By the numbers
Center for Jewish Life
Princeton’s Center for Jewish Life provides an inclusive environment for religious, social, educational and cultural activities related to Judaism and Jewish life. The center, which this year is celebrating the 60th anniversary of organized Jewish life on campus, offers a wide range of programs — from Shabbat services to comedy shows — for students of all faiths and backgrounds. The center is supported by the Office of Religious Life, which facilitates dozens of campus organizations that offer activities for University community members of all faiths.
• The center’s building at 70 Washington Road contains two sanctuaries, kosher dining facilities, a computer cluster, a Judaica library, several lounges and recreational areas, and a Beit Midrash, a center for studying Jewish texts.
• The center sponsored more than 125 programs during the 2006-07 academic year, including weekly study breaks, a Sarah Silverman comedy show, an Israel Independence Day barbecue, lunch discussions through the Jewish Learning Initiative on campus and performances by the coed a cappella group Koleinu.
• The kosher dining hall serves 17,000 meals a year, including more than 1,800 Shabbat dinners. The facility, which is open to all members of the campus community, serves three meals a day.
• Students performed 320 hours of service during the last academic year through spring break trips organized by the center and through events on campus. During spring break, students built a playground in Uruguay, helped construct a house in West Virginia and assisted with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts on the Gulf Coast. Local service projects included making meals for the homeless, visiting area nursing homes and holding the Manicure for the Cure, a campus-wide event created last year to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.
