Jewish Students At Syracuse University: What's The Number?

Syracuse University has a large Jewish student population, with around 2,500 Jewish undergraduate students, making up 16.4% of the total undergraduate population. The university's Hillel chapter is an integral part of the university, aiming to create a dynamic, diverse, creative, and welcoming community. Hillel offers kosher dining, religious services, and learning fellowships for Jewish students. Syracuse Hillel also provides support and security for Jewish students in the face of rising antisemitism.

Syracuse University has a Hillel chapter

Syracuse Hillel offers kosher dining and religious services, including Shabbat services and dinners every Friday at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life. They also host services, meals, and programming for Jewish holidays. Syracuse Hillel provides a Jewish home away from home for students, helping them personalize their Jewish experience on campus and connecting them to the large Jewish community at Syracuse University.

Syracuse Hillel offers various opportunities for students to engage with Judaism and Jewish traditions through peer-to-peer engagement, student leadership development, dynamic Shabbat experiences, vibrant social and Israel-related programming, justice initiatives, and meaningful Jewish learning. They also offer internships and leadership roles within the organization.

The Hillel chapter at Syracuse University is led by a dedicated team, including Jillian, the Executive Director, who has been leading the team since 2019, and Rabbi Ethan Bair, the Chaplain Advisor, who is committed to building interfaith partnerships and creating an empowered spiritual Jewish community.

There are around 2,500 Jewish undergraduate students at Syracuse University

Syracuse University has a thriving Jewish community, with around 2,500 Jewish undergraduate students enrolled, making up about 16.4% of the undergraduate population. The Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life is at the heart of Jewish life on campus. Hillel International, a Jewish campus life organisation, serves kosher food and provides religious services, as well as a rabbi and a senior Jewish educator.

Hillel at Syracuse University aims to add value to the university experience for Jewish students and is an integral part of the university community. It offers a dynamic, diverse, creative, and welcoming community for Jewish students. The Hillel Rabbi, Ethan Bair, is available to students with queries, and the organisation hosts Shabbat services and dinners every Friday throughout the academic year.

Syracuse University's Hillel also offers a range of learning fellowships, including the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship, the Tzedek (Social Justice) Learning Fellowship, and the Kol Yisrael: Voices of Israel Learning Fellowship. Students can also take part in Birthright Israel, a free trip to Israel.

In recent years, there have been random acts of antisemitism on the Syracuse University campus, including antisemitic graffiti. Jillian Juni, Executive Director of the Winnick Hillel Center, has stated that the organisation is committed to ensuring Jewish students can gather together without fear and has worked to support students impacted by antisemitic acts.

Hillel at Syracuse University provides kosher dining options

Syracuse University is home to a vibrant Jewish community, with approximately 2,500 Jewish students enrolled as undergraduates, making up around 16.4% of the student population. The university's Hillel chapter plays a pivotal role in enriching the Jewish student experience and fostering a sense of community.

Hillel at Syracuse University is dedicated to making the university experience exceptional for Jewish students. They achieve this by seamlessly integrating into the academic and social fabric of the university. Hillel actively collaborates with various departments and student organisations to create a dynamic, diverse, creative, and welcoming community.

A key aspect of Hillel's offering is providing kosher dining options for Jewish students. Recognising the importance of kosher meals in Jewish life, Hillel ensures that kosher food is accessible on campus. Full meat kitchen meals are provided daily at Shaw Hall, offering a convenient and nutritious option for students observing kosher dietary laws.

Additionally, holidays and special events are celebrated with kosher meals at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life. Students can enjoy festive meals during Shabbat, Passover Seders, and other significant occasions. The Winnick Hillel Center serves as a hub for Jewish students, providing a home away from home where they can connect with their faith and culture through delicious kosher cuisine.

Syracuse University's Campus Dining team is committed to accommodating students' dietary needs and preferences. With over 20 dining venues across the campus, students have a variety of options to choose from. The university takes food safety and nutrition seriously, adhering to strict HAACP standards and offering allergen-free options.

Hillel at Syracuse University offers a Jewish Studies Major or Minor

Syracuse University is home to a vibrant Jewish community, with Hillel serving as the centre of Jewish life on campus. Hillel at Syracuse University is dedicated to enriching the university experience for Jewish students and fostering a dynamic, diverse, and welcoming community.

Hillel offers a range of programmes, events, and services to meet the religious, cultural, and social needs of Jewish students. This includes kosher dining, religious services, and celebrations of Jewish holidays such as Passover at Hillel's Seder in the Carrier Dome. Hillel also provides students with opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement, student leadership development, internships, and social and Israel-related programming.

In addition to these offerings, Hillel at Syracuse University offers a Jewish Studies Major or Minor. The Modern Jewish Studies B.A. is an interdisciplinary programme that allows students to immerse themselves in the many facets of Jewish experience, culture, and ideas in modern times. The programme is housed in the Hall of Languages, a campus landmark and the university's first building.

Through courses in literature, philosophy, Holocaust studies, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and modern anti-Semitism, students gain a broad understanding of Jewish cultures and ideas. The programme also covers Jewish art, architecture, and visual culture, as well as the study of Judaism, the Hebrew Bible, and classic Jewish texts. Students are encouraged to connect with others who share similar academic and religious interests through the Chabad House, Hillel Jewish Student Union, and LIME: Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue Group.

The Jewish Studies Major or Minor at Syracuse University provides students with a well-rounded education in Jewish studies, enhancing their understanding of Jewish culture, history, and traditions while also developing valuable analytical skills and cultural competencies that can lead to a variety of career paths.

Syracuse University has a history of antisemitic incidents

Syracuse University is home to one of the largest Jewish student populations, with 2,500 Jewish students (16.4%) out of 15,245 students. The university's Hillel chapter, Syracuse Hillel, is an integral part of the university fabric, offering kosher dining, religious services, and a Jewish Studies major or minor.

Despite this, Syracuse University has a history of antisemitic incidents on campus. In January 2020, a columnist for The Daily Orange, the independent student news organisation, wrote that there had been six anti-Semitic incidents since November 2019, including graffiti on campus. The columnist, Sydney Gold, wrote that these acts had gone unpunished and that conversations about antisemitism needed to be a bigger part of the SU experience.

In March 2021, the Student Association unanimously passed a bill condemning antisemitism and adopting parts of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. A previous version of the bill had been tabled due to concerns about a clause that denounced BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel) as discriminatory toward Palestinian students.

In July 2021, a group of students reported that someone in a silver SUV threw an egg at them and shouted anti-Semitic slurs. The Department of Public Safety classified this as a "bias incident" and investigated accordingly.

Syracuse Hillel offers a Stop BIAS program as one of the "actionable steps" for SA members and community leaders to access antisemitism training.

Frequently asked questions