For information about Shabbat and other religious services or holiday meals sponsored by UMass Hillel or Chabad, contact those organizations directly. For more information about Jewish holidays, click here.
UMass Hillel
388 N. Pleasant St, Amherst
Phone: (413) 549-1710
For more information, email umasshillel@gmail.com
Find UMass Hillel on Facebook and Instagram
Chabad House (Traditional Orthodox)
30 N. Hadley Rd, Amherst
For information contact Rabbi Chaim Adelman
Phone: (413) 626-7820
Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC)
The Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus is a program of the Orthodox Union in partnership with Hillel. For more information contact Rabbi Raffi Leicht or call/text 917-294-1429).
Jewish Student Organizations
There are several Jewish student groups at UMass Amherst, some of which (if they're currently active as Registered Student Organizations or RSOs) have a website and/or a profile on UMass Amherst Campus Pulse. To see the list of active RSOs, with contact information, go to Campus Pulse and click on the "Organizations" link, then search for the organization you're interested in learning more about:
- Jewish Leaders in Business
- Student Alliance for Israel
Several other Jewish student groups function under the auspices of Hillel, and you can find information about these groups on the UMass Hillel website.
Kehilat Hillel Ha'azinu (KHH)
KHH is the Modern Orthodox student group at UMass Amherst, under the auspices of Hillel.
Kosher Meal Plan
For more information visit UMass Dining's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and click on Meal Plans.
Academic Programs
Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies
(413) 545-2550
Local Synagogues and Jewish Schools
Jewish Community of Amherst (JCA)
(Reconstructionist)
742 Main Street
Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 256-0160
Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI)
(Conservative)
253 Prospect Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 584-3593
Beit Ahavah (Reform)
130 Pine Street
Florence, MA 01062
(413) 587-3770
Lander Grinspoon Academy
(Jewish day school, K-6)
257 Prospect Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 584-6622
Photo: The JCA is located in a historic building which once housed the First Congregational Church (replete with organ and traditional New England steeple). The family of poet Emily Dickinson were prominent members of that congregation, a history still reflected in the beautiful stained glass windows bearing their name.
Other Jewish Resources in the Five College Area
Smith College Program in Jewish Studies
Mount Holyoke College Jewish Studies Program
Amherst College Religion Department
Amherst College Hillel
Rabbi Bruce Bromberg-Seltzer
(413) 542-8270
Mount Holyoke College Jewish Chaplain
Amelia Ender
(413) 538-3045
Chabad of the Four Colleges (Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mt Holyoke College, and Smith College)
Yiddish Book Center
1021 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 256-4900
Schoen Books
Internationally-known book dealer specializing in Judaica in all languages and books on the Holocaust (located in nearby South Deerfield)