BRONFMANCENTER
The Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU

 

Programs

Footprint Forward:

NYU Footprint Forward Week is about making an active environmental difference in a livable way.  Though presentations, workshops, a guidebook, lectures by a diverse group of experts and experimenters, and an open blog, we hope to inspire over 500 students and community members at NYU and in the surrounding neighborhood to live as close to a zero net impact lifestyle as possible for one week of each year.
 
Please join us as we move our footprints forward together.

For a complete calendar, FAQs and to register please visit www.nyu.edu/bronfman/footprintforward

Social Action Exchange:

Social Action Exchange

The Social Action Exchange is a sophisticated and deep Jewish social justice learning opportunity that includes travel to Israel to experience social action perspectives firsthand in an Israeli context. Through the exchange, ten Jewish students from NYU encounter 10 Israeli students from Hebrew University to discuss social justice issues that touch both societies. The two groups come together for a week in Jerusalem in January, a week in New York in May, and twice over the course of the year through video-conferencing to allow for a true exchange of ideas about how to respond to the complex social needs of our time. In addition, each group meets separately once a week to discuss issues relevant to their own communities and to explore the ways in which Jewish texts address these issues.
　
Undergraduates and graduate students of all disciplines are welcome. For more information and to apply e-mail sam.krentzman@nyu.edu.

Alternative Break Trips

The Bronfman Center pioneered the first American Jewish World Service Alternative Break trip in 2000. Since then, students have traveled to El Salvador, the Mississippi Delta, Mexico, California, New York City and many other destinations to help communities in need and develop relationships with each other outside of school. Students provide direct service to communities in need - house building, pipe-laying, planting and more while living and studying the connection between social justice, service and Judaism. Students return from the trips with knowledge and energy and continue to advocate for social justice on campus.

For more information, please contact Sam Krentzman.

Previous Trips


  • Winter Break 2000, El Salvador, piloting AJWS's Alternative Spring Break project
  • Spring 2001 – Texas, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity
  • Winter 2001 – El Salvador, in partnership with AJWS
  • Spring 2002 – Mississippi, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity
  • Winter 2002 – Mexico, in partnership with AJWS
  • Spring 2003 – Alabama, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity
  • Spring 2005 – Montevideo, Uruguay, in partnership with Hillel
  • Winter 2006 – Gulfport, Mississippi, in partnership with Hillel
  • Spring 2006 – New Orleans, Louisiana, Katrina/Rita: Recovery and Rebuild
  • Winter 2007 – New Orleans, Louisiana, Katrina: Recovery and Rebuild
  • Spring 2007 – New Orleans, Louisiana, Katrina: Muslim Jewish service trip
  • Winter 2008 – Akko, Israel: JDC service trip to northern Israel
  • Spring 2008 – Northern California, USA: Sustainable Agriculture and Local Food
  • Winter 2009 – Israel, Hillel Internationa AWB
  • Spring 2009 – Israel, JNF Bronfman Environmental and Service ASB
  • Spring 2009 – New York City, Local student-led ASB

Taub Israel Advocacy Series:

Taub Israel Advocacy Program

Lecture Series

The Taub Israel Advocacy Lecture Series brings renowned political leaders, journalists, scholars and community leaders to challenge students to think about Israel in new ways and to understand the complexity of Israeli society and politics. Speakers have included Former Speaker of the Knesset Avraham Burg, Michael Oren, author of “Six Days of War”, and distinguished Professor and lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

Green Fellowship:

The JNF Bronfman Green Fellowship is a ten-week Jewish and environmental learning and action fellowship.  The fellowship aims to explore the intersection of basic human needs, the environment and the Jewish tradition.  Students meet weekly at the Bronfman Center and at site visits throughout New York City and New York State for hands-on learning and volunteering.  During spring break the students will be part of the JNF Alternative Spring Break trip to Israel where they will perform service work and participate in special seminars on Judaism, Israel and the environment.  As part of the action component of the program, the fellows are given a large grant for their discretionary use on a project aimed to assist in the environmental improvement of their communities.

For more information please email bronfmangreen@gmail.com or sam.krentzman@nyu.edu