Jewish Students At Georgetown: What's The Number?

Georgetown University, a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., has a vibrant Jewish community. The university's Jewish Life team, led by Rabbi Ilana Zietman, seeks to foster a welcoming community for Jewish students, promoting inclusion and celebrating authentic forms of Jewish expression. The Jewish Student Association (JSA) is the largest Jewish student group on campus, offering a wide array of social, cultural, and holiday programming. In addition, the university offers kosher dining options, Jewish studies courses, and a Jewish Living Learning Community (LLC) called Bayit. According to Hillel International, there are around 500 Jewish students at Georgetown, comprising about 6.8% of the undergraduate population. This community provides a supportive network for Jewish students, especially amid rising antisemitism, offering a space for connection, spiritual fulfilment, and cultural exploration.

Jewish Life at Georgetown University

Georgetown University, a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., has a vibrant Jewish community that is supported by the Office of Jewish Life. The University is home to around 500 Jewish students, making up about 6.8% of the undergraduate population. The Office of Jewish Life is dedicated to fostering a welcoming community for all Jewish students, including Jews of Color, LGBTQ+ Jews, and students from multi-faith backgrounds. They aim to inspire a love for Torah and tradition and promote gender equality and inclusion.

Jewish Student Groups

The Jewish Student Association (JSA) is the largest Jewish student group on campus, offering a wide array of social, cultural, and holiday programming. Other groups include Chabad Georgetown, which hosts weekly Shabbat services and dinners, and Bayit, the Jewish Living Learning Community, located in a residence hall. Additionally, there is an affinity group for Jewish students of color through Jewish Life, providing a space for connection and community.

Academic Offerings

The Center for Jewish Civilization offers students a range of classes to learn more about Jewish life and culture, and students can also pursue a minor in Jewish Studies. Hebrew and Yiddish language courses are also available.

Kosher Dining

Georgetown University provides kosher dining options on campus, ensuring that Jewish students can adhere to their dietary restrictions.

Off-Campus Retreats

The Office of Jewish Life organizes off-campus Shabbaton retreats twice a year in the Blue Ridge Mountains. These retreats offer students an opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, take a break from campus life, and connect with their Jewish community, spirituality, and wisdom.

Interfaith Dialogue

Challenges and Antisemitism

While the Jewish community at Georgetown University provides a strong support system, Jewish students have also faced challenges, including rising antisemitism and internal debates surrounding the relationship between Judaism and the Israeli state. In recent years, there have been reports of antisemitic incidents on campus, including the distribution of antisemitic pamphlets and graffiti. Despite these challenges, the Jewish community remains resilient, and students have found solace and strength in their shared experiences and connections.

Jewish Student Association (JSA)

The Jewish Student Association (JSA) is Georgetown University's largest Jewish student group. The JSA is part of a wider Jewish community at Georgetown that is "hundreds strong" and offers a "welcoming, friendly and diverse" environment. The JSA builds community among Jewish students through a wide array of social, cultural, and holiday programming and offerings.

The JSA is committed to creating a safe space for Jewish students to come together, pray, and find joy. In the face of rising antisemitism, the JSA has become a place of security for students who feel unsafe on campus. The JSA is one of the only places on campus where Jewish students do not feel targeted.

The JSA's efforts to create a safe and welcoming space have been recognised by students. One student, Ava Schneiberg (CAS '27), described the JSA as "one of the best parts" of her Georgetown experience, highlighting how she feels "safe" and "welcome" at the JSA. Another student, Samantha Yershov (SFS '25), a JSA board member, emphasised how the Georgetown Jewish community has become even stronger in the face of rising antisemitism, bonding over shared experiences, perspectives, and values.

The JSA is just one of many Jewish groups and organisations on campus. Shaun Ho, a sophomore majoring in Regional and Comparative Studies, is involved in several Jewish groups, including the JSA, which he credits with helping him feel at home in the Jewish community at Georgetown. Other groups include Chabad Georgetown, Bayit (the Jewish Living Learning Community), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), a progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organisation.

