FAQS
THE KRAFT CENTER:
The Kraft Center, a 7 story building located at 606 West 115th Street, is home to Columbia/Barnard Hillel. Open seven days a week, it serves as a resource for Columbia and Barnard students. The building contains lounge space, meeting rooms, large screen televisions, and two outdoor terraces.
The Kraft Center is open to all current Columbia/Barnard/Jewish Theological Seminary/Manhattan School of Music ID holders.
The Kraft Center guest policy allows three non-Columbia University affiliated guests to be signed into the building by an active University ID card holder. All guests must present a valid government-issued photo ID. Visiting high school students and their families should email welcome@hillel.columbia.edu prior to your visit so that a Hillel professional can help you sign in and show you around the building.
We request that all guests fill out the Kraft Center Visitor Form before coming to the building, but students are able to sign in a guest onsite.
Shabbat guests should be submitted via the Kraft Center Visitor Form before 12 pm on the Friday of their intended visit.
The (free!) Kraft Coffee Bar on the second floor is available for students during building hours.
STUDENT LIFE:
There are approximately 1,400 Jewish undergraduate students at Columbia and Barnard (combined).
Hillel’s programs are as diverse as our students. We offer a range of programs throughout the year, focused on religious observance, holiday celebrations, educational fellowships, lectures, and social programs.
Some favorite social programs include our annual Super Bowl party, a Big-Little program for new students to connect with older members of the community over coffee, picnics on campus when the weather is nice, and so many more.
Students also love our Jewish learning fellowships, where they meet weekly over a meal to get to know each other and learn together about Jewish approaches to topics such as God, wellness, comedy, New York City, cooking, education, art, or gender, to name just a few.
The Hillel community supports over 15 student groups, which host a variety of events throughout the academic year. In addition to religious services, the Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform groups host many social and educational programs, open to all students.
Students have the opportunity to join identity based groups such as JQ, the Jewish/LQBTQ+ community, as well as social action groups such as Challah for Hunger or the Climate and Sustainability Action Team. You can audition for Pizmon, a Jewish a cappella group, or get involved with one of our Israel education and advocacy groups, Aryeh or JStreet.
Our professionals and student leaders will help you find your people and your place. If you’re not sure where to start, connect with a professional or student leader by emailing welcome@hillel.columbia.edu, and we’ll help you navigate Jewish life on campus.
Graduate students are invited to get involved with The Grad Network.
Columbia/Barnard Hillel offers programming for all Columbia and Barnard students—both undergraduate and graduate—as well as students from the Manhattan School of Music. Students from other schools are welcome to visit the Kraft Center but must be signed in by a current student from Columbia, Barnard, or MSM.
Graduate students are invited to get involved with The Grad Network.
Israeli students or any students interested in learning about Israel can get in touch with our Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, Maayan (she/her), who runs social and educational programs in both English and Hebrew.
Students who have not spent extensive time in Israel before can join Birthright trips through Hillel.
In addition to Hillel’s student groups dedicated to Israel advocacy – Aryeh and JStreet – The Kraft Center often hosts speaker events with Israeli journalists, politicians, activists, and academics. We also come together as a community to honor events such as Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, and the anniversary of October 7.
Yes! The Grad Network is the hub of Jewish life for graduate students at Columbia University and Teachers College. The Grad Network team is dedicated to building Jewish community among grad students, as well as connecting students to meaningful Jewish experiences beyond campus. The Grad Network is as much a part of the ecosystem of New York Jewish life, as it is a part of the University landscape. Learn more about The Grad Network experiences or sign-up to get connected to the community.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES:
Orthodox services are held every day during the academic calendar.
Hillel offers Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform services every Friday night. Conservative and Orthodox services take place every Saturday as well.
Kraft Shabbat is our weekly Shabbat dinner held at the Kraft Center. The meals are offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of our donors. In addition to Kraft Shabbat, there are often additional Shabbat dinners around the Kraft Center and campus, including dinners for specific communities (fraternities, sororities, athletes, etc.)
Yes! Our team works hard to raise the necessary funds to ensure that students enjoy Shabbat dinner at no cost to them. Parents, alumni, and students who are interested in supporting this work, can be in touch with Rebecca Kabat (she/her), Senior Director of Development, or can donate online.
