Yavneh > New Students FAQ

Religious Observance at Columbia/Barnard

• Introduction
• Jewish Holidays and Academics
• Shabbat On Campus
• Keeping Kosher Away from Home
• Other stuff
• Conclusion

In this guide I shall attempt to deal with practical issues of “sh’mirat ha’mitzvot” (religious observance) on campus. I will not deal with intellectual or ideological issues, such as the critical study of religion and Jewish texts, modern sexual ethics, gender issues, etc. I look forward to other contexts in which I can share with you my thinking on these important topics. My focus will be on those FAQs which I receive from students new to Columbia/Barnard.

You are fortunate: Columbia is not a Jewish wasteland. You have on our campus and at Hillel many rich opportunities to study, observe and nurture your Jewish observance.

I invite you to contact me (x45111 or rabbi@hillel.columbia.edu) if you would like to explore these topics (and my sources) more fully, and in person. Studying with you is one of my special pleasures as campus rabbi.

Jewish Holidays and Academics
On all Jewish holidays, Columbia University business goes on as usual. Years ago we developed a policy regarding religious holidays which the University Senate adopted. It is printed in some college bulletins, the University Directory and FACETS. It states that, to the extent possible, the University is responsible to avoid conflicts with religious holidays, and that no one will be penalized due to one’s religious obligations. Students are responsible to complete makeup work for the time they have missed.

If you have a conflict between a Jewish holiday and a university deadline – exam, paper that is due, registration for a dorm room - the first thing you should do is speak about this with your professor/administrator. S/he should be understanding and supportive. Most faculty receive such appeals each year and a method of handling the conflict may already be departmental “minhag” (custom). If you do not receive a sympathetic response, talk to the departmental chair. Of course, I am here to assist and I will do so. However, the point is that you are protected by University regulation, and as the affected party, you should make the initial contact. Please call upon me for support if you find the University is not living up to its stated policy.

Some faculty make a tape of their lecture – which they do on their own – and you can avail yourself of this courtesy. It is not halakhicly acceptable for you to ask someone to do something for you on Shabbat/Yom Tov that you can not do yourself. However, that which is done without your request – by the Prof. on his/her own, or notes taken by a classmate on a day you were absent – can be used post-“Hagim” (holidays).

Plan ahead. If you foresee a problem, advise your instructor in advance. I understand that it takes nerve to approach your Prof. about these issues, but that’s what it takes to be “shomer mitzvot (observant)” in the modern society.

Last point. Many ask about sitting in classes on holidays but not taking notes. I am not supportive of this for many reasons. I’d be happy to discuss this with you in person.

Shabbat On Campus
Shabbat on campus is really wonderful. A good few hundred come to our Kraft Center each Shabbat for services, followed by a communal meal in Hewitt or in a friend’s suite on campus. It is not unusual for people to regularly invite 5 or 10 guests to their Shabbat meals. Also, we have various Special Shabbat Dinners during the year, either by theme (Sefardic) or menu (Mexican, Chinese, etc.). . If you don’t know people here, the staff and student leaders will help you meet folks at Hewitt or in the residence halls with whom you can share a Shabbat meal. Just come over to one of us, really - that’s what we are here for.

Every so often we have special suite meals, where a committee of students organizes a few dozen Friday night meals for groups of 10. Everything is provided by Dining Services, and students of different backgrounds are deliberately combined so people meet new faces.

Services each Shabbat are in the beautiful Kraft Center. I invite you to make them your services. There are many synagogues in the neighborhood, and you should enjoy “schule-hopping” on some Shabbatot. (We have a Guide to Jewish Life in the CU area in the Hillel Office.) But, I hope you will see the Kraft Center as home.

Help make our services serious, musical, thoughtful, thought-provoking, contemplative and moving. They will be followed by a nice Kiddush at which time socializing is the name of the game.

If you are having guests stay with you in the dorm, check out the regulations in your res hall to properly sign in your guest before Shabbat.

The Hillel Office staff has a list of local hotels where parents can stay if they wish to spend Shabbat near campus. However, there are only a few places within walking distance, they are booked up well in advance, and some of the prices are steep.

The Morningside Height campus is included within the Mid-Manhattan Eruv. A map of the Eiruv is available on the third floor of the Kraft Center or at www.ckj.org/docs/EruvMap.pdf. To check the Eruv's status, please call 212-874-6100 x452. Parts of campus are fairly close to the border's of the Eruv, so please be careful when going for long walks on Shabbat. According to many halakhic authorities, within the Eruv one can carry objects; also, one can carry objects within any CU building without making a special Eruv.

CU requires students and faculty to carry their CUID at all times for identification purposes. You may hand your CUID to a desk attendant to allow you to enter a residence hall. If s/he decides to swipe the CUID to verify that you can enter, that is his/her choice – not your request.

As of this writing, the door locks in our residence halls are mechanical and one may use them on Shabbat.

The entry doors to Sulzberger Residence Hall (Barnard campus) are electric. When you push the door a bit, you activate an electric opening system which swings the door open fully. I suggest you hang out until someone else opens the door, and then you walk through with him or her.

The left door of our Kraft Center has a similar electrified device to allow those with disabilities to open the door from the inside if needed. I recommend using the central revolving or right doors to exit Kraft.

