Jewish life on the Skidmore campus surpasses that of many small liberal arts colleges of similar size. Approximately 20% of the Skidmore student population is Jewish and the Jewish Student Union is an active campus organization, hosting Shabbat dinners in Skidmore’s Intercultural Center every Friday evening, in addition to weekly club meetings and a variety of social, cultural and holiday programs. Student-led worship is offered immediately before the Shabbat dinners on Friday nights in the Intercultural Center. Jewish students, faculty and staff are served by two part-time Jewish professionals: Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Skidmore’s Jewish Chaplain, and Lollie Abramson, the Coordinator of Jewish Student Life and Interfaith Programming. They work with the Jewish Student Union and the other members of the Office of the Chaplain to coordinate an array of events and activities: lectures, discussions, holiday observances. High Holiday services, conducted by Rabbi Motzkin, along with Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein (her co-rabbi at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs) are held on campus and, unlike most similar small colleges, Skidmore does not schedule any classes on Yom Kippur.
The Jewish students at Skidmore come from a variety of different backgrounds, from unaffiliated to traditional. While most come from liberal Jewish homes (Reform, Reconstructionist or Conservative), there are some who have been raised in observant households. Though Skidmore does not offer a kosher meal plan, the Food Service department includes vegetarian options in the dining halls at every meal, and provides meal selections that take into account the Passover dietary restrictions during the eight days of Passover.
For more information visit http://cms.skidmore.edu/campuslife/religious_life/jsl.cfm. Hope that helps!
Daniella
Online Community Manager
