Kosher on Campus

What do you think when you hear the word “Jew”? Do you think of a group of bearded men wearing black suits and black hats in a classroom studying Torah, set off from the world? Or do you think of a kid you grew up with who happens to be Jewish, yet seems to eschew anything related to religion? I am a religious Jew, yet I find myself somewhere in between those two extreme images. I do not necessarily make studying Torah a priority or live my life completely according to Jewish tradition. However, I also don’t break some of the more well-known and defining Jewish laws, such as the dietary law prohibiting mixing meat and milk or Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, by writing or using electricity on that day. My struggle of being in the middle has been one of the hardest battles for me to combat over the last few years, but since coming to Columbia, I have overcome that struggle and am finally able to embrace my own Jewish identity.

Being a religious Jew at Columbia University has been as easy for me as it was last year during my gap year in Israel. As a first-year student, I find that the same amenities in Israel that make being a religious Jew almost effortless are present at Columbia, from prayer services for numerous denominations to special dining arrangements. In addition to sporting my yarmulke and praying passionately, eating according to Jewish dietary laws is one way I practice my religion each day, and Columbia makes it tremendously easy to do. Kosher food is available at all times at Hewitt, John Jay, and the Jewish Theological Seminary and thankfully, the food is appetizing and reasonably priced (at least by New York City standards). I know that whenever I go to any of the cafeterias to eat, I will find about twenty Jews eating there as well, a testament to the University’s huge Jewish presence and the comfort felt walking around campus with a discernibly Jewish article of clothing like a yarmulke or a long skirt. Weekly Shabbat meals also take place in the dining halls, which allow me to experience that feeling of family I felt at my own Shabbat meals in Los Angeles. Fridays are busy, and I am not allowed much time to prepare an elegant Friday night meal every week before Shabbat starts, typically around 4:30 in the afternoon during the winter. The dietary accommodations Columbia provides makes being observant especially convenient.

For many students, celebrating their Judaism on campus is harder than it was back at home. Parents no longer enforce certain rules, services are different than the ones they grew up with, and the environment is generally alien. Unlike at my Jewish high school, in college, there is a huge amount of work to complete over the weekend, which speaking from experience requires an arduous effort because I can’t work on Saturday. In fact, I am often forced to do homework on Saturday despite my keen religious beliefs. Being observant is burdensome enough throughout the year because Judaism’s frequent holidays cause me to miss class, but the fall High Holidays season is by far the most demanding. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, arguably Judaism’s most significant holidays, fall during the beginning of the school year and cause Jewish students to miss several consecutive classes. I experienced the negative effects of missing class for holidays when I missed an unannounced quiz and was marked absent despite my excuse, causing my grade to suffer. Several of my teachers gave me make-up tests due to the holidays, which I hear is not very common. One cannot blame professors for doing their job and attempting to avoid making too many exceptions, but from a religious student’s standpoint, it can be very frustrating, especially during one’s first semester of college. Generally, my professors have been very understanding and avoid penalizing me for my absences

Columbia has made my religious life richer than it has ever been. Organizing my own Shabbat meals and eating them with a huge group of like-minded peers are things I never did at home. Anybody who knows me is familiar with my great fervor as Friday night prayers approach, and the prospect of being with people with whom I sincerely enjoy spending time only adds to my enjoyment. While differences in observance level exist, I find that the community is so strong that regardless of how futile or significant our religious differences are, we break down these barriers when it comes to socializing and volunteering with the community. I know that I can walk to the Hillel building on 115th Street anytime I want to study for exams, read Jewish texts, or just mingle with some other members of the tribe. Unlike my home in Los Angeles, at Columbia I have had no problem showing off my different colored and shaped yarmulkes or letting my ritual white fringes hang from underneath my shirt. Being comfortable with Judaism is something I have never felt so strongly about and the accommodating services available are truly unique to Columbia’s campus.