Undergraduate Student Life

Columbia/Barnard Hillel is proud to support and encourage a student empowerment model of programming. Students from Barnard College, Columbia College, Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Science, General Studies, and Jewish Theological Seminary comprise our student leadership. This leadership plans programs and events in six Vaadim or councils : Social and Cultural, Tzedek (Social Justice), Religious Life, Interfaith/Intercultural, Education, and Israel. The Vaadim coordinators, better known as the student executive board, are either elected or selected through Hillel's annual elections in December.  Under each Vaad, there are over 40 student groups. These groups are governed and managed by student boards and elected/selected leadership.  The student programming is supplemented by the Hillel staff. These staff advise student groups, create and implement their own programming, and staff Hillel initiatives with student leadership, like the Shabbat Community Task Force and Jewish Life Orientation (JelLO).