• Shalom Baby, an outreach program of Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy, welcomes Jewish newborns to the Lehigh Valley.

    Their families receive a warm visit from a trained volunteer at an ...

  • The Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley is a community school centered on each child’s individual needs, connections to their community, and celebration of Jewish traditions. 

    The JDS serves...

Jewish High School

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy

Barrack prepares students to become the next generation of Jewish leaders committed to making a difference in their community and the larger world. Located on its scenic campus in Bryn Mawr, down U.S. Route 476 from the Lehigh Valley, Barrack provides transportation options to regions that include the Lehigh Valley. The school brings together students from all Jewish backgrounds to learn as one kehillah (community). The core values of kavod (honor), ometz lev (courage), hesed (kindness), and kehillah guide and inform everything the school does and inspire students to become ethical, wise, and engaged young adults.
610-922-2350,
admissions@jbha.org

Colleges With Hillels

Lafayette College

Lafayette College is a liberal arts college in Easton, on the eastern edge of the Lehigh Valley. It is an undergraduate institution with 247 faculty and 2,700 students. It offers majors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. The Lafayette College Hillel Society serves as the hub of Jewish life on campus. It’s a student-run organization with a very active student board that provides opportunities for the campus and surrounding community to engage in a wide range of social, cultural, religious, and educational programming. It hosts weekly Shabbat services as well as other religious events like its annual interfaith seder.

about.lafayette.edu/lafayette-at-a-glance

Lehigh University

Lehigh University is one of the nation’s most distinguished private research universities. It offers 111 undergraduate degree programs and majors, and 87 research-based doctoral programs and professional master’s degree and certificate programs, to more than 7,000 undergrad and grad students. The Jewish population is estimated at 17 to 18 percent of the 6,000 undergrads. The Office of Jewish Student Life is the Jewish home on campus for students. The Jewish Student Center includes lounges, study spaces, a kosher kitchen, and a dining area, and is the home of the Hillel, the primary organization for Jewish students on campus. There is also the Chabad Club, Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Friends of Israel, Challah for Hunger, and Tamid. There are weekly services and dinner every Shabbat, as well as on holidays. There are also informal classes, social events, and community service opportunities.
610-758-4896, jewishlife.lehigh.edu

Muhlenberg College

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is an independent liberal arts institution in Allentown. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2,000 students, Muhlenberg is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative citizens through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, as well as select preprofessional programs. Muhlenberg offers Jewish students the outsize Jewish life of a large university in the intimate environment of a traditional liberal arts college, and there’s kosher dining available too. This combination is unique and makes Muhlenberg an attractive option for Jewish students and observant students. The Jewish population is between 25 and 30 percent of the undergraduate population. In addition to the resources provided on campus, Muhlenberg benefits from being situated in the heart of Jewish Allentown, with Orthodox and Reform synagogues, JCC, and Jewish Day School all within walking distance. 

muhlenberg.edu

Sleepaway Summer Camps

Camp Galil

Camp Galil is a progressive Zionist, rustic overnight Jewish summer camp for campers in 2nd through 11th grade with a strong focus on social justice and youth leadership. Located in Bucks County, the camp focuses on cooperative living and welcomes families from all streams of Jewish life to create a diverse and inclusive community. Campers and staff come together in this joyful and energetic community built on Jewish values, connection to Israel, and social justice for a summer of fun and to build a better world together.

campgalil.org

Camp Ramah

Ramah is an overnight camp in the Pocono Mountains for kids in grades 2 through 10. Over 75 years, it has built a tradition of warmth, inclusion, and radical creativity in a fun Jewish environment. Facilities include a heated pool, new basketball and tennis courts, a covered hockey pavilion, an indoor gym, a softball field with a homerun fence, and a dining room that seats 600. On Friday evenings, the entire camp comes together in the outdoor synagogue. Everything that happens at Camp Ramah is rooted in Jewish values and traditions and is designed to foster personal growth, develop strong relationships, and instill a love for Judaism that will last a lifetime.

ramahpoconos.org

Golden Slipper Camp

Golden Slipper is an overnight camp rooted in Jewish values for children ages 7 to 15 on 600 beautiful acres in the Pocono Mountains. Campers and the professionally trained and caring staff make the camp a unique place that is welcoming and exciting for all and fosters personal growth. The camp offers a large variety of sports, plus arts and crafts; science, technology, engineering, and math; music; and more. There are affordable packages for all and awards scholarships based on financial capability determined through a respectful and confidential process.

goldenslippercamp.org

Pinemere Camp

Pinemere Camp is a dynamic community made up of campers, families, staff, and alumni from around the world. Each summer, Pinemere creates a safe space for children where they can leave behind the hectic pace, pressure, and technology of the outside world and just be kids. Many people say Pinemere feels like a family. This is probably why 90 percent of its campers return each summer to its home in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. Pinemere sets itself apart with its intimate camp size, rustic setting, innovative programs, inclusive Jewish programming, and fun and welcoming environment. It aims to hire and develop the best staff in camping. Pinemere’s goal is to assist campers in building friendships, fostering their Jewish identity, acquiring new skills, and having the best summer every summer.

pinemere.com

URJ Camp Harlam

Camp Harlam is located on over 300 acres in the Pocono Mountains and features two pools and a lake, athletic fields, arts facilities, climbing apparatuses, a teaching kitchen, a digital arts studio, and more. It’s a great place for kids who want to experience a wide range of daily activities. Varied programming and commitment to an open and safe environment makes Harlam exceptional. There are affinity spaces for minority campers, including its Gender Sexuality Alliance and Jews of Color group, to explore and discuss their identities with trusted peers and staff. Another thing that sets Harlam apart is its values: acting according to one’s heart, finding inner beauty, and gaining confidence and independence. These tie in with Jewish teachings and with everything done at camp to develop children who are compassionate, resilient, and proud of their Judaism.

campharlam.org

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