students
studentsצילום: freepik

When you "fly the coop" for the first time after spending most of your life living with your parents, you will feel anxious and excited. The former is especially evident if you have a tight-knit family where you share the same culture, experiences, and values.

Growing up in a Jewish family and making the choice to leave home for college would push you to search for a school that has a Jewish community on campus too. Fortunately, there are several options for you to choose from

University of Florida

Some Jewish students look for schools that have a high population of Jewish learners in the hopes of feeling a sense of belonging. If you're one such student, the University of Florida can be your first option. This school has the greatest number of Jewish students than any other college in North America.

Out of its 33,720 undergraduates, 6,500 of them are Jewish. The University of Michigan and the University of Maryland are great options, too, as they both have more than 6,000 Jewish undergraduates.

Barnard College

Barnard is another college with a lot of Jewish students although officially, it's not a "Jewish school". Based in New York, this is a women's arts college affiliated with Columbia University.

It has a higher percentage of Jewish students compared to all other colleges except Jewish Theological Seminary, Yeshiva University, Brandeis University, and the American Jewish University, which all have Jewish missions. Brandeis University is about half-Jewish, while the other three are completely Jewish.

Yale University

Yale University is an excellent option if you want to go to an Ivy League school although Cornell has the most number of Jewish students. The undergraduate student population of Yale is around 27% Jewish.

Based on this percentage, it narrowly outnumbers Harvard University which is only about 25% Jewish. Columbia University and Cornell University, however, have more Jewish students - 1800 and 3000, respectively.

Applying to the school of your dreams with a well-written essay

You might have a dream school in mind to further your education, but you should apply to other schools too. Most students do this in case they get denied. Writing an essay to introduce yourself is part of the application process.

For this, you can seek the services of the best essay writing service from EduBirdie to make a compelling essay for you. The service employs professional writers who can write your application essay or any other academic writing work. When I fail to do my assignments on time, I approach them to write my thesis online. The work has always been on time and it makes my job a lot easier.

student back to college
student back to collegeצילום: freepik

Hillel Colleges

Local Hillels are centers for Jewish life on college campuses around the world. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization known as Hillel International, these centers get their name from Hillel the Elder, the renowned Jewish scholar famous for this understanding of the Golden Rule.

Not all colleges and schools have a Hillel center, but all of the best colleges for Jewish communities have one. Hillels support Jewish students on campus through cultural initiatives, religious programming, and advocacy. Moreover, many offer additional internships, social functions, and learning experiences.

Resources, organizations, and food options

While getting an education in Israel seems to be the ideal choice for Jewish students, you can still enjoy a good education in the US without feeling like you have to let go of your culture. Apart from having Jewish communities, these schools also offer:

Resources and Organizations:

  • Often, the best resources that you can take advantage of in these schools are either cultural or social opportunities, spiritual connections, and advocacy efforts. These resources typically come from Hillel houses, which sponsor Jewish students in the best colleges for Jewish communities.
  • Many schools also offer extra support including social groups for Orthodox observers and Jewish law student associations.
  • There are also some schools that offer dedicated residence halls for Jewish students.

Food Options

  • Food options and dietary guidance are also provided by some schools for students who follow a kosher diet.
  • Most Hillel centers offer guides to aid Jewish learners in the navigation of their nutrition and diet while living near or on campus,
  • Some Hillel centers also coordinate with the school's dining services or cafeterias to ensure the accommodation of students who follow kosher diets.

Conclusion

Apart from finding a school with other Jewish students, you might plan to finish majors in Jewish studies. These schools offer various options for you to choose from. There are also other institutions that have their own twist to these disciplines. But whichever school you will choose, as a Jewish student, you will always have the feeling of comfort and ease, knowing that you will meet other Jewish students in the school too.

Author’s Bio:

Julius Sim is the Head of Support Team at Edubirdie where he is responsible for training, motivating, optimizing team performance and ensuring great results. Owing to his go-getter approach and management background, he has been able to achieve everything successfully. In his free time, he loves cycling, reading fiction and watching short videos.