Jewish Life at Oberlin
Oberlin is deeply committed to our Jewish community, and vibrant Jewish living, dining, and culture are longstanding and valued parts of our history. Many students at Oberlin identify as Jewish and participate in rich offerings from the Jewish Studies Program, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and campus chapters of Hillel and Chabad. Students also lead a variety of organizations and activities focused on Jewish life and culture.
Hillel at Oberlin
Hillel is a student-centered, pluralistic Jewish space that welcomes people of all movement and secular backgrounds, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, and all approaches to Israel. The Cleveland Hillel Foundation provides Oberlin’s Jewish life staff. Yaffa Muhlbaum is the Associate Director of Oberlin Hillel.
More about Oberlin College Hillel
Chabad at Oberlin
With Rabbi Shlomo and Devorah Elkan serving as codirectors, Chabad at Oberlin is a meeting ground for conversation that highlights and complements the diversity at Oberlin College and Conservatory, offering social, educational, recreational, and religious programming for students and faculty. We are here for you, whether you need matzo ball soup when you’re feeling under the weather, someone to talk with about Jewish and spiritual issues, or simply a good chat. We want you to feel at home and comfortable.
Kosher Dining
The Heritage Kosher Kitchen at Talcott Hall provides delicious meals Monday through Thursday as a part of Oberlin’s regular meal plan.
View menus for the Heritage Kosher Kitchen
Grab & Go meals are available daily in DeCafe’ in the basement of Wilder Hall. Kosher catering is also available upon request. Kosher dining is under the supervision of Rabbi Shlomo Elkan and is managed by AVI.
Jewish Heritage House (Johnson House)
Approximately 30 students live in Johnson House, the residential program house for Jewish Studies. Founded in 1969 by students as a Winter-Term project under the name Hebrew House, Johnson House today is a three-story, Queen Anne-style mansion complete with a fireplace, library, kitchen and lounges. You can view photos of Johnson House on the Identity-Based Communities housing page.
Please note
Jewish Heritage House will be offline for the 2025-26 academic year. The living-learning community will be rehoused in Price Hall until Johnson House is reopened.
Jewish Studies
Established in 1971, the Jewish Studies Program explores more than 3,000 years of Jewish civilization through the primary lenses of religion, history, and culture. We offer a range of courses for the major and minor, from introductory courses to private readings.
Students acquire a broad knowledge of the field along with fundamental tools required for its continued pursuit. These skills include the ability to engage with core religious and historical texts of the Jewish tradition, as well as methods for interpreting other materials relevant to the study of the Jewish religion, history, literature, philosophy, and culture.
Winter Term
Oberlin Winter Term is a time for students to pursue interests outside of regular course offerings through in-depth learning experiences each January. Projects can be done independently or in groups, on Oberlin’s campus, across the U.S., or around the world. Traditionally, students and faculty plan Winter Term offerings connected to student interest in their Jewish heritage, including Intensive Yiddish and Intensive Hebrew.
Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life strives to meet students where they are, serving foremost as a companion on the journey that is exclusively theirs. In this spirit, we offer an extraordinary array of diverse and vibrant opportunities designed to help students thrive as they authentically address their ultimate questions both within and across faiths.
More about Religious and Spiritual Life
JStreetU Oberlin
JStreetU is a pro-peace, pro-democracy advocacy and activist group pushing for lasting peace in Israel and Palestine. JStreetU educates students about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and America’s role in promoting peace. JStreetU provides a home for students to hold nuanced views without compromising their values. We equip students to find their political voice and to take action on their college campuses, in their Jewish communities, and on Capitol Hill.
Jews for Palestine
Our mission is to provide a space for a pluralistic group of Jews from all different backgrounds committed to co-creating and imagining a life-affirming Judaism beyond Zionism. Jews for Palestine convenes in support of the Palestinian right to self-determination. We operate from the standpoint that the struggle for Palestinian liberation is intertwined with all liberation struggles, including our own. As such, we are committed to the internal and external work it takes to begin untangling Zionism and Judaism.