Queens Hillel Meets Students’ Needs — Wherever They Are
What to major in. Where to intern. Finals and midterms. Dating and relationships. These are the things we expect college students to worry about.
Where their next meal comes from shouldn’t be one of them. Yet, for many college students, particularly at commuter campuses, food insecurity is a harsh reality. At the five CUNY Hillels supported by UJA, two in five students report experiencing low or very low food security in the past year. More than three-quarters rely on Hillel for food for themselves and their families.
As a commuter school, says Jenna Citron, Queens Hillel’s executive director, “we have to literally meet students where they are.” And as the Hillel is open to students from Queensborough Community College and St. John’s University as well, that meant making it more accessible to all.
That’s why the Hillel at Queens College has its own kosher food pantry, part of the digital pantry system UJA founded in partnership with Met Council, which serves students — many of them the first in their families to attend college — and their households. While the college has an additional pantry open to all students, it is not kosher. With 30% of the student population identifying as Jewish, Hillel’s kosher pantry helps fill a critical gap.
About three years ago, UJA asked Jenna what Hillel could use if funding were not an obstacle. Her answer: more space — specifically, space closer to the communities where students live.
With the help of the Jewish Communal Fund, which provided a grant to help cover the rent, that wish became reality this fall, with the acquisition of a 1,400-square-foot space near 188th Street and Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows, in addition to the on-campus Hillel location. The new headquarters includes offices and a welcoming “living room”, where students can study, spend time with friends, and participate in programs.
Most importantly, it allows Hillel to be available to students where they live, work, and are, says UJA’s Molly Zaentz. “With 50% of our students working full-time, this offers a new access point for those who don’t spend much of their day at Queens College,” Jenna says.
In September, students, community members, elected officials, UJA and Jewish Communal Fund leadership, and others gathered to celebrate the new space with a ribbon cutting and mezuzah hanging.
Lightening Burdens With Breakfast
On campus, students have options as well.
To respond to the high levels of food insecurity among CUNY students, UJA secured a gift from the Einstein Astrof Foundation to support an innovative Breakfast Bar concept, open to all students. There, students can find kosher breakfast and grab-and-go food throughout the day at no charge, along with a welcoming place to connect with community. Einstein Astrof has supported the Breakfast Bar at Queens College for two years (it also funds one at the Hillels at Stony Brook and Baruch College). During the 2025–2026 school year, the Queens College Breakfast Bar served an average of 69 students each day.
“It’s been great to see how utilized it’s been,” says Einstein Astrof Foundation Executive Director Mia Schulman. “At Queens, it’s become part of the rhythm of students’ activities. It takes one level of expense and mental burden off students’ plates. The Breakfast Bar also provides more reason to be at Hillel throughout the day and that time spent there allows students to connect and build community.”
For Jenna, the expanded space off campus and the Breakfast Bar on campus reflect what makes Queens Hillel special: “It’s a relationship-based organization, not a programmatic one.
“We feed students’ hearts and minds,” she says.