KOACH Intern: University of Delaware

By Rachel Marcus
University of Delaware
KOACH Intern

"There are Jews in Delaware?" my USY advisor joked. "Yup, there are Jews in Delaware!" I responded. As I go into my second year as the KOACH Intern at the University of Delaware, I am proud to say that not only are there Jews in Delaware, but they have a huge presence on campus and in the community.

The U of D has a lot to offer its Jewish students. From Jews in Greek life to Hillel, from a strong Jewish studies program to KOACH, Kesher, and Chabad, there is something for everyone. Whether you are a religious Jew looking for a minyan (prayer quorum) or just looking for some other Jews to hang out with, you can find your niche at UD.

But UD is different than many other campuses in that our students come from very different backgrounds. Since there are no USY chapters in the state of Delaware, very few USY alumni feed into UD’s KOACH. In addition, due to a lack of kosher food on campus, many Conservative Jews do not choose to attend the University of Delaware. And yet, our KOACH is thriving. With an average of 25 students attending Conservative services regularly and close to 50 students attending our KOACH events, we consider ourselves one of the up-and-coming organizations on campus.

So what’s happening on our campus this year? KOACH has become an integral part of UD Hillel’s Freshman Fest program welcoming incoming freshman to campus. KOACH will also show its face at two Jewish activities fairs and the campus-wide activities fair. With a combination of social, religious and educational programming, we hope to expand our menu of options. Annual events such as our Little Night of Music, highlighting Jewish performers on campus and benefiting the Daniel Pearl Music Foundation and Iron Chef Matzah Ball, a Passover competition to see who makes the best matzah balls, we hope will keep students coming back for more.

Not only are there Jews at the University of Delaware, but they are thriving. With the hard work of our KOACH board, as well as Hillel and the numerous other Jewish organizations on campus, we hope to keep making a statement on campus. With a wide-range of programming, KOACH hopes to continue bringing in new students and retain the old ones! And one day very soon, my USY advisor will be saying "So how ‘bout those Jews in Delaware!"

Editor’s Note: KOACH is a provider of resources to enrich Conservative Jewish life on campus and not a membership organization. That said, many Conservative groups on campus have chosen to call themselves KOACH, reflecting their affinity for our vision and mission. What does Conservative Jewish life look like on your campus?

[Posted 8/23/06]