Hi everyone! In today’s blog, I’m going to talk about the different Jewish groups at Amherst and Jewish life on campus. Please email me at sgoldsmith24@amherst.edu with any questions!
Jewish Groups
There are two Jewish student groups on campus: Hillel and Amitim. I am a member of Hillel, so I will be focusing mostly on them, but here is a brief overview of the two groups:
Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, and is represented at more than 550 colleges and universities in North America. Amherst’s Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International, and works directly with the rabbi on campus to hold events and services.
Amitim is a Jewish affinity group that focuses on Jewish culture and tradition rather than religion. Instead of services, Amitim hosts get-togethers and events for Jewish (and non-Jewish) students who want to be around peers with similar cultural values.
Jewish Spiritual Support
Amherst College has a part-time rabbi named Rabbi Bruce who facilitates High Holy Day services, helps plan events, and often holds open hours in person and on Zoom to discuss anything that a student wants. If you have questions about Jewish life on campus for Rabbi Bruce, feel free to email him at bbseltzer@amherst.edu.
Shabbat at Amherst
Every Friday evening, Hillel hosts a Shabbat dinner. We get takeout from a restaurant in town (the restaurant changes from week to week), and everyone is welcome to attend, enjoy free food, and spend time with friends. Shabbat dinner typically starts with blessings over grape juice and challah, and the lighting of Shabbat candles. During the dinner, a member of the executive board of Hillel will give a brief d’var Torah where they discuss the Torah portion of the week and relate it to our own lives.
One of my favorite things about Shabbat dinner is its consistency – even if I’ve had a busy week, and haven’t had as much time to see friends as I would like, I can always show up to Shabbat dinner on Friday nights and see some friends.
Shabbat dinner!
High Holy Days
Hillel and Rabbi Bruce organize High Holy Day services every year, and a break the fast after Yom Kippur. When I was a freshman, the services looked very different from normal because of the pandemic and the bubble that Amherst worked so hard to create within campus. This year, which was more normal, a different rabbi came and led services with Rabbi Bruce. She was wonderful, and I’ve been told that having an outside rabbi come to lead High Holy Day services is typical for Amherst. We held services in the Powerhouse, an event space on campus, and they were very well attended.
Antisemitism
To be quite honest, there have been a few antisemitic events at Amherst since I have been here. It is quite hard to be Jewish at a liberal college campus, and the only thing that has made me feel better after a rise in antisemitism is meeting with the other people on the Hillel executive board and talking about what happened and how it made us feel. Being a Jew can be isolating, and I am profoundly grateful for the Jewish community on campus. All of my confusing feelings about Judaism and antisemitism are validated when I am with other Jews, and I hope that everyone has a community to support them like Hillel has supported me.