Jewish Students' Experience At The University Of Virginia

The University of Virginia has a long history of Jewish student life, with the earliest known Jewish student, Gratz Cohen of Savannah, attending the university from 1862 to 1864. While Jewish students attended the university in small numbers during the 19th century, the early 20th century saw a relative increase in Jewish student enrollment, leading to the establishment of Jewish fraternities and a Jewish Student Union on campus. Today, the university is home to a thriving Jewish community, with an estimated 1,000 Jewish undergraduate students and 400-600 Jewish graduate students. The Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at UVa, offers a wide range of programs and resources for Jewish students, including kosher dining, social events, and academic support. The University of Virginia also offers a Jewish Studies Program, providing students with the opportunity to examine various aspects of Jewish society, literature, language, culture, and history.

Jewish student population at the University of Virginia

The University of Virginia has a long history of Jewish student life on campus. The earliest known Jewish student at the University of Virginia (UVA) was Gratz Cohen of Savannah, who attended the university from 1862 to 1864 after serving in the Confederate army. During the nineteenth century, Jewish students attended UVA in small numbers, but some notable Jewish alumni from this period include Leo Levi, who received his law degree at UVA and won the Jefferson Society medal for debate in 1876, and A. Leo Oberdorfer and his twin Archie, who received their law and medical degrees, respectively, from the university in 1899.

In the early twentieth century, there was a relative increase in the number of Jewish students at UVA. In 1915, Jewish students, who were formally or informally excluded from joining existing fraternities, organized their own chapters of two Jewish fraternities: Zeta Beta Tau and Phi Epsilon Pi. In 1922, Phi Alpha was established, followed by others, including Alpha Epsilon Pi. In 1939, a "Jewish Student Union" was established at UVA, and Rabbi Albert M. Lewis was hired as its director. By 1941, the group had joined with the Hillel Foundation, a program of B'nai B'rith, a national Jewish fraternal organization. The Hillel Jewish Center at UVA, built between 1913 and 1916, is an architectural landmark that houses a chapel, dining room, offices, kosher kitchen, and residence space.

According to recent estimates, there are currently about 1,000 Jewish undergraduate students at UVA, comprising around 6% of the undergraduate student body. Additionally, there are about 600 Jewish graduate students, making up about 7% of the graduate student population. The Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at UVA, provides these students with a thriving Jewish community and diverse programs catering to a wide variety of interests. Jewish students at UVA can also take advantage of kosher dining options, Birthright Israel trips, and Jewish studies programs.

Jewish Studies Program

The University of Virginia's Jewish Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that emphasises Jewish civilisation and community. The program involves coursework with over 25 faculty members from diverse departments, as well as extracurricular lectures, colloquia and cultural programs. Students are able to examine all aspects of Jewish society, literature, language, culture, and history. The cross-fertilisation of ideas is an inherent part of the program, with Jewish theory and interpretive practices in the Jewish tradition meshing well with textual analysis and the study of relations among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures.

The program offers a variety of options for undergraduates, including a major, minor, interdisciplinary program, concentration within the Department of Religious Studies, or individual classes. Students can also study Hebrew at UVa, with six semesters of modern Hebrew and four semesters of classical Hebrew on offer, as well as the option for an independent study.

The Jewish Studies Program also provides funding opportunities for students and faculty members. These include the Jules Roos and Samuel Grunfeld Fellowship for Israel Studies, the Samuel and Evelyn Linden Scholarship in Jewish Studies for the Study of Peace and Social Justice in the Middle East, and Undergraduate and Faculty Summer Research Awards.

The Jewish community at the University of Virginia is very active, with more than 700 students participating in Jewish life. Weekly Friday night dinners at the Brody Jewish Center attract over 75 students, and the Center has sent more than 400 students to Israel in the past four years.

Jewish fraternities and sororities

Zeta Beta Tau, or "ZBT", was founded at the University of Virginia in 1915. Its Chi chapter is still active today.

Alpha Epsilon Pi, or "A E Pi", is a primarily Jewish fraternity that was founded at the University of Virginia in 1924 as a Mu chapter. It obtained its original house in 1935 and moved into its current house in 1962. Although it lost its charter in 2010, it was re-colonized in 2012. The organization has historically been involved with the Greek Jewish Council, which was last chartered in 2001.

Sigma Beta Tau is a historically Jewish sorority with a Beta Rho chapter at the University of Virginia established in 2011.

The Greek Jewish Council, or GJC, is a currently dormant Greek Council that has been active several times in the history of the University of Virginia. It was last chartered in 2001.

Jewish student organisations

The University of Virginia has a number of Jewish student organisations. The earliest of these was the Jewish Student Union, established in 1939. The union was led by Rabbi Albert M. Lewis, who shared his services with Charlottesville's Congregation Beth Israel. In 1941, the union joined the Hillel Foundation, a program of B'nai B'rith, a national Jewish fraternal organisation. The Hillel Jewish Centre, an architectural landmark, was built between 1913 and 1916 and has residence space, a chapel, dining room, offices, and a kosher kitchen. The Brody Jewish Centre, Hillel at UVa, provides students with a thriving Jewish community and diverse programs that cater to a wide variety of students.

In addition to the Hillel Jewish Centre, the University of Virginia also offers a Jewish Studies Program with various funding opportunities. These include the Jules Roos and Samuel Grunfeld Fellowship for Israel Studies, which supports summer research travel to Israel for faculty and Ph.D. students, and the Samuel and Evelyn Linden Scholarship in Jewish Studies for the Study of Peace and Social Justice in the Middle East, which offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to engage in advanced research, study, fieldwork, and project organisation to promote dialogue, peace, and justice among Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians.

The University of Virginia also has a Jewish Student Association, known as the Darden Jewish Student Association (DJSA). The DJSA's mission is to foster awareness of Jewish culture, tradition, and history within the Darden community through educational and social avenues. The association cultivates a friendly community for students to congregate, converse, and network, and it is open to all students, regardless of religious affiliation.

While the University of Virginia offers these Jewish student organisations and programs, it is important to note that there have been recent reports of antisemitic activity on campus. The University has acknowledged these reports and has taken steps to address them, including creating a task force on Religious Diversity and Belonging.

Jewish student life and welfare

Jewish student welfare at the University of Virginia has a long and complex history. The University was founded with the principle of keeping education and the practice of religion separate, but this ideal was compromised early on. While the University provided space for Christian services, there was no such provision for Jewish students. The earliest known Jewish student, Gratz Cohen of Savannah, attended the University from 1862 to 1864 and wrote to his father about the antisemitism he witnessed.

The early 20th century saw a rise in the number of Jewish students at the University, and with that came the formation of Jewish fraternities and sororities. In 1915, Jewish students established their own chapters of Zeta Beta Tau and Phi Epsilon Pi, and in 1922, Phi Alpha was founded, followed by Alpha Epsilon Pi. However, the growing Jewish student population caused concern among some administrators, and the University considered setting limits on the number of Jewish students, particularly those from New York.

Today, the University of Virginia has a more supportive environment for Jewish students, with various organisations and resources in place. The Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at UVa, is a central hub for Jewish student life, offering a wide range of programs and activities. It serves around 700 Jewish students, with weekly Friday night dinners attracting over 75 attendees. The Center also provides kosher food options in partnership with the University and Aramark. Additionally, the University offers courses in Modern and Classical Hebrew, as well as a Jewish Studies Program that explores various aspects of Jewish society, literature, language, culture, and history.

Despite these positive developments, there have been recent reports of antisemitic activity on campus. In response, the University created a task force on Religious Diversity and Belonging to address these issues and make educational offerings.

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