Hillel offers services, meals, and other creative ways to celebrate the holidays. There are many ways to celebrate the High Holidays on campus with friends, including meals, services, and communal sukkot on the Kraft Center terraces. We celebrate throughout the year by dancing with the Torah on Columbia’s campus on Simchat Torah, a communal Hanukkah party, Purim celebrations, and Passover seders.
STUDENT SUPPORT:
Here4You is not an event or a series of programs — it’s a reminder in this busy city and stressful campus that you aren’t alone. Our team is committed to being responsive to student wellness needs and to ensuring that students have trusted adults to support them. Students can reach out to any Hillel professional with concerns and will be connected with the appropriate campus (or off-campus) resource(s). If you’re not sure who to connect with, reach out to Shana Zionts (she/her), Associate Director, and she’ll put you in touch.
Fill out this form and we’ll add you to our email list.
Emails typically go out once a week.
First year and transfer students, who haven’t done so already, should also fill out the form on our Admitted Students Page so we can send you some merch.
We also regularly share updates on Instagram.
CAMPUS CLIMATE:
Students’ experiences on campus vary, and Hillel professionals are here to support and advocate for Jewish students and any issues they face. Most students do not feel that they face antisemitism around campus. Regardless of, and in response to, occasional events on Columbia’s and Barnard’s campuses, the Kraft Center is a safe space for students of all Jewish backgrounds and political leanings. Students say that they feel accepted in the building and have found a support system among Hillel professionals and our large and diverse student community. At the Kraft Center, students can connect with other students experiencing similar issues on campus, or just enjoy being in a Jewish communal space while they do homework, snack, pray, or hang out.
We believe that it is very safe on campus. Public Safety is excellent and the officers care deeply about the safety of our students. Hillel professionals are always in touch with University administrators and Public Safety officers, and are prepared to put extra security measures in place when necessary. Even so, many students exhibit their Jewish identities proudly while living and walking around campus and feel safe doing so. Despite what some recent headlines suggest, for most students, most days, Columbia and Barnard are safe places for students to be Jewish. If you have questions or want to hear from current students, contact welcome@hillel.columbia.edu and we’re happy to connect you.
TRAVEL:
Yes, in a typical year, Columbia/Barnard Hillel offers many domestic and international travel opportunities. Recently, we have traveled to Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Cuba, and multiple U.S. cities..
Many of these opportunities have multiple priorities. They are all fun and educational, but some focus more on service opportunities, while others prioritize engaging with the local Jewish community.
Columbia/Barnard Hillel offers Birthright trips over Winter and Summer breaks. You’ll have the opportunity to join a Columbia/Barnard Hillel bus and travel to Israel with one of our Hillel professionals and a group of Columbia/Barnard students. You can get in touch with Eliana (she/her) with any questions.
KOSHER FOOD:
Barnard Kosher Dining offers hot meals three times a day in Hewitt Dining Hall. Hewitt Kosher meals are available to all CC, SEAS, Barnard, and GS students with a meal plan.
Columbia’s kosher dining program offers Fresko meals, pre-packaged grab-and-go products. Fresko meals are offered at John Jay Dining Hall on Columbia’s campus. Again, all students with a CC, SEAS, Barnard, or GS meal plan can purchase these meals.
Additionally, the kosher dining hall located at the Jewish Theological Seminary accepts Flex as a payment option for dining.
Yes. Morton Williams, located on the corner of Broadway and 115th Street, sells pre-packaged kosher sandwiches and salads. Kosher Marketplace and Six60One are kosher grocery stores in the area. There are also many kosher restaurants on the Upper West Side and around New York City.
JEWISH RESOURCES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY:
Yes, Chabad at Columbia University is a great resource for students. In addition, there are options for Jewish life in the fraternity and sorority system.
The Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies offers great academic opportunities for students, as does the Barnard Jewish Studies department. These departments also frequently host lectures and panel discussions, which students can attend.
OTHER QUESTIONS?
If you have a question that is not listed, please reach out to us (welcome@hillel.columbia.edu) and we would be happy to answer your questions to the best of our ability.
