Correction appended
AU has a higher Jewish population than the average college, based on a recently released survey from the national Jewish campus organization Hillel. But just how Jewish AU is depends on whom you ask.
Hillel ranked AU the 12th most Jewish private college in the nation with 1,780 Jewish students representing 25 percent of the undergraduate population.
However, this ranking differs from statistics gathered from freshmen at AU.
As part of the Higher Education Research Institute Freshmen Census, AU freshman fill out a survey during one of the floor meetings held the week before classes. The Freshman Census survey includes a question about religious affiliation. On these questionnaires, only 12 percent of the respondents identified as Jewish, according to the AU Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.
There are several possible reasons for this discrepancy. Over 36 percent of freshmen did not identify any religion on the card and not all freshmen filled out the cards.
“It’s clear that some of the 36 percent are Jewish, perhaps many,” said Jason Beckendorf, director of AU Hillel. “Jewish identity often goes under-reported when it’s framed in the language of religion.”
Jesse Strauss, a junior in the School of Communication, said he did not check off a religion at orientation.
“I consider myself a cultural Jew and am not interested in identifying with a religion,” Strauss said “I think that a lot of other people who identify with Judaism culturally feel the same way.”
Despite including Jewish students who identify as culturally but not religiously Jewish, it is unclear if the number of AU students who identify as Jewish is as high as Hillel’s 25 percent.
The survey was conducted based on self-reporting from each campus Hillel organization, according to Steve Goodwin, vice president of marketing and communications at Hillel.
Beckendorf said he could not explain exactly how the 25 percent estimate at AU was determined because it was calculated before he joined Hillel this year.
Some AU students said they feel fewer students participate in Jewish activities than the percentage portrays.
“I feel like the 25 percent number is put forth too much when trying to get people to come to AU because it doesn’t give an accurate count of the number of people who participate in Jewish activities,” said Jake Gillis, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of International Service who is actively involved in several Jewish organizations on campus.
Beckendorf said this discrepancy is common in many schools.
“On any campus, the total number of Jewish students is going to be different than the number of students who routinely participate in Jewish activities,” he said. “Our job at Hillel is to provide meaningful opportunities to as many Jewish students as we possibly can.”
George Washington University is ranked 4th among private schools on the Hillel survey, with a Jewish population of 3,000 students, or 29 percent of the school. The University of Maryland-College Park ranked 3rd among public schools with a Jewish population of 5,800 students, or 22 percent of the school.
The average number of Jewish students at four-year institutions where freshmen fill out information cards and indicate their religious affiliation is 5.6 percent, according to the AU Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.
AU has been surveying freshmen about religious affiliation for over 40 years. Jewish affiliation peaked in 1974, when 38.5 percent of freshmen identified as Jewish, according to the AU Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.
Students say D.C. is a factor in Jewish population.
Students felt that the opportunities provided by living in Washington are a major factor behind AU’s high Jewish population
“There’s a pretty strong Jewish community in Washington, D.C.,” said Mary Rothemich, a senior in SOC. “Students have a lot of opportunities here both in terms of Jewish activities and things like internships.”
Some students said AU’s campus culture cultivates the interests of many Jewish students.
“Jews are by nature political and they liked to get involved in things,” Gillis said. “AU is a very politically active campus.”
Beckendorf pointed out that the existing campus Jewish community is a major draw for perspective Jewish students, which he said was a major factor in his own decision to come to AU as a student.
“We have a well regarded Hillel, a strong Jewish Studies program, a unique center for Israel Studies,” Beckendorf said. “And we’re close to all the Jewish resources available in Washington, D.C.”
news@theeagleonline.com
This article previously misnamed the "Office of Institutional Research and Assessment" as the "Office of Institutional Research and Development." The article also stated that OIRA received information about students' religions from cards given out by the Kay Spiritual Life Center at orientation. The information is actually collected from freshmen during floor meetings through the Higher Education Research Institute Freshmen Census. The article also said Rothemich is a junior in CAS. She is a senior in SOC.
