<p>I've not seen a "Jewish Life at Various Schools" type thread in awhile, and figured I'd start another one based on a recent college trip which included visiting Hillels. I'd love to see people's comments on these schools and others. </p>
<p>Clark U:
Clark came up on our radar as a "Colleges that Change Lives" campus with a significant Jewish population. We visited during the first week of classes. There's no dedicated Hillel building, just an office in the Student Center. It was easy to find since a large banner was in the window facing out onto the main quad. D1 and I wandered up during lunchtime to find the director and a student working on a stack of mailings. The director was quite personable, and talked at length with us. Or talked AT length with us, since this was D1's first experience with touring a Hillel and she might have asked one question. He's been there 13 years. Hillel is the largest organization on campus, with about 6-7 events a week. There are about 15 students on board, and attendance at events ranges from 5 for a Shabbat afternoon torah study to 70+ for Shabbat dinners to 250 for a Thursday night midnight bagel brunch, where people line up for a bagel and cream cheese. There's something for all holidays, e.g. first night Rosh Hashana services (for other high holiday services students attend local synagogues), Yom Kippur break fast, kosher lunches and dinners for Passover. There are also social outings e.g. roller skating. On the academic side, there are a lot of Judaic offerings at Clark. The Holocaust Studies department? institute? makes the school a resource for e.g. filmmakers who are making films that connect to the subject, and one faculty member (Everett Fox) is well known for his recent translation of the torah. We later overheard a random student complaining or commenting that Professor Fox doesn't change his voice when delivering punch lines of jokes, from which I gather he has a rather dry and/or sardonic sense of humor. </p>
<p>The director will arrange home visits with Jewish families in the area for prospective students coming for overnight visits, along with meetings with Jewish Clarkies. He was also forthright about the major downside of Clark--Worcester is not a college town, and is rather gritty. But, he said, people are happy at Clark. </p>
<p>Walking around campus and into a dorm we saw flyers up announcing an upcoming Shabbat dinner. </p>
<p>Brandeis U:
We didn't check out the Hillel. As I said to D1, it would be like worrying about the cafeteria food at the Culinary Institute of America. I noted the parallel kosher food service in the main dining area, a number of more observant students (wearing kippot or long skirts with covered hair), and flyers announcing Shabbat dinners and study sessions. D1 thought it felt too Jewish. Go figure! Brandeis was something I'd added to the list, thinking it would be worthwhile for D1 to sample, but not to her taste. </p>
<p>Tufts:
The Hillel was closed when we visited (I didn't pay attention to my itinerary which gave the hours), but the building is striking, with a lovely waterfall outside the entrance. It's also located right on campus. The Clark Hillel director told us that the rabbi at Tufts is his role model for running a Hillel. We saw some students with kippot, long skirts, and a "Tufts" shirt in Hebrew. The Spouse says that the director (maybe former director) wrote the Big Book of Jewish Humor.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg:
D1 loved the feeling of this Hillel, which is in a comfy airy house just off campus. There are plans to expand to the house next door. There's a reform congregation across the street which surprised us, since the Clark Hillel director told us to expect that Allentown has a smaller jewish community than does Worcester. A brisk office manager took us around the building. A small group of students in the kitchen were getting ready for a tie-dye event on campus, which we'd seen flyers for on our tour. There are some casual hanging-out spaces with video games, movies, and laundry facilities which students are welcome to use. Students can get key (cards?) that allow them 24 hour access to the house. There are services on Friday nights, and so many people at the seder that Hillel uses the 'berg dining hall. The students at the house knew the two kids from our synagogue who attend Muhlenberg, though those kids aren't involved with the Jewish community. Cute fridge magnet shaped like a bagel. I also noted an option for Kosher chicken pot pie in the dining hall. </p>
<p>Bryn Mawr:
The Hillel is located at Haverford College, which we didn't visit. I didn't see any flyers about any Jewish events. </p>
<p>Swarthmore:
Hillel is located off the heart of the campus, and was closed. There were posters up throughout the campus advertising a Shabbat dinner with vegan kosher chinese food (that had to come from the restaurant we ate in the previous night, which really was tasty).</p>
<p>Pitt:
The Hillel house serves both Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, a total of (per Hillel) 3000 Jewish students, grad and undergrad. The modern 3 story building seemed small to accomodate that many. Security was tight, which I suppose isn't suprising since the building is located on a busy main street right near the Carnegie Institute museums. We talked briefly to the office manager, and then a student worker gave us a tour. There's lots of hangout space, with a movie-theater-type popcorn machine, video games, movies, etc. There are reform, conservative, and orthodox services held simultaneously on Friday night. The bulletin boards were full of flyers advertising different Jewish-themed events of all types. I'd want to see what the building is like as the academic year progesses, because it seemed rather quiet when we visited during lunch. They've recently redone the kitchen, which was full of clearly labelled (milk/meat) appliances and workspace. Borat-themed fridge magnet. </p>
<p>Brown:
Hillel House is made up of two homes that were hollowed out on the inside and combined into one enormous and lovely space. D1 was most impressed by this facility. The young, personable rabbi came out and gave us a tour and chatted with D1. It was quiet--school hadn't started, and very few students were on campus. Still, saw flyers up on campus advertising events.</p>
<p>Reed:
(Different trip, I wasn't on this one) D1 commented that there wasn't much Jewishly--no Hillel, just Chabad, which she wouldn't be happy with. Worth noting since Reform Judism Magazine tags Reed as a school with a high percentage of Jewish students.</p>