Q. How many Orthodox Jews are at UAlbany?

A. We’re getting this question more often now from prospective parents. The answer is that we really don’t know. We don’t track denominations. We have little idea of what religious observances students do or don’t keep in the dorm rooms. We are people-watchers, we do notice trends, we do keep tabs on how many students participate in which type of events. So, we are better equipped to answer questions in terms of involvement, but we have much less of an idea what particular denomination label applies.

Take our Minyan for example. Some students are from Orthodox homes, some of those have a Yeshiva education, others do not. Still others among our active Minyaneers grew up or consider themselves Conservative. There are some who pray regularly with us who have no prior formal affiliation. And there are plenty of kids from Orthodox homes who have never come to our Shabbat day Minyan even once in their college career. Similar can be said for all of our events, from Friday Nights to Torah-Tuesday to Purim carnivals. Our student crowd comes from all walks of life, levels of Jewish observance and religious affiliation. They attend in varying levels of frequency and dedication – at the level they feel most comfortable.

In terms of trends, and this is probably what you are asking about, in recent years we’re seeing an uptick in interest and in students from Yeshiva day school backgrounds like HANC, HAFTR, North Shore, Ramaz, Frisch, Shechters etc. It’s probably thanks to the economy. Families who would have preferred private schools are now looking at places like Binghamton for increased affordability, and some families who may have preferred Binghamton or Maryland are now looking at places like UAlbany, which have affordable tuition (even for out of staters like NJ), have an increasing quality of education and have significant Jewish infrastructure (like Shabbos House Chabad, Dutch Kosher Kitchen etc) and sense of Jewish campus community.

UAlbany isn’t for everyone. Some Orthodox kids thrive best in a more supportive environment with more like-minded people. But many students have taken advantage of spiritual growth opportunities at UAlbany (and yes, there are!) and have grown here and deepened their Jewish connection and observance in very meaningful ways. Your best bet is to come check it out for a Shabbos. Experience it for yourself.

Also see our Prospective Students Page under the Resources Tab.