Q: What is the Jewish student population at Trinity?
A: Approximately 10-12 percent of Trinity students are Jewish. The population of the entire student body is 1,750, and the Jewish population is somewhere around 170-200. This is an approximate number, because the students must self-identify to be counted, but anecdotally, at Hillel we interact with approximately 170-200 Jewish students throughout the year.
Q: Is Trinity College affiliated with any religious group?
A: Trinity is an independent, non-sectarian college that welcomes students of all faiths.
Q: What is college life like for Jewish students at Trinity?
A: It is an exciting time to be a Jewish student at Trinity. Not only is Trinity one of only a few small liberal arts colleges to offer a major in Jewish studies, but it is also home to a breathtaking center for Jewish life, the Zachs Hillel House. Trinity’s commitment to Jewish life has invigorated students—Jews and non-Jews alike—to participate in activities centered on Jewish culture. Says Sara Pflantzer ’04, “The community that we have created in such a short time has become my family here at Trinity.”
Q: What kinds of opportunities are available to students to develop as Jewish adults?
A: One of the goals at Hillel is to encourage students to strive for a balance of Jewish concerns that focuses on their spiritual growth and their personal connections to the wider community. Trinity students can participate in internships throughout the local Jewish community, including working with the Jewish Community Relations Council, the public affairs voice of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. Most major synagogues in the area welcome college students to teach in their religious schools in the evenings and on Sundays. Internships are also available in the arts community at the Jewish Community Center, working with the Hartford Jewish Film Festival and the Jewish Book Festival.
Trinity College students also are actively involved in many projects concerned with Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and Tzedakah (charity) throughout the Jewish community and the wider community as well. Some of the recent volunteer projects include weekly visits to the Hebrew Home and Hospital and fundraising for MAZON: The Jewish Response to Hunger.
On campus, students are encouraged to take active roles in their own growth as Jews. They learn to lead Friday night services and write and deliver talks about the Parashat Ha’shavua, the weekly Torah portion. Students write and lead most holiday services, including the Annual Trinity College Freedom Passover Seder. Students bring their ideas and creativity to Hillel in visual arts programs and through music. A new a Cappella Jewish singing group is being organized on campus to sing beautiful contemporary Jewish and Israeli music.
Q: Does Trinity College have formal relationships with any study abroad programs in Israel?
A: Trinity offers several study abroad programs of particular interest to Jewish students. Trinity students may study at most approved exchange programs at Israeli universities including the Rothberg School at Hebrew University, where they will take courses in English or Hebrew with students from all over the world. Other programs, such as those offered by Tel Aviv University and the Technion in Haifa are also available to interested students.
The Birthright Israel program, organized by the national Hillel foundation is a program that provides free trips to young Jewish people ages 18-26 who have never been on a peer group trip to Israel. Birthright Israel provides a free ten-day experience for qualifying applicants, and Hillel is committed to providing students with a safe and secure trip. Please refer to the national Hillel foundation Web site for more information at www.hillel.org