Northern New Jersey Jewish community brings together nearly 70 colleges and Jewish organizations to help students prepare for campus life

PARAMUS, NJ — For Jewish families, choosing a college has traditionally meant weighing academics, majors, extracurriculars, location and cost. Today, there is another set of questions that deserves a place on that checklist: What will Jewish life look like on this campus?

That question is at the heart of a new collaborative effort in Northern New Jersey to help Jewish students and their families understand Jewish life on campus before a college decision is made.

The initiative brings together Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, The Jewish Education Project and the Russell Berrie Foundation through the Northern New Jersey Center for Jewish Teen Engagement, along with Jewish campus professionals from across the country.

The first expression of that collaboration is the Jewish Life on Campus Fair, taking place Sunday, October 11, and bringing together nearly 70 colleges, universities and Jewish organizations.

The goal is not to tell students which colleges to choose. It is to make sure Jewish life is part of the conversation.

“Families are hearing so much about what is going wrong on college campuses, and those concerns are very real,” says Jason Shames, CEO of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. “But that is not the whole story. We want students to know that resources exist to help them find the college community that is right for them.”

Students and families will be able to learn about the Jewish communities and resources available on campuses, including Hillel and Chabad, kosher dining, Shabbat, Jewish student organizations, Jewish learning and leadership, Israel experiences and resources for navigating antisemitism.

Just as important, organizers want students to consider a more personal question: Can I see myself being Jewish here?

“Jewish life on campus looks different for every student,” says Sara Miriam Liben, director of the Northern New Jersey Center for Jewish Teen Engagement. “Our goal is to make sure every teen, regardless of background or level of observance, can picture a thriving Jewish future for themselves.”

The initiative is intentionally inclusive, reaching students from public schools, Jewish day schools and other private schools, and students across the spectrum of Jewish backgrounds and levels of connection.

Organizers also see value in making connections before students arrive on campus.

“Meeting Hillel, Chabad, and other campus professionals now can make it easier to walk through those doors once they arrive on campus,” Liben says.

The effort reflects a broader shift in how Jewish families can approach the college search: preparation rather than fear, and information rather than uncertainty.

The traditional college search asks: Where can I learn? Where can I grow? Where can I build a career?

For Jewish students, there are additional questions worth asking:

Where can I belong? Where can I find my community? Can I be fully myself here?

Those questions don't replace the traditional college checklist.

They belong on it.

About Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey

Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey brings people and organizations together to strengthen Jewish life, care for those in need, support Israel and Jewish communities around the world, combat antisemitism and help keep our community safe. Federation serves the Jewish community throughout Bergen, Hudson and surrounding counties.