At Princeton, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct over 5,400 undergraduate students. The university’s financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.
Rabbi Azi and Atara Horvitch, OU-JLIC at Princeton Directors
The Jewish undergraduate population at Princeton is comprised of 250-750 students. There are approximately 25-75 students at Princeton who attended Modern or Centrist Orthodox day schools and around 45-55 students attended Orthodox gap year programs. The university is accommodating to students’ religious needs. Students can receive mechanical keys rather than electrical keys upon request, and university staff is respectful of the Jewish holidays. All students live on campus for all four years of college and in their first year of college they do not get to choose their roommates.
The Orthodox community on campus is called Yavneh. The OU-JLIC couple advises and works with Yavneh’s student board in planning weekly social programing and arranging outside guest lecturers for shiurim. Every week the Orthodox community comes together for Sunday Night Learning, a program where the students eat dinner and learn in chevrutah together. Additionally, the OU-JLIC couple teaches 3-5 weekly classes each semester. The OU-JLIC Torah Educators have taught the following topics in previous semesters: The Philosophy of Halacha, An Intro to Rabbinic Stories, and Sephardi Intellectual History. The OU-JLIC couple also hosts onegs and other social events at their house throughout the semester.
The Shabbat environment on campus is warm and welcoming with students eating all meals at the Center for Jewish Life (the CJL), the Princeton Hillel. The minyanim throughout the week are comprised of students and faculty. There are 70-80 people who daven at the Orthodox Friday night Hillel services. The CJL hosts one Friday night dinner for all members of the Jewish community. On average there are around 160-180 students who attend this dinner. Some students choose to eat Friday night at Chabad and others are hosted by the OU-JLIC couple for dinner. There are 55-65 students at Shabbat morning services and the kiddush, shiur, and lunch that follow. During Shabbat afternoon many students hang out at the CJL and there are learning opportunities available to them. There is a robust seudah shelishit that 55-65 students attend each week.
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