Jewish Life @ Vandy

Vanderbilt Hillel is the center for Jewish life on campus! Our students, staff, and the entire community are dedicated to providing a strong, supportive environment for Jewish students and maintaining a strong Jewish presence on the Vanderbilt University campus. Hillel actively seeks to engage uninvolved Jewish students on their own terms: to provide them with opportunities to do Jewish activities that are meaningful and appealing to them. Students are empowered to take responsibility for their Jewish identity, whether they wish to participate in a community service project, express themselves artistically, participate in a social event, engage in informal Jewish learning or attend religious services. Any Jewish student may participate in Hillel.

The Vanderbilt Jewish community contains a diverse spectrum of Jews, and we strive to provide a home away from home for every student. With the founding of the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life, the establishment of a Jewish Studies program, the creation of a kosher, vegetarian cafe, and the hiring of a campus rabbi, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Jews attending this school.

In 2005, Vanderbilt's Jewish student population rose to almost 700 students, approximately 10 percent of the undergraduate population. This is a far cry from the 3 percent levels seen just a few years ago. Read about us in the Tennessean and in the Atlanta Jewish Times.