Campus Update: University of Vermont

By Merissa Goldman and Nellie Goodman

Most people don’t realize, but UVM has a population of almost two thousand Jewish undergrads. The Jewish community on campus is very active and participation in Jewish life is increasing every year. Our Jewish community encompasses students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, including a growing number of students who come from the Conservative movement. This year, with the help of the KOACH Campus Enrichment Grant, we were able to focus on creating more opportunities for strengthening the Conservative Jewish community on campus. (Thank you for wonderful and important support!)

Our main KOACH grant initiative was a series of interactive Jewish learning experiences. These consisted of workshops which included discussions on Jewish topics, along with hands-on activities such as make-your-own mezuzah. Two of the most fun and successful workshops were a create-your-own blessing workshop which enabled students to explore what blessings meant to their lives, and a recycled Hanukkiyah making program which included a discussion relating Hanukah to the environment. The workshops created a much needed space for Conservative students to interact and learn together.

The create-your-own blessing workshop was the first KOACH event of the year and it focused on first year students. Students decorated pencil holders for their desks and each created a blessing based on a discussion of the Jewish prayer for the home. It was a great welcome event and a great way to start off the year. For the recycled Hanukkiyah workshop, we went to a local non-profit called "Re-Store" to pick out recycled materials, including old bottle caps, used nuts and bolts and all sorts of odds and ends. The bases of the Hanukkiot were made from used pieces of wood. The event was held in the Greenhouse environmental residents’ hall common room and attracted a great group of students. Everyone loved putting their own spin on making a Hanukkiyah. The discussion centered on the concept of humans being "stewards of the land" and the use of natural resources.

Our KOACH Shabbat was also very well attended this year and was co-sponsored with UVM Hillel and the Slow Foods club at UVM. UVM students are very focused on the environment and environmental advocacy, so the theme was very well received.

We feel the year was very successful and definitely improved the opportunities for Conservative Jewish students at UVM. Although it has been hard in the past to coordinate, we hope that this year’s KOACH activities will be the catalyst for us to form an official KOACH group at UVM. There is also a growing desire among Conservative students on campus to have a separate Conservative minyan on Friday evenings and we hope that will also come to fruition. With the addition of a kosher dining hall on campus next year, we know the Conservative Jewish community on campus will only continue to increase. With the help from KOACH we can continue to ensure these students will feel that they have an important place in the UVM Jewish community.

[Posted 7/3/11]