How to stay connected to Judaism on campus

STEVE MARK

An estimated 6,000 colleges exist in the United States. ere are varied outlets available to keep students connected to their Judaism while away from home.

Aside from synagogues near college campuses, Hillel touts itself as the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, with 850 outlets around the world. Hillel serves more than 140,000 students each year.

“Hillel International aims to empower every Jewish student along their Jewish journey,” said Sandy Myers Grawert, associate vice president of communications for Hillel International, “positively impacting the lives of generations of young Jews and ensuring the Jewish future, now and for years to come.

“Campus Hillels provide Jewish students with the opportunity to learn more about Judaism and develop their Jewish identities. From traditional Shabbat and holiday dinners to our Jewish learning fellowship and service opportunities anchored in Jewish values, Hillel o ers something for every student looking for Jewish connection and community.” Touro College and University System, a private Jewish school, has 36 campuses in six states, and is a signi cant faith-based program for students wishing to keep active during college years.

“Our founder, Dr. Bernard Lander, bemoaned the state of communal a liation and Jewish identity for college students on secular campuses,” said Moshe Krupka, executive vice president of Touro. “ at was one of the motivations for him to start Touro.

“Touro is the largest institution of higher learning under Jewish sponsorship – it is respectful of the traditional Jewish calendar and only serves kosher food on its campuses. Depending on the program and the campus, we have di erent levels of Jewish programming, ranging from formal Judaic-studies programs, to extracurricular programming and informal educational events.

“Especially from a traditional Jewish standpoint, we want to make sure that those who have bene ted from Jewish education until now are able to express their observance in a meaningful fashion.

“ e college experience is inherently stressful, and Touro is no exception, but we fervently believe that students should not worry that the ful llment and celebration of their cultural and spiritual needs will get in the way of their academic pursuits. Students’ ability to honor their religious traditions should be a source of strength and support, not an additional barrier to overcome.”