IDC Herzliya

Kosher Food

It is the university’s policy that all food sold in the cafeterias on campus and served at events must be certified kosher. The cafeteria on campus is certified under the Rabbanut of Herzliya and has separate sides serving dairy and meat options. Several other buildings on campus have mini cafeterias as well. There are also many kosher restaurants in Herzliya itself, especially on the Sokolov Street, the main commercial thoroughfare in central Herzliya.

SERVICES, STUDY & AMENITIES:

Tefilla Daily morning minyan takes place at Gissin Street 6, our off-campus shul location. Occasionally there is a minyan in the Reichman University dorms as well. Mincha takes place on campus at 15:18, in between class breaks. Ma’ariv takes place back at Gissin Street 6 at 19:45, often followed by a program or shiur at night. Friday night tefillah is on campus and attracts a crowd of 150-200 or more weekly. Shabbat day tefillot are at our off-campus shul location. Learning Opportunities Our weekly learning program is vibrant and varied. Community members and the JLIC directors teach classes weekly. LunchNLearns take place at Reichman University, with pizza and drinks sponsored by Raphael Recanati International School, two or three times a week. Nighttime classes take place at our community shul location in central Herzliya, a ten minute walk from campus. Highlights include a twice-monthly guest speaker series; “OpenL,” our weekly Open Beit Midrash program; and rotating shiurim in Gemara, Tanakh and Jewish law and thought. Shabbat Shabbat in Herzliya is the highlight of the week. Friday night tefillah is on campus in the Ivcher auditorium and attracts 150-200 or more people weekly. Students and community members hosts meals in their apartments in central Herzliya and the Mizrachi OU-JLIC Hospitality committee makes sure everyone who needs a Shabbat meal is set up with one. Shabbat morning tefillah is at our off-campus shul with a weekly kiddush. During the longer Shabbatot of the year, Shabbat ends off with another highlight event - seudah shlishit, with singing or a shiur and then a musical Havdalah. Events Social events provide regular opportunities for people to form connections with others in the community while enjoying a break or an activity. Highlights have included the annual Challah Bake in honor of The Shabbat Project, Tu B’Shvat Paint Night, Melave Malka game night, Soup and Sefarim Sale, and the Gissin Library (a place for study groups to meet – and snack and socialize – during finals crunch time). Chessed opportunities and events also bring us together. On a monthly basis, a group visits the Leket Logistics Center nearby to sort fruits and vegetables to be given to the needy. Blood drives, clothing drives and visits to the elderly are also chances for us to bring our shared values of chessed and communal involvement to the center of our community. Chagim Many of the chagim are celebrated together as a community. Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot fall out before the school year starts, yet there are tefillot, programs and meals for those who are already settled in to Herzliya. Examples include Rosh Hashana meals, Yom Kippur tefillot on campus for over 100 people, Pizza in the Hut and an Elul Teshuva workshop. On Chanukah, we have celebrations such as Melave Latke Open Mic Night, a Chanukah carnival, communal lightings and more. On Purim, we have megillah readings and seudot. On Shavuot we celebrate the central place Torah has in our personal and communal lives with all night chaburot. In advance of many of the chagim, we have opportunities to visit elderly people and Holocaust survivors living in Herzliya to make a connection and bring a gift for the chag. Finally, in the Spring we commemorate Yom Hazikaron together, which is especially powerful for a community of people living in Israel, many of whom are olim and serve or have served in the army or sherut leumi. And on Yom Ha’atzmaut we connect deeply as a community once again through singing and celebration. Leadership Opportunities The community began as a grassroots effort where several students noticed a desperate need for revitalized Jewish life on campus. Since then, the beating heart of the community continues to be idealistic and dedicated student and community member leaders! Currently students and community members run committees including Shabbat, hospitality, learning, chagim and events, and JLIC Netzach (our communal branch for young professionals and post-grads). JLIC Netzach - for young professionals and post-graduates As many students choose to stay in Herzliya after graduation, and others coming after college abroad join them on the young professional scene in Israel, JLIC Netzach has become an important sub-group of post-graduates within the greater community. While everyone is welcome at Shabbat and Chaggim tefillot and events on campus, Netzach provides a chance for people to find their niche with like-minded individuals who are in a different stage of life and often on a different schedule. In addition to being core participants in the broader JLIC Herzliya community, JLIC Netzach hosts its own social gatherings and communal Shabbat meals to foster a sense of community within post-grad demographic.

Eruv: Yes

ORGANIZATIONS & GROUPS:

OU-JLIC, Student Union.

FACEBOOK LINK:

https://www.facebook.com/IDCIsrael/

Rabbi Noam Friedman and Shiffy Friedman

Home to Reichman University, Herzliya is located on the Mediterranean coast between Tel Aviv and Netanya. Reichman University was founded in 1994 as the IDC (Interdisciplinary Center) private college, and in August 2021 became Israel’s first private university. More than a quarter of the school’s undergraduates are international students enrolled in the Raphael Recanati International School, which has students from 90 countries. There are more than 8,000 undergraduates at IDC, over 5,000 are Jewish, and 700 are from the United States and Canada. 300-500 international students come from a Modern or Centrist Orthodox day school, and over 500 participated in an Orthodox gap year program in Israel before attending Reichman University. International students that did not take part in a gap year program in Israel may be eligible for a MASA scholarship towards their study at Reichman University. (Students planning a gap year in Israel may be eligible for MASA support towards their gap year program instead.) There are also other scholarships available. Currently, international Orthodox students at Reichman University live in the campus dorms or in apartments within walking distance from campus in Herzliya.

The JLIC at Reichman University serves international undergraduate and graduate students, as well as young professionals, lone soldiers and benot sherut and new olim who have made the central Herzliya area their home.

Programming on and near campus includes shiurim and chaburot led by the JLIC Mizrachi directors, guest speakers and community members, large and small social events, chessed opportunities, and more. Social events in the past have included “Sufgani-yacht on a Boat” during Chanukah, latke making, paint night, “Breakfast for Dinner” pre-fast meal, Rosh Chodesh walk to the Beach, Tu B’Shvat seder, and challah bakes.

Shabbat is a prime time to meet other students and community members. Friday night minyan on campus hosts on average 200 people. A few times a year Reichman University’s Rephael Recanati International School runs a communal Shabbat dinner with over 200 students, and JLIC Mizrachi hosts a weekly kiddush and frequent communal Shabbat lunch meals in the park. Students and community members host each other in their apartments for Shabbat and chag meals and including everyone in these meals is a community priority. Shabbat ends with a large communal Seudah Shlishit and Havdala, a highlight of the week for many.

Meet The Educators