A large group photo taken outdoors. Trees are in the background.

Jewish Life at Georgetown

The Office of Jewish Life seeks to support students in their growth and development as they pursue lives of meaning, purpose, and belonging. We are committed to building a welcoming community, inspiring a love for Torah and tradition, and fostering Ahavat Yisrael (love of the Jewish people). Jewish Life at Georgetown University works to honor and celebrate authentic forms of Jewish expression ranging from traditional to secular, promote gender equality, and further the inclusion of all Jewish students on campus, including Jews of Color, LGBTQ+ Jews, and students from multi-faith backgrounds. The Jewish Life team partners with students to organize and lead learning, social events, shabbatons, holiday celebrations, and weekly Shabbat dinners and services. We oversee the GU-ish engagement program, Bayit, the Jewish Living Learning Community (LLC), the kosher food program on campus, and offer one-on-one rabbinic support for coping with personal life challenges and engaging life’s big questions. Jewish Life works with other faith leaders to encourage interreligious dialogue and understanding on campus and advocates for the needs and concerns of Jewish students within the university. You can find us online, in Makom, or at our office, Healy 111.

FAQ’s:

How can I get involved in Jewish student life?

The Jewish Student Association (JSA) builds community among undergraduate Jewish students through a wide array of social, cultural, and holiday programming and offerings.
The GUish Student Engagement Internship creates interpersonal relationships among Jewish students. New and yet-to-be-involved students can meet student interns for an introduction to Jewish Life, and one day apply to be an intern themselves. If you’d like an intern to reach out to you to grab coffee, please let us know!
Bayit, our Jewish Living Learning Community, located in a residence hall on campus, helps bring home-based Judaism to our campus, which have kosher kitchens and Shabbat-friendly environments for those who seek to foster them.
Off-campus Shabbaton retreats twice a year in the Blue Ridge Mountains so students enjoy time in nature, pause from everyday campus life, experience a full 25 hours of Shabbat, and immerse themselves in Jewish community, spirituality and wisdom.
LJewBTQ, our student club for Jewish and Jew-curious LGBTQ+ students and allies, offers an array of social, religious and interfaith programs with other queer groups on campus.

What are Shabbat and Jewish holidays like on campus?

We are a small and diverse community on campus, so we provide services that are a mix of Reform and Conservative, there’s something for everyone within that range, as well as for those who are secular. We’d love to foster a traditional and/or Orthodox space, so if you fit into this category, please reach out to us!
Weekly Shabbat services are held in the Jewish Life sanctuary and event space, Makom, every Friday at 5:30 pm, followed by Shabbat dinner at 6:30 pm when school is in session
Regular Shabbat lunches hosted by our Jewish Residential Minister and students
Holiday offerings, including services and meals on campus for all major Jewish holidays

What are the kosher food options at Georgetown?

The Kosher on Campus program provides Glatt Kosher and Cholov Yisrael daily meals from Signature Caterers and Char Bar. You can find breakfast and lunch items in the Kosher on Campus refrigerators in the dining halls around campus and the hot food station in Leo’s serving dinner Monday through Thursday.
All food served by the Office of Jewish Life at Shabbat, holidays and events are served from local kosher restaurants and caterers.

What is Jewish studies and learning like at Georgetown?

The Center for Jewish Civilization offers students a wide range of academic classes to learn more about Jewish culture and religion, history, Israel and the Middle East, and the Holocaust.
Our Rabbi offers Jewish learning and text study opportunities for beginners to advanced students throughout the year and through various cohorts and fellowships. Please reach out to her if you have any particular interests!

What are the Jewish graduate student offerings at Georgetown?

We have several active Jewish graduate student organizations you can get involved in as a Georgetown student. We have the Jewish Graduate Student Association, the Jewish Business Alliance, the GUSOM Maimonides Society, and the Jewish Law Students Association.

I’m a prospective or incoming student. Can I reach out to learn more?

We hope you do! Please reach out to Jewishlife@georgetown.edu and introduce yourself!

Meet Our Team

Rabbi Ilana Zietman, Director of Jewish Life

Rabbi Ilana Zietman (she/her) is the Director of Jewish Life and serves as chaplain to Jewish students across Georgetown University. Rabbi Ilana loves to create Jewish experiences and foster communities that are caring, thought-provoking, and — most importantly — welcoming. As Director of Jewish Life, Rabbi Ilana provides pastoral care, Torah study and Jewish learning, Shabbat and holiday prayer services, meals and other programs throughout the academic year. She is committed to helping each student foster a Jewish life that is rich in meaning, relevance, mutual support and joy. She is also committed to representing and integrating Jewish Life in the wider Georgetown community through interfaith and intercultural dialogue and collaboration. Rabbi Ilana comes to Georgetown with a wealth of experience serving young Jewish communities through her work at GatherDC, Avodah and Tufts University Hillel. Rabbi Ilana received her rabbinic ordination and a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from the pluralistic Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in 2019. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Barnard College with a BA in Religion and a second BA in Hebrew Bible from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2011. Rabbi Ilana lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Jack, their sons, Jesse and Gabriel, and their sweet dog, Ella.

Deb Silver, Associate Director of Jewish Life

Deb Silver is the Associate Director of Jewish Life. In this role, she oversees the depth, breadth, and success of Jewish Life programs and coaches students to create meaningful connections across campus. Deb previously served as the campus director at the College of Charleston Hillel in South Carolina where she also worked with Jewish cadets and students from the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel. In Charleston, she created and strengthened relationships with campus and community partners and introduced new student engagement and leadership opportunities. Deb’s love of community building and appreciation for the many ways individuals connect with spirituality blossomed at Capital Camps, a Jewish overnight camp where she was a camper, summer staff member, and later a year-round team member. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Salisbury University. A DMV area native, Deb loves spending time with family and friends and trying new restaurants. You can also find her taking tap dancing classes and checking out the latest book releases at the library in her free time.

Chantal Sanchez, Interreligious Coordinator

Chantal Sanchez is the Interreligious Coordinator. In this role, she supports the chaplains and student teams in coordinating services and events for the Dharmic, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. Originally from Southern California, Chantal moved to the East Coast in 2016 to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Boston College. Influenced by the Jesuit values of BC, she developed a deep appreciation for Theology and International Studies. This academic interest took Chantal abroad to Nepal and India, where she strengthened her commitment to the study of South Asian religions and deepened her Buddhist faith. Chantal continued her exploration of religion at Harvard Divinity School, where she discovered a passion for community organizing, social and racial justice activism, and interfaith coalition building. Her volunteer work, with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, put theory and her MDiv into practice through hands-on, grassroots efforts. In her free time, Chantal enjoys arts and culture, visiting new coffee shops, watching sci-fi and fantasy films, and spending time outdoors.