Whether it’s joining a social network, being a part of a club, organization or team, or even “liking” a group on Facebook, most people want to be a part of something. Because of today’s tech-savvy generation, more and more specific online communities are popping up  where people can congregate and discuss familiar topics without having to leave the comfort of their computer screens. Junior English major and Towerlight contributor Rachel Lipton is one who hopes to bridge the gap between online and local communities. Lipton is a part of Towson Hillel, an organization that aims to enhance Jewish life on campus. Her desire for unity among Jewish students on campus compelled her to start a blog.

“Ideally, I would like there to be one place to look to find out what is going on and to get all the latest news,” Lipton said.

Lipton launched the blog, entitled “What’s Jew at TU?”, via Tumblr Tuesday, March 1. The blog gathers news from Jewish groups on campus such as Hillel, the Towson branch of Chabad-Lubavitch, and Jewish students in Greek life, as well as any other Jewish groups that are willing to contribute.

“Many students are introduced to Hillel or other Jewish groups as freshmen and then never follow through and become involved,” junior secondary education major and “What’s Jew” contributor Amanda Rudin said. “I hope … that students will be encouraged to attend an event at Hillel or Chabad, or at least have some more insight into what’s going on for Jewish students on campus.”

The blog already has six posts ranging from information about upcoming events to journal entries from a handful of its eight contributing writers.

Unlike fraternities and sororities, whose extensive social activities can help to create unity among pledges, many organizations that have a less frequent and engaging event schedules have trouble retaining membership. The help of blogs and online resources can help change that, according to Lipton. The executive director of Hillel, Ken Krivitzky, said that community models in the Jewish community like the one Lipton has created have begun appearing across the country.

“It just provides lot of potential for students to talk, connect and get to know one another,” Krivitzky said.