Schools like New York University and Brandeis University have over 1,000 times the global percentage of Jews. But what about schools like West Virginia University, where there aren’t as many? How do those students find religious communities?

“[Having a small Jewish community] means we have more challenges,” says Deva Solomon, co-director of the Hillel at West Virginia University. “We have to focus on being very visible to make sure the small Jewish population knows where to find us.”

For Solomon, that means providing programs and activities for a Jewish population of 800 undergraduate students out of the 20,000 total students who attend the university. In 2006, only 0.1 percent of the state of West Virginia was Jewish.

“WVU’s community is small and diverse,” says Victor Sella, the student vice president of the his campus Hillel. “Overall, the active Jewish population is significantly smaller.”

Students call this community a “small and mighty” campus -it receives guidance, financial assistance and online resources from The Soref Initiative to promote Judaism to students.

At West Virginia, celebrating Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocaust Memorial Day, has become one of the biggest events that the Hillel offers. Every year, students, faculty, and community members gather for a 24-hour vigil.

Other activities include camping trips, football games, movie trips, Friday night Shabbat dinners and Sunday bagel brunches. On the High Holidays, WVU’s Hillel serves dinner on Erev Rosh Hashanah and provides a way for students to break their fasts after Yom Kippur services. It also provides rides to the local synagogue or the Chabad house for services.

“Many Jews, including myself, have benefited tremendously from WVU Hillel,” Sella says. “During my time at WVU, my Judaism and the popularity of WVU Hillel have grown.”

Similarly, the Hillel at the University of Montana tries just as hard to unite the university’s 60 Jewish students, out of a student population of 13,000. The Jewish community participates in monthly Shabbat dinners, game nights and movie nights throughout the year. For the more observant Jews, the community hosts an annual Passover Seder and builds a sukkah on campus every Sukkot. These events are open to community members who want to learn more about the Jewish community.

“We have a pretty small Jewish community on campus,” says Ariel Barrett, the president of Hillel at the University of Montana. “When you come to Montana, you’re not really
coming to Montana to be around Jewish people.”

With the recent addition of a synagogue in town last year, students now have a place to go for services during the High Holidays services.

Barrett, who became involved with Hillel as a freshman, says it is a “nice way if you want to get involved and meet other Jewish students.”

Although these colleges, and dozens more, have small Jewish populations, they believe that strength can come without numbers.

“If I had to pick one way [to describe the Jewish community at WVU], it would be friendly and welcoming,” says Solomon. “There’s a number of different things to do - Hillel, Chabad house, local synagogue and a Jewish fraternities. The population is certainly visible.”

grace WEITZ