Transitioning to college can be scary at times, but holding on to traditions can be one of the best ways to bring a piece of home to school. When I came to Wesleyan I was unsure what would be familiar and what would be foreign and new. One simple way that I found continuity between the two was with the Jewish community at Wesleyan. Although people often assume religious life at Wesleyan isn’t a big part of campus life, many students find religion to a play an important role in their experience here.
As the New Year begins ( this past Wednesday evening and Thursday was the beginning of the Jewish New Year — Rosh Hashonah), I have started to reflect back to what I had anticipated religious life in college would be like for me. Even though I grew up in a Jewish home, I never assumed the being involved in Judiasm would be something important to me in college. But, as I entered a whirlwind of new experiences at Wesleyan, I found that holding on to the past and creating new traditions became something I really valued. While Wesleyan doesn’t have a ‘Hillel’ ( a Jewish student organization found on many larger college campuses), Wesleyan has an exteremely active Jewish student group and Jewish student program house, affectionately known as ‘the bayit’ (Hebrew for house). This house is the center of Jewish life at Wesleyan, and is the home to many religious and cultural programs
Here is just a sampling of a few of the things I have been involved in with the Jewish community since coming to Wesleyan :
-I helped plan a B’not Mitzvah party ( a celebration commemerating the Jewish rite of passage into adulthood) for the entire campus
-witnessed Yom Kippur afternoon discussions with participants ranging from the deeplying observant to to the intensely questioning
-eaten more home baked challah than I ever imagined possible
-attended feminist Shabbats, orthodox Shabbats, yoga infused Shabbats, meditative Shabbats, Reconstructionist Shabbats, Conservative Shabbats, and Reform Shabbats ( to give just a few examples)
-learned new prayers and songs — as well as new ways to conceptualize prayer and religion altogether
So, no matter what your religious tradition currently is, Wesleyan is a terrrific place to become more spiritual. Or, if personal religion is not something you see yourself pursuing, Wesleyan is a great place to learn more about other people’s religions, and meet some great people along the way. While religion can often be a taboo subject in America, at Wesleyan there is really something for everyone, and an open community that will discuss both deeply held religious beliefs and the questions that inevitably arise along the path of any religious tradition.
In the Jewish community, at Rosh Hashonah, it is custom to wish others a sweet and happy new year. I’d like to extend this to all of you going through the college application process. May you have a sweet time looking at schools, and find whatever will make you happy.
Emily Einhorn ‘08
Senior Interviewer
