverage: Who Runs Hillel? Auditing 1,269 Campus Professionals; What Makes This Jewish? Inside Hillel's Keshet Audit; Conference of Presidents; AIPAC.
בעברית
אולם ביקרה 35 פעולות מוסדיות ברמה הלאומית של הלל בינלאומי. מתוך 17 שנוקטות עמדה כיוונית בנושאי מדיניות ציבורית שנויים במחלוקת בארצות הברית, 14 תואמות את הפלטפורמה הדמוקרטית של 2024. אפס תואמות את הפלטפורמה הרפובליקנית. הלל הקימה ועדת הפלות לאחר פסיקת דובס, חתמה על קואליציית האקלים היהודית, הצטרפה לשלוש קואליציות LGBTQ+ חיצוניות, ופרסמה תכנית פעולה אקלימית ב-2024, אחרי ה-7 באוקטובר. אחרי ה-7 באוקטובר, הלל בנתה תשתית משמעותית נגד אנטישמיות: 108 קמפוסים, אנליסטים ביטחוניים ב-50+ קמפוסים, קו משפטי ל-~1,000 סטודנטים. הכנסות: 73.2 מיליון דולר. אבל התשתית המדינית הרחבה שקדמה לאוקטובר לא צומצמה.
Read Olam's companion audits: Who Runs Hillel? Auditing 1,269 Campus Professionals and What Makes This Jewish? Inside Hillel's Keshet Audit, Climate Justice Deep Dives, and Abortion Committee.
The Olam Editorial Team | Olam Research
