Campus Commons •
Building Bridges with Jewish Wisdom

A free program for Jewish college students who want to build a better world

2024-2025 Applications are now closed.

Interested in applying for our 2025-2026 cohort? Applications will open in September 2025!

Fill out this interest form to stay in touch.

Are you frustrated by polarization and division on your campus?

Are you finding fewer spaces on campus where you can speak freely?

Do you think it’s important to be in community with people who have different views and beliefs?

Are you interested in using Jewish wisdom to form stronger, more cohesive communities on campus and beyond?

Campus Commons, a free program for Jewish college students, is for you.

PROGRAM
COMPONENTS

  • A three-day, in-person, immersive seminar -- January 12-14 at a Retreat Center near NYC.

  • Dynamic Zoom sessions for learning and reflection. See program dates here. 

  • An exploration of core Jewish ideas and texts related to pluralism.

  • An option for mentorship on the design of your own stipended on-campus program.

  • Friendships and connections with Jewish students from a wide range of campuses and backgrounds.

  • Receipt of a Certificate in Relationship Building Across Difference upon program completion.

WHY DO IT?

WHO IS THIS FOR?

WHO’S
LEADING IT?

We know how hard it can be on college campuses right now, especially for Jewish students: people shouting each other down or withdrawing into echo chambers; fewer and fewer spaces where students with different points of view can come together and talk freely with each other. More divisions have been forming within the Jewish community, and other groups are growing increasingly distant from the Jewish community on campus.

Campus Commons will help students break down these barriers and build bridges across differences. Life is fuller, richer, when we’re in community with people who have different beliefs; when we can talk to people respectfully and confidently, without being afraid to say what we really mean. Jewish texts and wisdom, passed down through generations, can give us agency in building a vibrant, pluralistic community on campus and beyond.

Any full-time college student who identifies as Jewish and has completed at least one year of college.

Maybe you’re deeply involved in Jewish life on campus. Or maybe you’re active in secular spaces such as the arts, entrepreneurship, social justice and the environment. What you have in common: a commitment to bridging divides.

The Bronfman Fellowship has 38 years of experience in fostering pluralistic Jewish community and leadership through our flagship year-long Fellowship program for Jewish teenagers in North America and Israel, and through programming for our vibrant alumni community. Our nearly 1,500 alumni have significant impact on the Jewish world and beyond through their work as community builders, deep thinkers, moral voices, and cultural creators. Learn more at bronfman.org.

The Campus Commons program is modeled on The Bronfman Fellowship's belief in Positive Pluralism – the deep understanding that a person can learn and grow from relationships with those who are different from them, and the recognition that this ability can and should be nurtured. Most importantly, it’s the knowledge that therein lies the key to a better future. Positive Pluralism has its roots in ancient Jewish wisdom, grows strong with self-exploration and discovery, and stretches its branches in all directions to an improved world.

As a Bridge Builder, you’ll have the opportunity to…

  • Study Jewish texts without tests, homework, grades, or judgment -- where you can enjoy learning even if you've never studied Jewish texts before.

  • Develop real-world, actionable skills, based on the latest research in social psychology, communication, and conflict management.

  • Meet other interesting Jewish students who may hold different views than you, but who share a desire to build bridges on campus.

Applications for our 2025-2026 cohort will open in the Fall of 2025.