Hillel – Jewish Life at Muhlenberg
A vibrant Jewish community and active Hillel experience at a top liberal arts college
A Strong Jewish Community On Campus
Muhlenberg Hillel at The Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life
We engage students, faculty, and staff across campus to advance our mission: enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. In addition to the resources provided on campus, Muhlenberg benefits from being situated in the heart of Jewish Allentown, with the orthodox and Reform synagogues, JCC, and Jewish Day School all within walking distance.
Jewish life has a dedicated home on campus at the Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life. Each week features multiple student-led Shabbat services, capturing the traditions from Reform, Traditional Egalitarian, and Orthodox movements. The services are followed by a welcoming, home-style dinner that brings the community closer.
The Shabbat Dining Room seats more than 300, and the Leffell Center includes a dedicated sanctuary, a beit midrash and library, an institutional kitchen, student and staff office space, and a student-designated lounge.
Current students can find a calendar of events, including Shabbat and holiday services and meals, on BergConnect.
Hillel also supports students’ spiritual well-being, leadership development, and interfaith engagement, creating opportunities for impact on campus and beyond.
Who We Are
Meet our staff and learn more about the values that drive our work.
Support for Observant Jewish Students
Muhlenberg provides robust support for students who observe Jewish religious practices, making it possible to maintain traditions while fully participating in campus life.
- Weekly Shabbat meals and services, including Friday night dinner and Seudah Shlishit (third meal)
- Campus-wide eruv, the Allentown eruv covers the majority of Muhlenberg’s campus
- Kosher dining available daily, with Star-K supervised meat and dairy stations (including a Star-D dairy station that does not require Halav Yisrael dairy products) integrated into the main dining hall — no special arrangements required
- Walkable Orthodox synagogue, with Congregation Sons of Israel just 10 minutes from campus, where students regularly attend services and participate in a long-standing tradition of Shabbat hospitality with local families
- Additional opportunities through the Chabad Student Center serving Muhlenberg, which offers Shabbat lunches and programming for observant students
Students are encouraged to connect with Hillel staff to discuss individual needs and support.
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Support Our Work
Mail gifts to Muhlenberg College Hillel (2400 Chew St, Allentown, PA 18104), call us at 484-664-3746, or use the site below.
