Johns Hopkins Hillel is among the 15 college campuses nationwide that will combine Jewish learning and reflection with hands-on service in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Hillel International and the Jewish service nonprofit Repair the World plan to engage more than 800 college students across the nation in community service. Supported by a grant from 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps, select campus Hillels will host volunteer projects addressing food security, environmental stewardship and other “pressing local needs,” according to a press release.

“Most college students today know Sept. 11 through history books and the stories they’ve heard from family, teachers and the media,” Melissa Levine, Repair the World’s senior director of strategic initiatives, said in the press release. “On that day, people came together to care for one another. Service is a way for young adults to connect with and carry forward that legacy.

“As we enter the High Holiday season and reach 9/11’s milestone anniversary, Jewish young adults and their peers can embody the value of responsibility and chesed, caring for their neighbors.”

After a discussion around Jewish values — tikkun olam and chesed — an expected 50 Johns Hopkins University participants will visit children at the Johns Hopkins Hospital pediatric cancer unit.

“We envision bringing patients small messages of hope and encouragement created by our students, along with handmade bracelets … as a small reminder that people in their community are thinking about them and rooting for them,” Monica Davis, JHU Hillel’s executive director, told Baltimore Jewish Times. “The experience will give students a chance to put the values they have discussed into practice.”

The goal is to bring joy to local children facing an “incredibly difficult time,” Davis added.

The day of service will end with a reflection and conversation about what participants experienced, what they learned and how service can be a meaningful expression of their values, Davis said.

She first heard about the opportunity through Hillel International and Repair the World.

“We decided to participate because it felt like a natural fit for what we try to do at Hopkins Hillel, to give students opportunities to turn Jewish values into action,” Davis said.

The timing of the initiative during the High Holiday season, approaching the anniversaries of Sept. 11 and Oct. 7, felt “especially meaningful” to Davis.

“Both Sept. 11 and Oct. 7 are moments that carry a tremendous amount of grief, uncertainty and loss,” she said. “We wanted to acknowledge those anniversaries while also giving students a constructive way to respond. For us, service is a way to honor those moments without allowing them to be defined only by sadness or fear.

“We wanted to create something that would give students a chance to reflect on resilience and hope but also move beyond reflection and do something tangible for others,” Davis said.

The initiative isn’t limited to Jewish students or members of Hopkins Hillel.

“In fact, one of the things we are most excited about is bringing together students from different parts of the Hopkins community,” Davis said.

Hopkins Hillel will invite Jewish students to participate alongside students from other affinity groups — JHU Muslim Association and Maryland Turkish American Inhabitants (MARTI) — thanks to Hopkins Hillel’s partnership with JHU’s Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

“We see this as an opportunity to build connections across communities through a shared commitment to service,” Davis said.

During a time of heightened tensions and division, bringing Jewish, Muslim, Turkish and other affinity groups together around caring for children and families is particularly meaningful, according to Davis.

“There is something powerful about knowing that students across the community are coming together around the same values of service, compassion, remembrance, resilience and hope,” Davis said. “For our students, it also helps them see that what they are doing at Hopkins is part of something much bigger. They aren’t just volunteering for one afternoon — they are joining hundreds of young people who are choosing to respond to difficult moments by caring for others and strengthening their communities. That’s a message we want our students to carry with them long after the day is over.”

zbell@midatlanticmedia.com