About Us
FAQs [>]Meet the Staff, Jewish Campus Council and Student Board [>]
General Information
Hillel at the Claremont Colleges is a vibrant 5-C Jewish community organization where students socialize over delicious kosher food, volunteer in meaningful community service projects, and celebrate Shabbat and holidays in a warm, and nurturing environment. Through such programs as Candy Apple Making for Rosh Hashanah, our monthly Habitat for Humanity service project, and our festive weekly Shabbat services and home cooked dinners, Hillel aims to build and nurture a pluralistic Jewish community, to provide opportunities for Jews on campus to meet one another and to explore the various meanings of Jewish identity. Our First Year Students at Hillel (FYSH) program is a fun and welcoming social environment for freshman to meet other freshman on campus, through such programs as the Welcome Back BBQ and Feast Before You Fast. We welcome all students and hope you will join us!
Cultural Programs
Culturally, Hillel provides both social and educational opportunities. Every Wednesday night, we host Cafe Shlomowitzi, a study break for students in the local coffee house. In 2006, we brought Matisyahu to campus and in 2004, we brought the Israeli singer David Broza. This spring, we will be featuring another great artist - check back soon for more details! Additionally, we host events such as Iron Chef Sushi, Warm Cookies and Lactaid, the Purim masquerade party, and Hookah in the Sukkah.
First Year Program at Hillel
Our First Year Program at Hillel provides a social atmosphere for first year students to meet other first year students, in the Jewish framework of Hillel. We host a variety of events, ranging from the Welcome Back BBQ to the Jewish Community Retreat and more!
Social Action
Last but not least, Hillel offers social action programming for both Jewish and non-Jewish students alike. We participated in Just For A Day, a one-day social action program in LA where over 1,000 students from the Los Angeles area came together to give back to their community. We have the Mitzvah of the Month, which is a social action project in the spirit of ‘tikkun olam’ or repairing the world. Additionally, students have participated in Hillel’s Alternative Spring Break trip to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and AJWS’s social action trip to rebuild in rural El Salvador after a devastating earthquake.
We encourage all students to get involved with the staff and our student board to plan and implement activities that interest them. So if we don't already have something that captures your imagination, come help us to create it!
Religious Life
Hillel offers weekly Friday night services, once-a-month Saturday services, services/celebrations for every Jewish holiday during the school year, and frequent opportunities for text study. Religiously, Hillel strives to embrace the pluralistic community it has been blessed with by inviting students from all denominations and backgrounds to participate in and lead religious events. Hillel also attempts to make Jews from all educational backgrounds comfortable with creating a community together.