Explore UMass Amherst Hillel
We empower students through the vitality of Jewish life to cultivate purposeful, healthy lives and relationships that better our community and world. UMass Hillel offers social, cultural, educational, and religious programming to students both on and off campus. With over 10 student groups, free Shabbat meals every week, free trips to Israel, internship opportunities, and events going on almost every day of the week, UMass Hillel is a vibrant, multi-faceted and exciting community.
Undergraduate Enrollment
23,947 Students
*Percent of population
Graduate Enrollment
7,814 Students
*Percent of population
Jewish Experience
- Served by Hillel Yes
- Religious Services Available Yes
- Rabbi/Jewish Educator on Campus Yes
- Kosher Food Available Yes
- Birthright Israel Participation Yes
- Alt Break Participation No
- Jewish Studies Offered Yes
- Jewish Studies Major or Minor Minor, Major
- Study Abroad in Israel University sponsored program, University approved programs, Accepts credit for Israel study abroad
- Israel Fellow Yes
Kosher Dining
There are several options in the Amherst area, a wide selection at local supermarkets, Kosher Dining and Shabbat food at the UMass Hillel House. The Kosher Dining Commons is located in the Franklin Dining Commons. Its meat-only kitchen is open Sunday-Friday, from 11am - 7pm and from 11am to 2:30pm on Fridays. The Shabbat meals provided by the UMass Hillel House and OU-JLIC are always free to UMass students, including Friday night dinner, Shabbat lunch and Seudah Shlishit (third meal). Friday night dinner is catered while Shabbat lunch rotates between being catered, hosted at our OU-JLIC Educators' home, or prepared by several dedicated students in cooking crews. For the second year in a row, the University of Massachusetts Dining Services received Princeton Review's number one ranking for the best campus food in the nation. The announcement further cements UMass Dining's reputation for serving up healthy, sustainable and delicious food prepared by award-winning chefs.
Options: University meal plan-extra cost
Religious Services
Conservative and Orthodox services every Friday and Reform services every other Friday while the semester is in session. Orthodox services every Saturday morning. Daily Orthodox minyan. The town of Amherst now has an eruv that includes Hillel and all of campus.
Frequency: Daily
Additional Campus Information
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- Private/Public Public
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- U.S. Region Northeast
- Commuter/Residential Residential
- Tuition In-State $15,791
- Tuition Out-of-State $36,316
- Out-of-State/Int’l 24% / 7%
- Greek Life Yes
The Hillel College Guide aims to provide you with a snapshot of each local Hillel’s makeup and offerings. We recognize that there may be more information you need in order to better understand the campus reality, particularly around issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. If you would like additional information about a given campus’ offerings or action steps in those areas, please reach out to us at [email protected].