Penn Hillel hosted Philadelphia Eagles running back A.J. Dillon on Monday to discuss how his professional football career intersects with his Jewish identity.
The Sept. 29 event — part of Hillel’s Jackie Reses Speaker Series — spotlighted Dillon’s career as an example of an individual who competes at the highest level “while balancing” their Jewish identity. The conversation was moderated by College senior and Hillel Co-President Ethan Farber, along with Wharton sophomore Orly Sedransk.
“My Jewish journey wasn’t necessarily linear,” Dillon said during the event. “My mom’s side of my family is Jewish, and we did all the traditions and everything growing up. But once I started to get more into sports … [the] schedule gets a little busier.”
Dillon discussed the importance of using his platform as a professional athlete to help local communities.
“I think I have an unbelievable opportunity … and also a lot of responsibility,” he said. “Let’s try to inspire others to do more for others, rather than themselves, which is very hard to do, but whenever I get a chance, I try to do that.”
In July 2024, Dillon and his wife Gabrielle Dillon launched the Dillon Family Foundation to address food insecurity and support families across the nation.
Dillon described the foundation as a personal “blessing,” adding that his team has been “able to hopefully change a lot of lives.”
He also mentioned his struggle balancing his athletic commitments with his Jewish identity.
“I think there’s no perfect answer,” Dillon said. “The schedule can get hectic, but I think it’s trial and error with trying to figure out what works, and that might change in a couple months or a year as the season goes on.”
He continued that while “balancing faith” and work can be “challenging,” he strives to “be mindful of the things that are important.”
Sedransk, who also plays for the Penn women’s lacrosse team, highlighted her response to Dillon’s remarks in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
“I loved what he said about his pregame ritual: ‘I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again,’” Sedransk said. “I love that as a mantra I can start incorporating because I think it’s really easy to get caught up in the bad days and have a hard time moving on.”
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Dillon similarly encouraged Jewish students to take advantage of their faith and community in an interview with the DP following the event.
“The great thing about being part of the Jewish community is you have a sense of belonging,” he said. “The reality is there’s not as many Jewish athletes. It’s always great when you are able to do something, no matter how big or how small, and have a platform.”
