A Reflection on Parent and Family Shabbat - Interviewing the Parents of SB Hillel Students

On the weekend of November 7th-9th, families and loved ones of UCSB students gathered to attend various events held on and off campus over the weekend. On the Friday of November 7th, Santa Barbara Hillel held its annual Parent and Family Shabbat aimed at giving loved ones of Santa Barbara Hillel goers a taste of the Shabbat magic. A mixer, the new addition to Shabbats at Santa Barbara Hillel, preceded by services, was held at 5:00 pm for students and families, featuring a long table of charcuterie and refreshments for families to enjoy before heading in to services. 

Parent Interviews:

During the course of the night, I had the privilege and pleasure of pulling aside some parents of students in attendance and having a conversation with them about their personal biographies as well as how their child came to become a Gaucho.

The first person I interviewed during the pre-service mixer was Morgan Guttman’s mother, Deborah Ellen. They hail from Simi Valley, California, and upon asking how Morgan came to choose UCSB, she talked about how she was debating between UCSB and Cal Poly Slo, but they decided to stop at UCSB on the way home and Deborah mentions how Morgan lit up and loved it and felt like it was the right place for her. 

Deborah mentions that she was a former Gaucho, in fact, and didn’t realize how neat it was that her daughter decided to go to the same school and that they bonded over that fact. I asked Morgan’s mom to regale me with a fun tidbit about Morgan going to UCSB and she mentions that while apartment hunting in Trigo, Deborah used to live on Pasado and came to find out that the apartment Morgan decided on was the same building that her mother used to live in and the room that she ended up living in shared a wall with the room her mother used to live in! I continued to ask about what Deborah was involved in during her time at UCSB, to which she told me that she went to Santa Barbara Hillel only for High Holy Days and was involved in Chi Omega during her college years, and was a Psychology major!

Deborah and Morgan have a shared passion for theatre and love to go together as well as sing together. She mentions that when she, Morgan, and her sister are together, they all laugh and enjoy each other's company so much. I then finished up my interview by asking her what her favorite thing about her daughter is to which she says “her heart, she’s just a good human,” and I couldn’t agree more!

After services had commenced, I was able to pull aside another friend and his mother, Saben Spira and his mom, Beth Spira. Their hometown is currently Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but they formerly lived in Westwood, LA, California. Upon asking why her son decided on UCSB, she said she had wanted him to go here since the environment was more relaxed and supportive than many other UC schools, as well as he had a network of friends going into it.

I asked her about her educational background, and she told me about going to college at the University of Wisconsin for her undergraduate degree in Communications, then later on attending the California School of Professional Psychology for her master's and doctorate in Psychology. 

I asked her if she had any crazy stories about her son during his time at UCSB, to which she told me that he went to the grocery store! Wow! I later checked in with the two of them at dinner to see how the night had been for her and Saben, and she told me that the community at Santa Barbara Hillel seems amazing and was impressed with the great student leadership.

After services, students and families gathered in the hall for kiddush and other blessings before filing into the social hall for a salmon dinner. After checking in with the Spira family, I pulled aside Jacob Rosen’s parents, David and Yael, for an interview at dinner.

Their hometown is Agoura Hills, California, and upon asking why their child chose UCSB, they mention it is because Jacob’s father, David, went there when he was younger, majoring in Anthropology. Jacob’s mother went to Hebrew University in Jerusalem, majoring in Communications, and later graduated from CSUN, pursuing a master's from Gratz College in Pennsylvania. In fact, Master's run in the family since Jacob’s father is also currently getting his masters in Computer Science from CU Boulder, and Jacob plans to get his master's degree following his bachelor's this year at UCSB.

David Rosen, during his time at UCSB, was involved in the school’s newspaper publication, the Daily Nexus, as a photo editor, as well as being involved in the cycling team.

I asked his family how the night has been going for them and Jacob, to which they responded that they love seeing Jacob in such a thriving Jewish environment, especially after October 7th, and that he’s found a Jewish home away from home. They mention that it is their 3rd year at Santa Barbara Hillel for Parent and Family Shabbat, and every year it gets better, and that it is so wonderful to see everyone engaging. They are thrilled about the fact that Jacob was able to start at UCSB the same year Santa Barbara Hillel Executive Director Josh Levine started.

I then asked his family if they had heard any crazy stories about their son at UCSB. They mentioned the annual event, Deltopia, as well as the fact that he was able to speak on behalf of Jewish students at the Associated Students Senate about what he has experienced at UCSB.

To sum up the night, it was a pleasure to meet some parents of friends at Santa Barbara Hillel and grasp the bigger picture of the families and places they come from. The night was a warm and welcoming occasion for students and families, and remains one of my favorite Shabbats of the year.