By Samantha Ebner, University of Maryland, College Park
When choosing which college to attend, there are many factors to consider. As a Jew, an important criterion is the Jewish involvement on campus, which can be expressed through many channels.
Jewish organizations provide Jewish students with the ability to easily meet other Jews. Hillel, Chabad and MEOR are popular Jewish centers found on many college campuses. They promote Jewish life by hosting events such as Shabbat and holiday meals, prayer service, and weekly activities, which are settings where Jews connect.
Students who show up to their respective Jewish organizations gain inevitable friendships through the familiar faces they see weekly. It is easy to form relationships with other Jews because the shared religion enables instinctive feelings of closeness.
It is critical for prospective Jewish students to consider how active the Jewish organizations are on campus in order to ensure that there will be people with similar backgrounds and values at that college.
Jewish life on campus can also be found through extracurricular clubs that focus on Judaism or Israel. Jewish and Israel advocacy clubs are generally comprised of people that work to encourage Jews meeting other Jews. Jewish and Israel clubs allow Jewish students to build their community through constant interaction with one another.
