Prospective Families
Welcome to Columbia/Barnard Hillel!
Choosing a college is a big decision for the whole family.
At Columbia/Barnard Hillel, we want you to feel as confident about this choice as your student does. At the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life, students find community, care, and countless ways to grow — from weekly Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations to learning, leadership, and wellness support. We help students feel at home on campus while exploring Jewish life on their own terms.
Stay Connected
Sign up below to receive our prospective parent updates. We’ll keep you informed as your student explores their options and make sure they’re connected to our community before they even arrive on campus.
Jewish Life at Columbia and Barnard
Columbia is the only Ivy League school in the world’s largest Jewish city. That means your student won’t just have a campus Jewish community — they’ll have all of New York City as their backdrop.
Columbia/Barnard Hillel is proudly pluralistic, with robust religious infrastructure supporting students from every denomination alongside cultural, Israeli, and secular Jewish communities. Whether your student is deeply observant, culturally connected, or somewhere in between, they will find their people here.
Your Student’s Safety and Wellbeing
We know this is on your mind, and we want to address it directly.
Like many universities, Columbia faced significant challenges related to antisemitism in recent years — challenges that received national attention and that we never minimized. What those years made clear is that a strong, well-resourced Hillel with deep relationships across the university matters enormously.
Today, our team works in close, ongoing partnership with the presidents of Columbia and Barnard, senior administrators, faculty leadership, and the board of trustees. That level of access and collaboration is rare, and it means that when issues arise, we are at the table. Many students proudly display their Jewish identities on campus every day, and our staff is here to support any student who needs us.
The past headlines do not reflect the current reality at Columbia and Barnard. What does: hundreds of students gathering at the Kraft Center every week, a thriving Jewish community, and a Hillel team that shows up for students every single day.
Helpful Resources
Check out our brochure for prospective students and their families.
Read through answers to some of our most frequently asked questions
Learn more on our Prospective Students page
Frequently Asked Questions for Families
Yes. Jewish students at Columbia and Barnard are an active, visible, and proud presence on campus every day. Columbia faced real challenges in recent years, and we have never minimized that. But those challenges also deepened our relationships with university leadership in ways that benefit Jewish students directly. Our team is in ongoing communication with the presidents of Columbia and Barnard, senior administrators, and the board of trustees — and that collaboration means Jewish student concerns are heard and addressed at the highest levels.
Our professional staff — a team of more than 20 people — is available to support any student who has experienced an antisemitic incident or classroom bias. That support can mean a listening ear, help navigating the university’s reporting process, connection to mental health resources, or direct advocacy with university leadership. Students never have to navigate these situations alone.
Here4You is our commitment that every Jewish student at Columbia and Barnard has a trusted adult they can turn to — for community, for support, or for advocacy. It’s not a program or a hotline; it’s a culture. Any student can reach out to any member of our professional staff, and we’ll make sure they get what they need.
Absolutely. Columbia and Barnard have established policies to accommodate religious observance, and our staff works directly with housing, dining, and academic offices to support students whose observance requires accommodations. Weekly Shabbat dinners at the Kraft Center are free of charge and open to all students, and holiday programming runs throughout the year.
There’s no right or wrong way to be part of our community. Some students make the Kraft Center their home away from home, stopping by between classes and joining us every week for Shabbat dinner. Others come to one or two major events a year — like our Passover seder or MEGA Shabbat, our largest Shabbat dinner of the year, where 1,300 students and faculty come together to celebrate. Both are completely valid, and everything in between is too.
If your student wants a more personal introduction, our engagement team loves connecting one-on-one over coffee to learn what they’re interested in and help them find their place. And if they just want to show up and see what it’s all about, we’d love to have them.
Check out our full FAQ page for more frequently asked questions and answers.
