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Jewish Life

Jewish Life at Macalester

Jewish life at Macalester is rich and varied, rooted in the interests and growing skills of the current student Jewish community, keeping kindness and connection at the center.  Students create and lead the campus Jewish community through Macalester Jewish Organization (MJO), and are supported by Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman and the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (CRSL).  Listen to Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman kibbitz for 10 minutes about Jewish Life at Macalester (Summer 2023) in the Being Jewish in College video series with Dana Ponsky.  Jewish life at Macalester is always evolving, shaped by the 180+ students who make it their home.

Shabbat & Holidays

  • Songful student-led Shabbat services and student-prepared Shabbat dinner: Fridays at 6pm in the CRSL (twice monthly)
  • High Holiday services and meals for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
  • Tashlich hike and campus sukkah
  • MJO travels to Northfield to celebrate Simchat Torah with the Jewish student groups at Carleton and St. Olaf
  • Purim megillah reading and raucous spiels by students
  • Passover seder open to the campus community & student-run Passover kitchen
  • Holiday celebrations for Hanukkah & Tu BiShvat

Learning

Recent Special Events

  • In April 2024 & 2025, two groups of Macalester students celebrated b’nai mitzvah, having missed out on the ritual as young teens. Starting from learning alef-bet and addressing their questions on Jewish ritual, text, and life, these students read Torah, spoke about their Jewish stories framed in text, and were joyfully lifted up on chairs in a raucous hora dance.
  • In 2025-2026, Jewish students at Mac collaborated with Workers’ Circle to bring Yiddish- and justice-themed Jewish cultural programming to Macalester.
  • In January 2026, MJO joined with other CRSL student communities of practice during Operation Metro Surge to host an immigration justice upstander training, in which one of the trainers was a former MJO leader Mac alum!
  • In February 2026, the Macalester Jewish community welcomed a Torah scroll to campus in a beautiful celebration centering student-created Torah clothing, an ark made by the campus carpenters, and reflection on the 50+ year arc of Jewish life at Mac.  Read about the Torah Welcome celebration here and here!

Local Centers

Wondering about campus climate for Jewish students?

The climate for Jewish students on campus is positive, with opportunities for learning and constructive dialogue about Israel/Palestine – several related student organizations draw Macalester students’ activism and engagement. Jewish life has seen a significant number of its recent Macalester alums become Rabbis and Jewish communal leaders post-graduation.

Wondering about keeping kosher at Macalester?

Cafe Mac is the only Macalester dining hall and has abundant vegetarian/vegan options. Students who have questions about kashrut or would like support for dietary practices are welcome to contact Rabbi Emma ([email protected]) or the CRSL ([email protected]).

Supporting Macalester’s Jewish Community

Would you like to support Macalester’s Jewish community?  Here is a way you can donate to the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and designate it to Jewish life.  The St. Paul Jewish Federation makes a yearly contribution to help support Jewish programming and holiday celebrations on campus.