Hailing from 32 different countries and 27 states, The Hill’s diverse student body introduces different perspectives to its campus, including a variety of religious celebrations. The Spiritual Life Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program at Hill continuously work towards supporting the numerous religions which join on campus. These include, but are not limited to, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Students involved in the Spiritual Life Committee help coordinate these campus festivities for all community members to attend, regardless of religious affiliation. In doing so, The Hill School brings in outside traditions and grows them within the community.   

Built on beliefs of Christianity, the Hill School’s inclusivity has greatly improved and expanded over time. Each year, Hill grows their spectrum by adding additional events and services to accommodate student’s interest and cultural practices. Spiritual Life requires students to take part in one or two programs per term, regardless of religious affiliation. There are meditational, religious, and virtual options, allowing students to choose an option which suits their spiritual interests. 

“All religions are internally diverse, which means there is bound to be a lot of variety. So, when you get people coming together from all different places, they bring that variety with them. Our goal isn’t to replicate or replace what students do at home but rather to provide the opportunity for students to practice their religions here at Hill with and in this community.” explains Reverend Anne Confer Martens. Students should always appreciate their home backgrounds but are encouraged to explore the festivities of others in the Hill community and learn something new. 

According to General Manager of Sodexo Staff at Hill, Lisa Demetrio, Sodexo makes changes towards their food availability during times of need such as Lent, Ramadan, and Passover. Depending on the requirements of each individual student, Sodexo staff are always willing to accommodate and account for religious needs. The supportive kitchen staff results in a more authentic, positive experience for those who wish to practice their religion in this way.  

“Students can follow their religious practices during these times without feeling the pressure of needing to find a way to eat correctly according to their beliefs.” Demetrio explains. “We work with Spiritual Life to make sure that all needs are met for the entire student body.” 

For the observance of Lent, advance preparation is needed to provide accommodations. Typically, Christians refrain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. The kitchen supports this and includes mainly non-meat meals on those Fridays leading to Easter. 

During Ramadan, scheduling becomes slightly tricky. The few hours of eating are outside the dining hall breakfast and dinner guidelines. According to Ms. Demetrio, there were very few students who reached out requesting accommodation, which Sodexo was happy to provide. “For Passover we offer a Passover Station which has a variety of Passover items such as Matzo Ball Soup, hard boiled eggs, Matzo crackers, Cheese, Gefilte Fish, also available is Marinara Sauce, and on the Simple Station we have conformed those meals to meet Passover needs such as steak, fish or chicken,” Demetrio continued. The caring and adaptive Sodexo staff allow students to be able to continue with their religious events.  

Other faculty members at Hill ensure students are surrounded by a caring atmosphere. Some faculty members, like Mr. and Mrs. Eilberg, provide celebrations in the comfort of their own home. Recently, they held a seder, marking the start of Passover. In an interview, Mr. Eilberg states, “I am one of several Jewish faculty members who works to support our Jewish students. We have done shuttles to high holiday services such as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We hosted apples and honey to celebrate the Jewish new year, and we have also hosted break the fast meals at end of Yom Kippur, day of atonement.” Besides the Eilberg’s, Dr. Ehsan, an Islamic following teacher, shared that she invites Muslim students to have iftar regularly. Iftar is at the sunset of Ramadan and is the meal in which Muslims break their fast. Coming together at the end of a long day brings peace and comfort to students. Other programming and events recently include the Holi color celebration and Ash Wednesday services.