UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN University of Michigan has approximately 28,000 undergraduate students. The university is an intense academic environment with plenty of opportunities for extracurricular involvement, hundreds of student organizations and a beautiful campus full of students with tremendous school spirit. There are 4,500 Jewish undergraduate students. The Orthodox community is between 25-35 students. The Jewish life at UM is robust with a myriad of clubs and organizations run through Hillel. Chabad and the Jewish Resource Center (JRC) are also active in Jewish and religious life on campus. The Orthodox community on campus (O-Minyan) is a small tight-knit and active community. Many of the Orthodox students assume leadership positions on campus, either through O-Minyan or through Hillel in general. Upon request the university will put students in the Oxford dorm which is located close to Hillel and is inside the eruv. Teachers are accommodating when it comes to missing classes and exams for holidays. They expect students to make up the work, making the time before and after the chagim. The Shabbat environment on campus is vibrant. Between 25-30 students participate in the Orthodox minyan on Friday night and between 200-350 students attend Friday night dinner. Around 25 students daven in the Orthodox minyan Shabbat morning and attend Shabbat lunch. After davening and kiddush at Hillel there is a large communal Shabbat lunch at the JRC where people eat, shmooze, and sing zemirot (Shabbat songs).
STUDENTS SPEAK
“Michigan allows students to think about the word community in a different light. Students have the opportunity to become leaders and forge strong connections with each other and the greater Ann Arbor Orthodox community.”
BENTZI
KOSHER FOOD: The Hillel Kosher Café provides a delicious kosher meal plan for students living in the dorms. The Kosher Café is open to students living outside of university housing. The Hillel also provides prepackaged sandwiches to university cafés around campus.
SERVICES, STUDY AND AMENITIES:
The weekly services switch off between Chabad and Hillel, and Shabbat services can be found at both Hillel and Chabad. There is generally a Mincha/Maariv minyan during the early fall and late spring when Mincha is held later in the day. Rabbi Rod Glogower, rabbi of the Orthodox minyan and Orthodox community of Ann Arbor, gives weekly shiurim. There is also a beit midrash night where students can give chaburot or learn with a chavruta.
ERUV: Yes. The eruv encompass-
es much of the area near Hillel and includes the Oxford dorm. Apollo 15’s entire crew were UM alumni. IT'S TRUE
There are numerous Jewish clubs on campus. The clubs range in focus from culture, dialogue and identity, health and environment, Israel, outreach, social action to religious life.
MICHIGANHILLEL.ORG • 734.769.0500 MICHIGAN HILLEL: 1429 HILL ST, ANN ARBOR, MI 48104
OU-JLIC GUIDE 2016
ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS:
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