About us

RIT Hillel is a Jewish community committed to a thriving Jewish student life on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology. Hillel uses office and prayer space at the Center For Religious Life (CRL). Hillel also has a special programming, cooking and lounge space called Hillel House which is located in the basement of Residence Hall B. Hillel House is home to a student facilitated Kosher kitchen which provides Shabbat and holiday meals.

Hillel gathers weekly in the Jones Chapel of the center for Religious life each Friday night at 6:00 P.M. for Kabbalat Shabbat. Join us after services at 7:00 PM for kiddish or dinner. All RIT community members are welcome!

Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT is located in Henrietta NY, about 15 minutes drive from Rochester, NY. There are about 15,000 undergraduates at RIT as well as 3,000 graduate students. We estimate that there are 300 Jewish students at RIT. RIT is home to the largest Deaf technical school in the country called NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf),

Rochester Jewish Community
The Rochester Jewish community is estimated at 19,000 people. There are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Chabad synagogues. Synagogues in Rochester regularly welcome the participation of RIT students to a variety of programs.

Jewish Life on Campus at RIT
RIT Hillel is one of several campus organizations pursing a vibrant Jewish campus life. We are proud to have partnerships with WOLK Deaf Jewish Culture Club and the fraternities Alpha Epsilon Pi and SIgma Alpha Mu to provide community, leadership and engagement opportunities for Jewish students.

The Cary Graphics Art Collection at the Wallace Library contains one of the biggest collections of Yiddish typeface from The Yiddish Forward. They are consistently looking for students to work with them as they catalog this valuable collection.

A group of RIT faculty and students developed the Jewish Play Project. Check it out!!

RIT Hillel is proud to be part of the network of Hillel International. As the largest Jewish student organization in the world, Hillel builds connections with emerging adults at more than 550 colleges and universities, and inspires them to direct their own path. During their formative college years, students are challenged to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.

Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester RIT Hillel is a sponsored organization of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester. Jewish Federation welcomes RIT students have access to many community programs and resources. This includes regular speakers, community events and inter-faith dialogue series. It also includes access to educational resources including resources on Israel and the holocaust.