Georgetown University is committed to supporting its Jewish students and fostering a sense of community. The Office of Jewish Life, led by Rabbi Ilana Zietman, seeks to support students' growth and development as they pursue lives of meaning, purpose, and belonging. The office works to honour and celebrate authentic forms of Jewish expression, promote gender equality, and further the inclusion of all Jewish students on campus, including Jews of Colour, LGBTQ+ Jews, and students from multi-faith backgrounds. The Jewish Life team partners with students to organise and lead learning, social events, holiday celebrations, and weekly Shabbat dinners and services.

Shabbat services and dinners

The Shabbat services and dinners are open to all Jewish students at Georgetown University, including Jews of Colour, LGBTQ+ Jews, and students from multi-faith backgrounds. The Jewish Life team works to honour and celebrate authentic forms of Jewish expression and promote gender equality. They also partner with other faith leaders to encourage interreligious dialogue and understanding on campus.

In addition to the weekly Shabbat services and dinners, the Jewish Life team also organises off-campus Shabbaton retreats twice a year in the Blue Ridge Mountains. These retreats provide students with an opportunity to enjoy time in nature, pause from everyday campus life, and immerse themselves in the Jewish community, spirituality, and wisdom.

The Jewish Student Association (JSA) also plays a role in building community among Jewish students through a wide array of social, cultural, and holiday programming. Chabad Georgetown, a Jewish organisation on campus, also offers weekly Shabbat dinners, Jewish holiday celebrations, and other public events.

Kosher dining

Georgetown University's kosher dining options are a result of collaboration between the Jewish and Muslim student communities. The kosher dining program was established in 2014 by Georgetown's lead Hillel rabbi, Rachel Gartner, who was motivated by the need to cater to the kosher dietary requirements of incoming modern Orthodox students. The program was developed in conjunction with the campus Muslim community, who also required halal dining options.

The kosher kitchen, located in Makóm, demonstrates the university's commitment to ensuring that Jewish students can practice their faith as they choose. The kitchen allows students to prepare meals in accordance with Kashrut, the Jewish dietary law that regulates what food Jews can eat and how it is prepared.

The Jewish Life team at Georgetown University organises weekly Shabbat dinners every Friday night when school is in session. The team also oversees Bayit, the Jewish Living Learning Community, located in a residence hall on campus, which helps bring home-based Judaism to campus.

The Jewish Student Association (JSA) builds community among Jewish students through a range of social, cultural, and holiday programming, including baking challah and hamentaschen in Bayit apartments. The JSA also organises weekly Shabbat services in Makom every Friday night, followed by Shabbat dinner.

Anti-semitism on campus

Georgetown University has a Jewish student population of around 500, which is approximately 4% of the student body. The university offers a wide range of resources and support for Jewish students, including the Office of Jewish Life, which seeks to build a welcoming community and foster a love for Jewish traditions. The Jewish Student Association (JSA) also plays a vital role in fostering community and organising social, cultural, and holiday events for Jewish students.

Despite these efforts, anti-Semitism remains a pressing issue on campus. In an address to the Georgetown community, President John J. DeGioia condemned a recent incident of anti-Semitism in one of the residence halls, where a swastika was found painted in a women's restroom, accompanied by threatening and derogatory language. This incident marked the third of its kind in recent weeks, with two occurrences taking place in the LXR residence hall. DeGioia emphasised the university's stance against hatred, racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, sexism, and Islamophobia, and the Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) has increased patrols and investigations to address these concerns.

The university also hosts the Center for Jewish Civilization, which offers a variety of classes for students interested in learning more about Jewish life. Additionally, the university provides kosher dining options and approves study abroad programs in Israel.

While Georgetown University actively promotes inclusion and condemns anti-Semitism, the recent incidents underscore the ongoing challenges faced by the Jewish community on campus. The university's response, including increased security measures and encouragement for students to utilise bias-related incident reporting channels, demonstrates its commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all students, including those from diverse religious backgrounds.

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