BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Contact: Hillel (617) 495-4696
Comments: Harvard has a
very active and growing
Jewish life. They are a close-
knit group, offering many
educational, social and
cultural activities.
Student Perspective: Brenna
Segal, 19, Atlanta, "Hillel is
great for the more
Conservative and religious
Jewish students, but the
mainstream Jews are Reform
at best. The school is kind of a
melting pot because it -
specializes in diversity."
JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY
Baltimore, Md.
General population: 4,400
Jewish population: 900
Kosher food: Kosher dining at
the Jewish Student Center
Religious Services: Weekly
Shabbat services
Contact: Jewish Student
Association, (301) 516-8349 or
(301) 542-4900 ext. 214
Comments: Hopkins has two
Jewish student groups on
campus and a Jewish student
center.
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
New York, N.Y.
General population: 44,000
Jewish population: 14,000
Kosher food: There is a kosher
dining hall.
Religious Services: Daily and
Shabbat Orthodox services,
and Shabbat services for
Conservative and Reform
Contact: JCF at Loeb Student
Center, Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard,
(212) 998-4945 or (212) 865-
0034
Comments: The Jewish life is
increasingly intense, and the
Jewish students participate in
many social, religious and
educational activities.
PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY
Princeton, N.J.
General population: 5,700
Jewish population: 1,000
Kosher food: The University
and Young Israel offer seven
dinners, seven lunches/
vegetarian dining
alternatives, dorm cooking
facilities
Religious Services: Daily
evening minyan, Fridays and
holidays; Reform, Orthodox,
Conservative; Saturday
morning, Orthodox,
Egalitarian/chavurah; High
Holidays; and alternative
services
Contact: Hillel (609) 258-3635
Comments: The University is
supportive of Jewish life.
There is a Jewish theater
project, women's coalition,
Talmud study and social and
communal activities.
Student Perspective: Rob
Kutner, 20, Atlanta, "Hillel is
more social than secular. Yav-
nah is run by the Orthodox
community and is more re-
sponsible for religious educa-
tion. Hillel is the best place to
meet people. Compared to oth-
er schools, like Penn, the pop-
ulation is small but strong. A
huge Center for Jewish Life,
which will include a chapel, is
being built and will be com-
pleted next year."
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Syracuse, N.Y.
General population: 15,000
Jewish population: 2,500
Kosher food: Kosher meal
plan available through Hillel
Religious Services: Friday
evening for Conservative and
Reform; Saturday morning at
Chabad for Orthodox
Contact: Hillel (313) 443-2904
or (315) 443-5042
Comments: There is a large
Jewish population, mainly
from the Northeast. Hillel
offers a wide range of
activities and programs,
including a Jewish theater
group, a newspaper and a
United Jewish Appeal
campaign.
Student Perspective: Adam
Sirkus, 19, Atlanta, "If you
want to go to a school where
there are a lot of Jewish
people and Jewish interaction,
Syracuse is great."
UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
General population: 22,800
Jewish population: 7,000
Kosher food: Hillel offers six
dinners, and six lunches;
vegetarian alternatives; dorm
cooking facilities
Religious Services: Hillel
sponsors Friday evening and
Saturday morning services
(Orthodox, Conservative and
Reform) and holidays
Contact: Hillel (215) 898-7391,
898-6682
Comments: Hillel offers
opportunities for social
activism, volunteerism,
political action and support of
communal organizations and
Israel. Penn Hillel also hosts
Israeli dance, Jewish theater
and a Yiddish group.
Student Perspective: Debra
Bernstein, 19, Atlanta, "In
terms of social activities for
Jews, the school is lacking.
There is a strong Jewish
presence but I'd like to see
more unification on campus."
YALE UNIVERSITY
New Haven, Conn.
General population: 10,000
Jewish population: 600
Kosher food: Young Israel of-
fers seven lunches and seven
dinners; dining hall frozen
food may be ordered;
vegetarian alternatives
Religious Services: Friday
evening Reform, Egalitarian,
Orthodox; Saturday morning,
Egalitarian, Orthodox; daily
minyan; Reform and
Conservative on campus
Contact: Hillel (203) 432-1134
Comments: Environmental
and communal groups; social
action, quarterly literary
magazine, cultural and social
activities; Holocaust video
archives.
Student Perspective: Louis
Merlin, 20, Atlanta, "It's not
hard to find Jewish people on
campus. There's a whole
range of students from
casually Jewish to the more
devout Orthodox Jews."
THE MICHIGAN
CONNECTION
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY
Mt. Pleasant
General Population: 16,000
Jewish Population: 150
Kosher Food: Kosher food is
available locally
Contact: Jewish Students
Organization (517) 774-3032
Comments: The local Jewish
community is very supportive
and provides hospitality for
the holidays.
