My Jewish experience at NYU is not what I initially expected. Having attended Gann, a pluralistic Jewish high school which of course emphasized religion in its curriculum and overall student experience, I came to university with a strong religiously-educated background. Entering college, I understood that Hillels were a common feature and that I’d have it available to me at NYU. However, I wasn’t sure the extent to which it would be a presence in my day to day routine. Although I don’t participate in the Hillel’s events as often as I anticipated I would, I feel very welcome there. The staff reach out over email to connect with you and are sincerely invested in providing students with a supportive Jewish experience. Amitai Samuels, the director of the Bronfman Center (the name of the physical Hillel building), actually went to the Orthodox Jewish Day School in Boston. It was very comforting meeting an adult on campus who, despite the age difference, has a very similar educational background as me. He’s someone who I look forward to getting to know further and I recommend that any folks who are interested in NYU reach out to him. Additionally, Hillel is where I met one of my best friends and we often use it as a study space.
Separately, an article like this would be incomplete without discussing how the events on October 7th have impacted my college experience. Of course, the attacks and the world’s responses completely changed the social landscape of many universities and NYU is no exception. When I began my college career (a year after the attacks), the most noticeable effect that I recognized is that, generally, Jewish people (both students and adults) seemed to outwardly embrace Judaism as an aspect of their identity more. Although there are stories of students and professors actively supporting Hamas and behaving with antisemitic intent, this has caused jewish people to be more openly jewish and excited when you tell them you share those religious beliefs.
Within NYU, I’m a student in the School of Professional Studies (SPS). I can’t speak to the educators in the other schools; however, my professors have all refrained from discussing their own political views during class. Although, they’ve consistently shown great sympathy to Jewish kids, demonstrating that they are aware of the safety concerns on campus.
