Kehillat Hillel Ha’azinu Profile

Formally founded in 2002, Kehillat Hillel Ha'azinu consisted of a small group of religious students interested in enjoying a traditional Shabbat atmosphere. We would gather together each Shabbat to daven and eat together. This small difference sparked an entire new student group at the Hillel House at UMass Amherst! This is Kehillat Hillel Ha'azinu - a couple of years later we are full blown group. We are 50+ students strong, we have a JLIC sponsored schlichim on campus. We have branched out from making only Shabbat minyanim to having daily davening, shiurim, and an entire community of Orthodox students. We are also now one of the major campus' on the charts for prospective students who are interested in a strong orthodox presence.

If you look at the rapid pace that our community has grown over just a few short years, you will too see the excitement that we have for Kehillat Hillel Ha'azinu. We encourage and welcome everybody wanting to be involved to join our community. We have the opportunity to create something special, and we are taking it.

Please visit the KHH website for more information.

UMass Hillel Profile

Hillel is the center of Jewish life on campus. Our largest ongoing programs are Shabbat Dinner with between 70-100 students on any given Friday night with three services taking place before the meal. We also have a monthly Beit Caf with live music with about 50-70 students. The Jewish community is not so large that each denomination exists unto itself. A strong value is placed on Achdut and staff and student leaders do what they can to make sure Jews of all types are made to feel comfortable and welcome. For example, all Hillel events have kosher food and the building is Shabbat friendly (no music, TV etc.). In addition, Shabbat cooking crews, while organized by Kehillat Hillel Ha'azinu (KHH, the orthodox student group on campus) are comprised of a variety of students bringing in their favorite recipes from home and making them kosher.

UMass Hillel likes to give student leaders support and resources to take their own initiative. Challa' for a Dolla' was started by the Jewish Woman's Collective and Tzedek to raise money for Darfur. The Future Jewish Business Leaders of America traveled all over New England meeting with people they wanted to learn from. And KHH has turned Shabbat Lunch into a time where student crews try to outdo one another in the kitchen. As a mid-sized Hillel there is plenty of room for student leadership and enthusiasm.

On the first floor is a lounge where the Aron Kodesh is located as well as staff offices and a library. The ground floor is home to the kitchen, dining room and recreation room with a pool table and space for music rehearsals. On the third floor is the Dr. Maxwell H. Goldberg Jewish Living and Learning Community (JLLC) with space for 26 residents. The Hillel staff strives to make Hillel a welcoming place for the university's Jewish students with comfortable couches, free WIFI and hot drinks. The staff does their best to keep their doors open for students to drop in to talk about whatever is on their mind or just to hang-out. UMass also has a very warm and welcoming Chabad House located just two blocks away. Many students participate in activities in both places.

UMass Amherst Campus Profile

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, about 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The university has about 20, 000 undergraduates and about 6000 graduate students and approximately 3000 Jews with an active orthodox community of about 50 students. UMass is in a consortium with 4 other colleges in the area, Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and Hampshire. Students are encouraged to take classes at the other schools and UMass Hillel is also welcoming to all of the Jewish students of the 5-colleges.

Living Options on Campus

Orthodox students live all over campus with the majority choosing the Central or Orchard Hill Residential Areas. Both of these areas are near Franklin DC, where the kosher dining is located, and are minutes from the UMass Hillel House, which is in the southeast part of campus. Another option that many students choose to live is the JLLC (Jewish Living and Learning Community) located on the third floor of the Hillel House. Any student with questions concerning where to live should contact info@umasskhh.org.

Kosher Food at UMass and Beyond!

There are several options for kosher food in the Amherst area, a wide selection at local supermarkets, Kosher Dining, and Shabbat food at the UMass Hillel House.

The Kosher Dining Commons (KDC) is located in the Frankin Dining Commons, which is near Central, Orchard Hill Residential Areas. Most students who are on the meal plan choose to live in one of these areas because it's near the DC. It is a meat only kitchen that's open Sunday - Friday, from 11am to 7pm, and from 11am to 2:30pm on Fridays.

Shabbat meals are provided by the UMass Hillel House, are ALWAYS FREE to UMass students, including Friday night dinner, and Shabbat lunch. Friday night dinner is catered while Shabbat lunch is prepared each week by several dedicated Kehillat Hillel Ha'azinu students in cooking crews.

The KDC and Hillel are both under the Vaad of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Learning Opportunities

There are several means to get learning in throughout the week, and weekend's at UMass. Through our Beit Midrash program, we have numerous learning options available. These include, chavrutah study between students, or one-on-one study with either Rabbi David or Ariella Ruderman. The JLIC couple brings Jewish learning through shiurim, lectures and chavrutah. We have had several distinguished guest speakers giving shiurim, including visiting rabbis, professors and students. There is ample opportunity for chevrutah study with both students and with either of the JLIC couple. Twice a semester we welcome various Jewish scholars-in-residence for dynamic Shabbatonim. Please visit our learning schedule for more reference.

Any student who is interested may set up a private chevruta with either Rabbi David or Ariella Ruderman. Chevruta is accredited by the Judaic studies department as is the Sunday Beit Midrash and other courses we teach at Hillel.