Most residence halls do not allow one to light a live candle, even for religious purposes. (Also, the fire alarms might be set off if you do.) Although electric candles don't have the same flavor as "benching licht (lighting)" on candles or oil, one may do so according to many authorities. I suggest that you obtain a Shabbat electric light for use in your dormitory if you light candles for Shabbat.

I discourage visiting the libraries on Shabbat. Don’t worry; you’ll get in to the law school of your choice without pushing in a few hours of homework on Shabbat. Relax, enjoy and be uplifted – that’s the blessing of Shabbat and you need not diminish it with “uvda d’hol,” the tasks of the weekday.

Keeping Kosher Away from Home
Most first year students are required to be on a meal plan of some kind. Therefore, you have two kosher meal plan options which are open to all students from Columbia College, Barnard and SEAS.

The Hewitt Cafeteria is under the capable supervision of my good friend and colleague Rav Ian Shaffer who works full time with the assistance of student "mashgichim" (Kashrut supervisors). Cooking is done on-site in Barnard's new full service kosher kitchen. The kosher section is located at the end of the servery in Hewitt Cafeteria. The salad bar, pastries, soups, etc., within that section are supervised. Nothing else outside the kosher servery is under supervision. Please contact Rav Shaffer (rebshaff@aol.com) for more information about kashrut on Barnard's campus.

The John Jay Hall kosher meal plan on Columbia's main campus is under my own supervision, with the aid of student mashgichim. The items are prepared off-site under the strict supervision of the Breur community and brought in daily. While there are some kosher items dispersed throughout John Jay Hall, the only items under supervision are at the Kosher section. Please contact me (rabbi@hillel.columbia.edu) with any questions about kashrut in John Jay.

The various colleges at Columbia University endeavor to provide a kosher option at most/many student activities and academic gatherings. However, please contact either myself, or if it is a Barnard event, Rabbi Shaffer, in advance, to ascertain if either of us have been involved in supervising the arrangements, etc.

The campus community is aware that many hundreds of our students observe Kashrut. However, I suggest you ask whether the kosher pizza ordered from Hewitt, or a local kosher pizza store, was warmed up in an oven in the res hall and with the non-kosher items, and whether there will be kosher utensils used to serve the (kosher) pasta (from Hewitt) being served at a student activity.

Shabbat and Yom Tov meals are a special feature of the Hewitt program. Hillel's Shabbat Meals Committee coordinates these meals. Please understand that Dining Services orders the food in advance, so you MUST sign up at Hewitt - by Thursday noon, or at the announced Yom Tov deadline. No exceptions!

Sandwiches and salads are also prepared in the kosher prep-room at Hewitt and sold at Java City in McIntosh Student Center, with a kosher label on it. Many other items in Java City are kosher. Please contact Rav Shaffer with any questions about Java City.

The Hartley Kosher Deli (Columbia campus) provides great and varied deli items, pareve sandwiches, knishes, salads and snack items under my supervision. It is open from 11 until 3pm, Monday through Thursday. Other food items with kosher certification are available in various Columbia cafeterias.

And, of course there is our very own student run Café Nana, an Israeli style café that serves delicious dairy and pareve meals and snacks under my supervision, right here in the Kraft Center.

A full meal plan comparison chart will be available online shortly. In the meantime, check out our Kashrut Information page to learn more about available kosher dining options.

Other stuff
Other religious needs are available at Hillel. Mezuzot can be purchased from the Hillel office; before Sukkot, a Lulav and Etrog can be ordered; Hanukkah candles/menorot will be available, and so forth.

Sukkot/Simchat Torah and Purim are high points of our communal religious life. Hundreds of students from all over the East Coast come to our campus, and we usually pack McIntosh Student Center with joyous singing and dancing until the early hours of the morning. Details will be emailed and announced in “Spec”.

On Hannukah we organize communal Menora lighting in the lounges of various residence halls, especially since many dorms do not permit lighting candles, as discussed above. Also, a Menora is lit in the lounge of Kraft and, courtesy of Chabad, a huge Menora is lit at the Sun Dial.

On Passover we have campus Seders and the dining program in Hewitt provides “kasher l’Pesach” meals throughout the holiday.

Being in Mahattan's Upper West Side, there are many opportunities for exploring other Orthodox Jewish communities and synagogues. Many of our students particularly like to visit Congregation Ramath Orah or the Old Broadway Synagogue, or to go to Chabad for a Shabbat meal.

Conclusion
So, it is not difficult to enjoy the fullness of Jewish observance on our campus. It does take effort and planning on your part. However, it should be clear from this guide that a full Jewish life is possible here.

The real issue is what is important to you in your life now that you are on your own, and have the opportunity to define your Jewish identity. The staff of Hillel is here to assist you in this exciting venture; I can assure you we find nothing more worthwhile than a good “shmuz” with you about Jewish ideas of substance. We are serious Jews here. However, you will also find that we do not coddle you or check up on your personal religious practice. As I said at the outset, part of your adjustment to college is defining your values and how you live your life as an adult.

It is my hope that Jewish observance will continue to be – or will become – the central organizing factor around which your life, calendar and values take shape.

Our Tradition sings most sweetly when it is approached with love, an inquiring mind, and an engaging soul. “Hazak v’amatz” – I hope that, in the coming four years, you will grow on our campus from strength to strength.

Contact Rabbi David Almog with any further questions.