Campus Climate

"At Hillel, I feel like I have other people who know what it is like to be Jewish
on campus, and people who want to still express their Judaism.
One great Jewish value is that of family, and we are building a family
with our membership to spend the holidays with and
enjoy various programs together."--Matt Friedman

What's the UCC?
Elon's connection to the United Church of Christ results in a great respect for the diversity of spirituality and religions on campus. Elon was founded by the UCC, the most liberal of the Protestant denominations, and was named for the Hebrew word for oak or tree.

Elon is not a place that tolerates hate speech or discrimination of any kind. The university’s founding by the UCC, rather than creating a Christian feeling on campus, provides an emphasis on doing the right thing and respecting diversity. Jewish students at Elon report feeling free to practice their religion, free to educate others on campus about the Jewish culture."Hillel has given me the opportunity to feel like I am really
making a difference at Elon. Being a part of this organization
allows me to teach others about diversity
and the significance of learning about different cultures and religions.”
--Kim Glazer, ’08, Elon’s first Jewish Homecoming Queen

Elon welcomes Jewish students to a dynamic and exciting campus. Community is essential to learning at Elon and is a central part of the campus culture. While a majority of Elon’s students are not Jewish, the campus is very open to and interested in Jewish culture, religious practices and foods! Plenty of non-Jewish students attend Hillel events with their Jewish friends. Campus administrators, students and parents are currently exploring and developing new ways to make Jewish students at home on Elon’s campus.