Frequently Asked Questions

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, 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/JTS/MSM ID holders.

The Kraft Center guest policy allows a non-Columbia University affiliated guest 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 [email protected] 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.

More information is available here.

The (free!) Kraft Coffee Bar on the second floor is available for students during building hours. 

There are approximately 1,200 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, Hillel Spring Formal, 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, or HAMSA, a group of Sephardi/Mizrachi students, 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 J-Street.

Click here to read more about Hillel’s student groups.

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 [email protected], and we’ll help you navigate Jewish life on campus. Our Kraft Center Kickoff series of opportunities is just for first years and new students, and will also help you feel connected.

Graduate students are invited to get involved with The Grad Network. Click here for more information.

Hillel offers programming for all Columbia students – undergraduate and graduate – Barnard students, as well as those from Manhattan School of Music. Students from other schools can visit the Kraft Center but need to be signed in by a Columbia, Barnard, or MSM student.

Graduate students are invited to get involved with The Grad Network. Click here for more information.

Israeli students or any students interested in learning about Israel can get in touch with our Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, Maayan, 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 J-Street – Hillel 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.

Orthodox services are held every day during the academic calendar. 

Hillel offers Conservative, Orthodox and Reform services every Friday night. The Conservative and Orthodox services meet every Saturday as well. 

Kraft Shabbat is our weekly Shabbat dinner held at the Kraft Center. On average, between 100 and 200 students participate in these weekly dinners. The meals are offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of our donors. In addition to Kraft Shabbat, there are always additional Shabbat dinners offered, including dinners for specific communities (fraternities, sororities, athletes, etc.)

Yes! Our team works hard to raise the necessary funds to ensure that any student can enjoy Shabbat dinner at no cost to them. Parents, alumni, and students who are interested in supporting this work, can be in touch with Eliana Sugarman, Assistant Director of Development, or can donate online.

Hillel offers services, meals, and other creative ways to celebrate the holidays – many students prefer spending holidays with the Hillel community to going home. Free meals will be offered throughout the holidays to enrolled students. 

Towards the beginning of the academic year, there will be many ways to celebrate the High Holidays on campus with friends, including meals, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform services, and a communal Sukkah on the Kraft Center terrace. Some favorite pluralistic holiday events include dancing with the Torah on Columbia’s campus on Simchat Torah, a communal Hanukkah party, and various types of Passover Seders students can join.

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 and she’ll put you in touch. 

No problem. Fill out this form and we will quickly get you added to our list. Emails typically go out once a week. First year and transfer students should also fill out this form so we can send you information about Kraft Center Kickoff in the fall. We also regularly share updates on Facebook and Instagram (@cbhillel) and encourage you to follow us there. 

Students’ experiences on campus vary, and Hillel professionals are there 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 and Barnard 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. In Hillel, 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 being 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 if 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, feel free to reach out.

Yes, in a typical year, Hillel will offer many domestic and international travel opportunities. Recently, Hillel has sent groups to Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Cuba, and various domestic destinations.

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.

Hillel offers Birthright trips over Winter and Summer vacations. 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 Elan with any questions.

In Hewitt Dining Hall, Barnard Kosher Dining offers hot meals three times a day. 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.  

More information is available here.

Yes. Morton Williams, located on the corner of Broadway and 115th Street, sells pre-packaged kosher sandwiches and salads. There are many kosher restaurants on the Upper West Side and around New York City.

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.