Religious Life

Tel Aviv University is host to a diversity of students from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. It is the policy of the University to respect all religious beliefs – no student will be penalized for absence due to religious observance, and alternative arrangements will be sought to satisfy the academic requirements involved. Please consult your program's coordinator regarding any questions or issues you might have.

There are on-campus options for students who wish to actively
participate in Jewish religious life.

Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Life on Campus, is a student-run organization that provides a variety of programming on college campuses around the world. Throughout the school year, TAU Hillel offers events in English and Hebrew that are open to all regardless of religion or nationality. For more information regarding Hillel, go to their Tel Aviv website.

M.D. Katz JLIC at TAU

The M.D. Katz Jewish Learning Initiative on campus (JLIC) is at TAU in order to provide our students from any denomination or religious affiliation, a way to observe religious aspects of Jewish life during their time at the university.

The M.D. Katz JLIC at Tel Aviv University was made possible by New Jersey philanthropist Dr. Monique Katz and her family in memory of Dr. Mordecai (Morty) Katz, z”l, who passed away at 88 in March 2021.

The M.D. Katz JLIC program directors host dinners every Friday without fail, celebrations for Jewish holidays such as Hanukkah, and Rosh Hashanah, weekly Shiurim and classes, bring guest speakers and events to campus, and make key Orthodox necessities, such as Kashrut, Chagim and Shabbat, easier to observe and more meaningful.

Find out about their upcoming events on their Instagram, and get in touch directly at jlic@ou.org.

Meet the couple:

Eitan and Elana Phillips are TAU’s onsite rabbinic couple and M.D. Katz JLIC’s program directors. They have already started facilitating social activities and religious studies at their home for students who are interested.

Working closely with TAU International staff and the Student Life team, Eitan and Elana are building an open and accessible community for those wishing to observe a religious life on campus.

Rabbi Eitan grew up in London and has been in Israel for most of the last decade including serving in the IDF. After learning at Yeshivat Hakotel, he studied Jewish history and Politics at Hebrew University. He studied for his Masters at Haifa University, while learning for Smicha with Mizrachi Musmachim. Rabbi Eitan has worked in high-tech for the past year.

Elana made aliyah at age 7 from New York to Efrat. She did sherut Leumi in a home for children at risk and then was a Madricha at Midreshet Moriah, while studying for her BA in Psychology and Education at Hebrew University. Elana worked in high tech for a year and currently is studying towards her Masters in Educational psychology. 

Eitan and Elana Phillips, with their two children.