Posted on May 12, 2025
Eighty Jewish college students to learn together in a dynamic program
designed to enhance social cohesion and cultivate pluralistic leadership on college campuses
May 2025 – With a grant of $250,000 from UJA-Federation of New York, The Bronfman Fellowship is scaling up Campus Commons: Building Bridges with Jewish Wisdom, its innovative leadership program for college students of all Jewish backgrounds. Following its impactful pilot program of 31 students from 27 campuses across North America, the program is expanding to include up to 80 students in two cohorts in 2025-2026. Drawing on the Fellowship’s 39 years of experience cultivating the pluralistic leadership of Jewish teenagers and young adults, this free program empowers students to use Jewish values and wisdom to enhance social cohesion on their campuses and beyond.
Designed by a team of top educators at The Bronfman Fellowship, Campus Commons is a powerful response to the rise in polarization, social instability, and isolation on college campuses, particularly for Jewish students. Over 63% of college students report that the climate on their campus prevents people from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive. At the same time, 88% believe that colleges should encourage students to be open to learning from people whose beliefs differ from their own. Campus Commons helps participants cultivate their own agency and gain real-world, actionable skills to foster environments where people can build relationships across differences. Participants explore core Jewish ideas and texts related to pluralism, as well as the latest research in social psychology, communication, and conflict management.
The pilot program of Campus Commons, launched earlier this year, has been remarkably successful. According to a survey of participants, 96% said they gained greater insight into their own strengths or motivations as a bridge builder, and encountered at least one new perspective that they found meaningful and thought-provoking. 93% learned at last one new skill for communicating across differences, and experienced at least one new or enriching aspect of Judaism through the program.
Members of the first cohort, with the support and guidance of the Campus Commons education team, have also launched exciting, innovative projects to bring what they learned on the program back to their campuses. One participant created a campus dinner series for people with a wide range of Jewish perspectives to cultivate connections and engage in Israel-Palestine dialogue. Another put up interactive posters around her campus with questions such as, “What is something you wish people discussed more openly on this campus?” After receiving over 250 responses to the posters, she is assembling a discussion group aimed at creating a more pluralistic culture on campus.
“I am thrilled to see the enthusiasm with which Campus Commons participants are employing what they learned on the program to have an impact on their communities,” said Becky Voorwinde, CEO of The Bronfman Fellowship. “With this grant from UJA-Federation of New York, even more Jewish college students will have the opportunity to lead the way in cultivating campus environments that value diversity and can sustain healthy conflict.”
“We are proud to continue our partnership with The Bronfman Fellowship to amplify the impact of Campus Commons,” said Alina Bitel, Senior Manager of Strategic Planning and Grants, Jewish Life at UJA-Federation of New York. “Now, more than ever, it’s critical that Jewish college students have opportunities to come together and build the skills and ability to grow and talk across differences. After seeing the success of the pilot program of Campus Commons, I can’t wait to see what an impact the second and third cohorts will have.”
“Our students are coming back to campus ready to implement the skills they learn to support healthy campus climates,” said Sophia Adler Varon, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, who leads the Campus Commons program. “We are hearing from professionals on campus, and even parents of our participants, that Campus Commons has noticeably bolstered participants’ abilities to foster and transmit positive pluralism everywhere they go.”
Eighty participants will be selected for the second and third cohorts of Campus Commons (40 per cohort, in the fall and spring). This all-expenses-paid program is open to full-time college students who identify as Jewish and who have completed at least one year of college. The Bridge Builders will be student leaders who are and are not formally involved in Jewish life on campus. Early preference will be given to students who are from New York and/or who attend a New York college. The priority deadline to apply is June 30th, and admission is rolling until September 10th. Students can learn more and apply at campuscommons.bronfman.org.
Led by The Bronfman Fellowship’s renowned faculty and staff, the program includes a five-day, in-person seminar to model building pluralistic communities; monthly Zoom sessions for learning and reflection on experiences on campus; and mentorship to assist participants in the design of their own on-campus initiatives. Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a Certificate in Relationship Building Across Difference.
The Campus Commons program is built on The Bronfman Fellowship’s concept of Positive Pluralism – the 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. The Bronfman Fellowship believes that building trust and mutual understanding works best when Jews can learn and engage together and with other communities, drawing on Jewish texts and tradition as tools for finding common language. Young people with strong convictions, rooted in their unique Jewish identities, are best prepared to navigate complex relationships to contribute to a stronger shared society.
The Bronfman Fellowship hopes to further expand the program through more partnerships with local communities and funders. For more information and to apply, please visit www.campuscommons.bronfman.org. For questions about the program, please contact campuscommons@bronfman.org.