By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—The organizers and philanthropists of Operation Birthright might smile with satisfaction  if they met Andrew Hoffman, 21, a San Diego State University senior majoring in business.

By his account, he had drifted away from Jewish communal life following his bar mitzvah at Temple Solel in suburban Encinitas.  When he enrolled as an SDSU freshman, for example, he wasn't interested in attending Jewish events at Hillel.  As far as he was concerned, that Jewish organization's headquarters at 5742 Montezuma Road were just too far from his dormitory to make the trip across the campus worth his while.

But then, he said, he read an ad placed by Hillel in the Daily Aztec inviting Jewish students to participate in Operation Birthright's free trip to Israel.  The "free " part really got his attention.

Yesterday, I met Andrew Hoffman at one of the temporary booths set up on a San Diego State walkway where members of student organizations, hoping to attract new members, handed out literature. His booth was that of the Jewish Student Union, the on-campus partner of Hillel.  Not only is Hoffman involved in Jewish life today, he serves as this year's JSU president.

When Charles Bronfman and other philanthropists concerned about Jewish "continuity" announced Operation Birthright in 1999, it was in response to studies suggesting that at different stages of their lives, Jewish youngsters can be turned on to Judaism.. Enrolling a student of elementary school age in a Jewish Day School is one means.  Sending older children to overnight Jewish summer camps is another.  And, arranging for college students and other young adults to spend time in Israel, being exposed to it in its many facets, is a third.

Introducing myself, I asked Hoffman if he could take a little time to tell me about himself and the organization he heads.  He agreed and we trouped over to the air-conditioned Montezuma Hall, where this zayde could take notes without shvitzing.

Hoffman went to Israel two years ago on an Operation Birthright Program with other youngsters from San Diego State.  Israeli soldiers his own age, carrying M-16 rifles, caught his attention, Hoffman said.  Americans are not used to seeing soldiers in the streets with their loaded weapons, but in Israel such scenes are a  fact of life because of the ever-present need for soldiers to be ready to spring to Israel's defense  Hoffman related to those soldiers who are "defending our religion."

He also enjoyed the group of Jewish students from San Diego State who became his travel companions on the Birthright bus tours all over Israel.  When the two-week trip ended, he wanted to keep up the contact. 

That brought Hoffman to Hillel. 

In his same sophomore year, he signed up for a Hillel sponsored program to do mitzvah work in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  With other Hillel members, Hoffman spent his Spring Break painting a school in the slums, playing bingo with elderly Jews at a retirement center, teaching kids from a poor neighborhood about dental hygiene (with the help of Portuguese interpreters), and visiting a botanical gardens with other children from poor families.

Last year, Hoffman was elected as vice president for social affairs of the Jewish Student Union, which as on on-campus organization sends a representative to the Associated Students and also is able to sponsor on-campus events. Soon, in fact, the JSU will have its first office in the Aztec Center complex.  Off campus, many JSU  members use the Hillel House as a social headquarters and there is considerable overlap between the two organizations' memberships. Because of its religious nature,  Hillel is precluded from being an on-campus organization of the state university.

Nobody knows for certain how many Jewish students there are at San Diego State University, but Hoffman is comfortable with the estimate that it may be as many as 3,000, or roughly 10 percent of the total student population.  About 300 students, or 1 percent  of the student population, are signed up on Hillel's or JSU's mailing lists, and perhaps 50 students comprise the core group.

Asked why the numbers seem so low, Hoffman suggested two reasons.  One, he said, is that many students are under the impression that all people do at Hillel are those "Jewish things" such as holding Shabbat services or observances of the various Jewish holidays.  Many college students, afraid of appearing "dorky," or "nerdy," tend therefore to avoid Hillel, not realizing they are missing  exciting secular activities such as local "mitzvah" days and group participation in Operation Birthright.

Another possible reason, he said, may be the fact that fraternities and sororities are quite popular at San Diego State.  "This is a big Greek school," he said, an assessment that was made clearly evident by the number of booths representing the fraternities and sororities.  Many students who want to be Jewishly involved think that Alpha Epsilon Pi and Alpha Epsilon Phi,  the predominantly Jewish fraternity and sorority of San Diego State, offer more exciting and encompassing activities, he said.

There is some crossover between these organizations as well as cooperation, as indicated by the fact that Alpha Epsilon Phi and Hillel shared one of the outside booths during the current first week of classes.  But, he noted, the Greek organizations have heavy schedules of their own activities, which along with the requirements of studying, keep some people from checking out Hillel.

Hoffman said one of the Hillel activities planned this year which may attract socially-minded Jewish students is a party cruise around the harbor.  Another one will feature an appearance by Slam poet Kevin Coval.

Whether Jewish students participate in Hillel, or the Jewish fraternity and sorority, or attend classes offered by SDSU's Jewish Studies program, Hoffman believes it's important for them to be in some way involved.

"It's our religion and our identity," he said.  "They need to find some special connection."