Binghamton is #12 on the Top 60

Public Schools Jews Choose. CONTACTS

Gap-year experiences Kosher dining The Chabad Center for Jewish Life
Binghamton has a uniquely generous In addition to a full range of menu Web: JewishBU.com
and supportive view of gap-year offerings in the dining halls, the campus E-mail: [email protected]
experiences in which students decide offers the Kosher Korner and Kosher
to defer their admission for a year in Kiosks, overseen by a mashgiach. Located Rabbi Aaron and Rivkah Slonim, Directors
order to study in Israel.Most programs in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Rabbi Levi and Hadasa Slonim, Programming and Development
in Israel are granted deferrals, including Center, the Kosher Korner honors resident Rabbi Zalman and Rochel Chein, Education
study at yeshivas and seminaries; plans. Complete details, including hours of
typically college credits earned there operation, may be found at budining.com.
are accepted. Offers to participate in Hillel at Binghamton
scholars programs and most scholarships Jewish Community Center Web: hillelatbinghamton.org
extended to the student will be honored E-mail: [email protected]
The nearby Jewish Community Center
when they return to Binghamton.
is a cultural, recreational center for area Nataly Weiss, Executive Director
residents, and provides programs and E-mail: [email protected]
Observance of holidays services for all ages. In addition, the
JCC collaborates with the Universitys Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative On Campus
The University suspends classes on
Judaic Studies department, the Jewish Rabbi Akiva Weiss
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the
Federation of Greater Binghamton and [email protected]
first two days of Passover. Religious

Jewish Life
services are offered for every Jewish local synagogues to offer non-credit
religious holiday through Hillel or at courses on religion, language and culture
through the College of Jewish Studies. Judaic Studies department
Chabad. Local synagogues also welcome
Professor Randy Friedman, Chair
at Binghamton University
students to attend services.
Synagogues/temples [email protected]
in the Binghamton area
Media
Temple Concord (Reform/Liberal)
Hillel at Binghamton produces an online
Temple Israel (Conservative)
newsletter and the Chabad Center
Beth David Synagogue (Orthodox)
publishes HaKesher magazine. The
Reporter, a weekly newspaper covering
Eruv (ritual enclosure)
local and national news of interest to the
Jewish community, is distributed at the Binghamtons eruv encloses the
University for free and available online at Binghamton campus as well as admissions.binghamton.edu
thereportergroup.org. off-campus housing communities.

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inghamton University has a long tradition of welcoming its considerable The Chabad Center for Jewish Life Hillel at Binghamton The Jewish Student Union
Jewish population and accommodating the needs of observant students
At the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Located a few minutes from campus, Hillel at Binghamton is one of the largest Free weekly Shabbat dinners are a
through a rich and supportive academic and cultural environment. We are
Life at Binghamton, connecting Jewishly Chabad offers lounge and study areas, and most active student organizations wonderful and casual opportunity for
committed to creating a campus climate where all members are respected and
is not just effortless, but fabulous and life a fitness center, a fully-stocked library, on campus. As an open and pluralistic students to celebrate the highlight of the
encouraged to contribute to the life of the University. Students come from a wide
transforming! a game room, a kosher caf, deli and organization, Hillel is renowned for week.
range of socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and bring a wealth of
endless coffee. The doors of Chabad are encouraging and fostering partnerships
traditions that they are encouraged to share with friends and classmates. The Chabad Center is there for you All of our programs are designed and
always open and its staff is there for you with other student organizations and has
with its famously huge, warm and led by students, including our annual,
for casual conversation, problem solving received University awards and recognition
Judaic Studies Center for Israel Studies delicious Shabbat dinners, cutting- campus-wide Israel Independence Day
and referrals or crisis intervention. This is for its signature multi-cultural events.
edge programming, social service and celebration, which draws over 2,000
The Judaic Studies department offers The Center for Israel Studies offers also where you can find minyanim three
leadership opportunities, and a wide With more than 19 independent student- people each year. Student groups include
students the opportunity to explore undergraduate students courses, lectures, times a day. Once you come, you will
array of educational offerings. led groups and over 80 student leaders, Bearcats for Israel, the largest Zionistic
millennia of the wider Jewish experience. programs, grants and fellowships to understand why generations of students
Hillel ensures that a vibrant Jewish pro-Israel student group on campus, and
Students completing a Judaic Studies examine the history, literature and culture Chabad is famous for spearheading refer to Chabad as their home away
community thrives through high-quality Kaskeset, an award-winning Jewisha
major (a minor is also available) will of modern Israel.Courses include Modern Shabbat 1,500 a mega joint-campus from home.
programming, leadership opportunities cappellagroup.
have a versatile liberal arts degree that Israel, State and Society, Israel-Palestinian event with Hillel at Binghamton that draws
and professional support to thousands of
prepares them well for a variety of paths, Conflict and more. Students may minor in more than 1,500 guests for a Shabbat Hillel hosts a number of educational
Jewish students. Only at Hillel can you find
among them graduate study and careers Israel Studies. dinner. Pioneered in 1996 as Shabbat 1000, and social events each year, including a
religious communities and services offered
in Jewish communal service. The depart- the name was changed when it surpassed learning forum, donation thrift shop and
Study-abroad programs year round, including holidays, for all
ments faculty includes scholars from the 1,000 mark several years ago. Yom HaShoah. Subgroups such as Challah
three major Jewish denominations. Hillel is
the humanities and the social sciences, Students who wish to study in Israel for Hunger raise thousands of dollars
Jewish holidays take on a whole where Reform, Conservative and Orthodox
and the undergraduate curriculum can take advantage of numerous trips for charity, while First Year Students
new dimension with Chabad-run students come together to interact, learn
covers a wide array of courses including and programs. Judaic Studies courses of Hillel (FYSH) teach leadership skills
extravaganzas for Sukkot, Simchat Torah, from each other and ultimately find a home.
Jewish history, philosophy, literature and at Israeli universities that participate in to incoming students. Hillel provides
Chanukah, Purim and Lag Bomer. Then
languages,Holocaust studies and biblical the SUNY study-abroad programs can Hillel partners with the Orthodox Unions opportunities to discover Israel with two
there are the social and recreational
and classical Jewish literature. be applied to the Judaic Studies major Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus Birthright Israel trips each year.
trips and activities such as Girls Nights
or minor. Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion (OU-JLIC). Led by Rabbi Akiva Weiss, the
Students can also fast-track their career Out, Talent Nights and so much more. New Jewish freshmen and transfer
University and Hebrew University are a mission of the initiative is to strengthen
by enrolling in the BA-Master of Public Chabad also assists with finding a Jewish students can meet more than 100
few of the top ones students choose. Orthodox communities on campus in a
Administration (MPA) program; earn a roommate through its online interactive new friends before classes even start
manner that also encourages openness
bachelors and masters degree in five housing board. by participating in FreshFest,an
and mutual respect for all Jews on campus.
years instead of the typical six. off-campus retreat.