Student Perspective: Melissa
Seligman, 22, West
Bloomfield, "It's a big learning
experience because other
people get to learn about
Judaism, and I've been able to
teach them. I only know
about 20 out of the 150 Jewish
students. Some people don't
like to come out of the
woodwork; they are closet
Jews."
EASTERN MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY
Ypsilanti
General Population: 27,000
Jewish Population: 1,500
Religious Services: Students
can attend local synagogues.
Contact: Hillel (313) 487-1855
or (313) 769-0500
Comments: Hillel offers
special programs and ethnic
food. There are several
Jewish fraternities and sorori-
ties on campus.
Student Perspective: Jason
Dickman, 20, West
Bloomfield, "Because Eastern
is smaller than MSU or U-M,
my group of friends from high
school stuck together during
our freshman year. Then,
when I joined a fraternity I
met a lot of other Jewish
people at Eastern."
MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY
East Lansing
General population: 44,000
Jewish population: 2,000
Kosher food: Hillel offers co-
op/vegetarian dining
about WSU is Hillel. They
have a lot of facilities for us to
use including a lounge, library
and chef."
alternatives.
Religious Services: Friday
evening and holiday service
Contact: Hillel (517) 332-1916
Comments: The Jewish life
and activities have increased
tremendously over the past
two years. There is a wide
range of social and cultural
programs and there are an
active Jewish fraternity and
sorority.
Student Perspective: Larry
Schreiver, 21, Farmington
Hills, "By going to MSU it was
not hard to meet Jewish
students because I already
knew a lot of Jewish people
from home, so I already had
my core of friends. Although
I'm not really active in Hillel
it's good to know there is one
there."
WESTERN MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY
Kalamazoo
General Population: 20,000
Jewish Population: 350
Religious Services:
Synagogue within walking
distance
Contact: Hillel in Kalamazoo
(616) 387-3501
Comments: The local Jewish
community is very supportive
to students.
Student Perspective: Melissa
Maddin, 21, West Bloomfield,
"There is a small Jewish
community but you have to
look for it. We also have a
Hillel."
UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor
General population: 35,000
Jewish population: 6,000
Kosher food: Hillel offers
dinner, Monday-Friday
Religious Services: Shabbat
and High Holiday services for
Reform, Conservative and
Orthodox; and morning
Orthodox services
Contact: Hillel (313) 769-0500
Comments: Jewish life at
Michigan is rich and varied.
Hillel is the umbrella for 25-30
Jewish student groups,
including a film co-op, Jewish
feminists, a theater group and
a Great Writer Series. Hillel is
recognized by the University
as a major player on campus.
Student Perspective: Renee
Himelhoch, 21, Southfield, "I
got my degree in Judaic
studies so being Jewish is a
big part of my life. Hillel does
have a following, sometimes a
couple hundred students come
to services. Hillel is a
community thing and is not
just on the university level."
THE MIDWEST
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Bloomington, Ind.
General population: 35,000
Jewish population: 2,500
Kosher food: Shabbat and
holiday dinners at Hillel;
dorm cooking facilities
available
Religious Services: Friday
evening, High Holiday and
Passover seder
Contact: Hillel (812) 336-3824
Comments: It is very easy for
Jewish students to continue
with their religious practices.
Student Perspective: Brian
Shankman, 19, Tennessee,
"Hillel is getting stronger, but
in order to get involved you
have to work to get into it
which can make it hard at
first. The Greek system is very
large so it seems like most
Jewish people are in houses."
WAYNE STATE
UNIVERSITY
Detroit
General Population: 30,000
Jewish Population: 400
Kosher Food: Weekday
lunches at Hillel
Religious Services: At local
synagogues
Contact: Hillel (313) 577-3459
Comments: Being a
commuter campus, they try
and serve the Jewish students
while they are at school.
Hillel has a library, lounge,
conference room where they
serve kosher food.
Student Perspective: Paul
Bernstein, 24, Brighton. Paul
graduated from WSU and now
attends graduate school.
"Many Jewish students like to
hide in the woodwork because
it is tough being a Jew at
Wayne State. The good point
NORTHWESTERN
IJNIVERSITY
Evanston, Ill.
General population: 10,000
Jewish population: 2,000
Kosher food: Hillel offers
Shabbat dinner
Religious Services: Friday
evening, Saturday morning
and High Holidays
Contact: Hillel (708) 328-0630
Comments: There is an active
Jewish life on campus, with
many social, cultural,
educational and religious
activities, plus interaction
with the city Jewish
community.
Student Perspective: Allison
Freedman, 19, Atlanta, "If you
get involved in any campus
activity you will meet Jewish
people. There's a strong Jew-
ish community but it's not
exclusive — Jewish people are
involved in all areas of
campus life."
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
45