Orthodox Jewish student groups exist at many secular colleges and universities in the diaspora, especially in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
At some points in history there were umbrella organization that united Orthodox students and communities in North America (Yavneh in the 1960s-1980s, Kedma in the 1990s, the Orthodox Campus Coalition in the 2000s), but they are now defunct (similar to Conservative Jewry's Koach and Reform Jewry's KESHER). The Orthodox Union and its programs Heart to Heart and JLIC have worked to revive such a structure from 2010 through 2015, and now offer a network and website of resources called Kahal.
Orthodox student groups cater to the needs of their communities, which may vary based on size, the percentage of students who commute or live on campus, and demand for religious services. The services they provide include (but are not limited to) prayer services, Torah study, kosher dining, charity work, and social events. These efforts can help to mainstream Orthodox students who would otherwise be forced either to commute and live at home or to attend a university designed for an Orthodox student population such as Yeshiva University, Touro College, or Hebrew Theological College.
To support Orthodox students and communities, the Orthodox Union created the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) at many colleges. A rabbi and rebbetzin live on campus and provides classes for the students in an Orthodox setting, in conjunction with the Hillel. [1]
Orthodox students may also be involved with Hillel or Chabad on Campus, though a Hillel or Chabad house at a university does not necessarily mean that Orthodox students attend the university.
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch, is a branch of Orthodox Judaism, originating from Eastern Europe and one of the largest Hasidic dynasties. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups as well as one of the largest Jewish religious organizations in the world. Unlike most Haredi groups, which are self-segregating, Chabad mainly operates in the wider world and it caters to secularized Jews.
Neo-Hasidism, Neochassidut, or Neo-Chassidus, is an approach to Judaism in which people learn beliefs and practices of Hasidic Judaism, and incorporate it into their own lives or prayer communities, yet without formally joining a Hasidic group. Over the 20th century neo-Hasidism was popularized by the works of writers such as Hillel Zeitlin, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Lawrence Kushner, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and Arthur Green.
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established by Rabbi Wise are the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The current president of the URJ is Rabbi Rick Jacobs.
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, also known as Hillel International, is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally. Hillel is represented at more than 850 colleges and communities throughout North America and globally, including 30 communities in the former Soviet Union, nine in Israel, and five in South America.
Richard M. Joel is a Jewish scholar who was the fourth president of Yeshiva University (YU), a Modern Orthodox Jewish university in New York City. He has written on topics that include Jewish leadership, the BDS movement on college campuses, and civil discourse.
A Midrasha, typically, is an institute of Torah study for women of post-high-school age, somewhat equivalent to a men's yeshiva; most are located in Israel. The midrasha is also somewhat parallel to a "women's seminary", which functions in a similar form. While the terms may sometimes become interchangeable, "midrashot" are commonly linked to Religious Zionism, while the women's "seminaries" are usually associated with Haredi Judaism.
The Rabbinical College of America is a Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshiva in Morristown, New Jersey. The Yeshiva is under the direction of Rabbi Moshe Herson. The growth of the Yeshiva college has had a significant cultural effect on the community and has influenced many Jewish families to move into the area to be near the Yeshiva and the surrounding synagogues. It is supported by Jewish philanthropists such as David T. Chase and Ronald Lauder of Estée Lauder Inc.
Chabad on Campus International is a division of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. It is the umbrella organization for the Chabad on Campus network one of the largest Jewish organizations serving college campuses, with over 482 permanent branches on North American campuses, and an additional 468 globally.
The Rebbe the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference is a book by Rabbi Dr. David Berger on the topic of Chabad messianism and the mainstream orthodox Jewish reaction to that trend. Rabbi Berger addresses the Chabad-Messianic question, regarding a dead Messiah, from a halachic perspective. The book is written as a historical narrative of Berger's encounter with Chabad messianism from the time of the death of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in 1994 through the book's publication in 2001. The narrative is interlaced with Dr. Berger's published articles, written correspondences, and transcribed public lectures, in which he passionately appeals to both the leadership of the Orthodox and Chabad communities for an appropriate response to Chabad-Lubavitch messianism.
Jewish settlement in Brazos County, Texas, began in 1865. This history includes the present Jewish communities and individuals of Brazos County and Texas A&M University.
Yavneh at Columbia is the Orthodox group of Hillel at Columbia University. It consists of about 400 members and is part of the larger Hillel community which is the biggest community on Columbia campus. Yavneh is responsible for programming ranging from daily minyanim to ski trips with the OCP and everything in between. As one of the biggest college and Ivy League Orthodox communities it is a major draw for many Orthodox students to Columbia University.
The history of the Jews in Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada has been noted since the mid-19th century.
Chattanooga State Community College is a public community college in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The college is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Athletically, Chattanooga State is a member of Region VII of the NJCAA.
Masorti on Campus (MoC) is a student organization for Conservative Judaism on North American college and university campuses, working with Hillel and other Jewish campus life organizations.
Rabbi David (Dovid) Eliezrie is a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and the founder, director and spiritual leader of North County Chabad/Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen in Yorba Linda, California. He is an author, speaker, activist and Rohr Jewish Learning Institute advisory board member.
Aryeh Abraham Frimer is an American-Israeli Active Oxygen Chemist and specialist on women and Jewish law.