Shabbat

Your Weekly Reprieve

Shabbat at Maryland is an exciting and welcoming experience which brings over 350 students together each week to celebrate over food, programming, religious services, and social activities.

Maryland Hillel hosts both services and dinner each week, and you can find Terps leading or participating in Shabbat experiences all over campus through our DIY Shabbat Initiative, the Gorlin Family Foundation Shabbat Across Maryland (SHABBAM) program, and student-hosted dinners in apartment buildings and dorms around College Park.

Friday Night

Every Friday evening over 300 Terps come to Hillel for services and/or dinner. On a typical Friday, we’ll offer a smaller Shabbat dinner on North Campus and student-led services in the style of Reform, Conservative, and traditional Orthodox movements as well as socially-oriented programming in the Hillel building.

Then students join together for a catered Shabbat dinner in our dining hall, which is free for all Maryland students – no preregistration required.

Saturdays

We have Shabbat morning services in two traditions: Conservative (once a month) and Orthodox (weekly). Services are followed by lunch in our dining hall.

Some weeks we also have programming such as a special speaker, a learning session with a visiting rabbi, a student-led outing, or other special Shabbat activities. We also offer Shabbat meals for those on the kosher meal plan.

Not on the meal plan? Click here to register for meals and let us know if you have any special dietary needs.

DIY Shabbat

Shake up your Shabbat and let your creativity loose! Apply to host your own Shabbat dinner with friends anytime and anywhere. We’re here to talk through what you want your Shabbat to look like.

Shabbat FAQ

Yes! We welcome students and community members of all backgrounds – Jewish and not Jewish, freshmen and seniors, summer camp alumni and Greek members, athletes and journalists. If you like food and community, this is the place for you. Bring your friends, too!

The menu varies from week to week. But our food is always kosher certified, vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, and sensitive to a variety of allergies.

We usually have Conservative, Reform, and Orthodox services that start around 6:00 in the winter and 7:00 in the fall and spring. You’re welcome to come to services or to join students who are socializing, snacking, and hanging out in our lobby. Or you can come just in time for dinner (7:30 winter, 8:30 fall/spring). Whenever you show up, you’re welcome here.

Maryland Hillel is home to a wide variety of Jews with lots of different Jewish backgrounds. Many religious events are a collaboration among the three main religious communities at Maryland: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. Each community also hosts its own events, which are typically open to all students.

Ruach: The Reform Community at UMD
Ruach is an exciting, spirited community of Reform, secular, progressive, and/or liberal Jews on the UMD College Park Campus. We pray together, play together, learn together, and eat together. Join us for Shabbat services, havdalah programs, and social events of all kinds.

Neshama: The Egalitarian Community at UMD
Neshama is the egalitarian Jewish group at UMD Hillel. We provide meaningful opportunities to connect religiously, intellectually, and culturally with Judaism through singing and dancing, lively services, learning, social events, and lots of food. Our goal is to make our community a welcoming, inclusive, passionate and fun environment for all who want to join.

Kedma: The Orthodox Community at UMD
Kedma is the Orthodox Jewish community at the University of Maryland. One of the largest and most active Orthodox Jewish communities on any college campus, our goal is to provide a warm and friendly atmosphere, daily minyanim, learning opportunities, and a panoply of social events.

Not sure which community is right for you? All the more reason to experiment! Check out our handy guide to Friday night services at Hillel, or stop by an event to get to know the members of the community. Many students also feel at home in more than one community, and regularly attend events hosted all sorts of student groups. Learn more about student groups at Hillel here.

Friday night meals are free for current UMD students. If you’re a prospective student, parent, alum, or community member, or want to join us on Saturday, you need to sign up for meals.

There’s no dress code – come as you are!

Please use this form if you are visiting us for Shabbat and would like to join us for meals!

Gorlin Family Foundation Shabbat Across Maryland (SHABBAM)

Host or attend a Shabbat Dinner as a part of Maryland Hillel’s Gorlin Family Foundation Shabbat Across Maryland. Be a part of celebrating Shabbat with over 1,000 of your fellow Jewish Terps.

SHABAM is one night of the semester when every person on campus has a place to go for Shabbat dinner. You bring your friends and classmates ­– Hillel will help with the food and Shabbat atmosphere. Click here to register!

Shabbat at Maryland Resources

There are lots of staff members at Maryland Hillel who would love to grab coffee, ice cream, or tea with you and chat about Shabbat (or anything else). Here are some of the staff members you can reach out to! The rest of our staff can be found on the staff page.

Interested in Shabbat, but don’t know where to start?

Let’s grab coffee and discuss where you can find your niche!

Email us