History: A Hillel Counselorship was started at Washington and Lee University in the 1960s, and was reactivated in 1989 by students Doug Brown, Jonah Glick, Marc Ackerman,Thomas Gottsegen, Heather Turner, Larry Brown, Josh Manning, and others. Doug believed that the W&L chapter of Hillel would help Jewish students preserve their history, tradition, and identity.

The W&L chapter is part of the Hillel Foundation, an international Jewish campus organization which sponsors a variety of Jewish campus activities, including lectures and classes in Jewish thought, social gatherings, religious services, and social service projects.

W&L Hillel is a student-run organization with elected leaders, a constitution, and a regular set of activities.