St. Andrews Contact Details
St. Andrews J-soc:
The St Andrews Jewish Society is welcoming, diverse, and tightly knit.
St Andrews has many international students, meaning we maintain a thriving student society with members from many countries. We strive to provide a warm and welcoming environment for any interested student, regardless of background. Thus, our members range from the observant to the non-religious; both Jewish students and non-Jewish students interested in learning more about Jewish life take part. We currently have approximately 100 members, and have enjoyed a period of significant growth over the last two years.
We hold two events per week. Shabbat dinners are held every other Friday night or so, providing homemade kosher food and an optional short service beforehand, attracting on average between 30 and 40 people. In the coming year, we will mark each Shabbat, by introducing a fortnightly Shabbaton, which will involve a service (varying between one led by the Dundee non-student community and a "learners' service" led by a lecturer at the university and her husband) followed by a discussion of the week's parasha over lunch. We also regularly hold bagel lunches, at which Rabbi Garry Wayland, the chaplain for all Jewish student communities in Scotland, leads discussions on topics from Pesach and Purim to IVF and euthanasia. We celebrate all the major festivals, and run weekly Hebrew lessons. We will also be looking to bring more speakers to St Andrews this year, while more informal events will include movie nights and challah making
The Northern Region of Jewish students is also a very active one, so opportunities to take part in a Jewish community abound. On top of our annual barbecue at the end of the academic year, St Andrews will for the first time host one of the next academic year's two Northern Region Weekends, welcoming Jewish students from Scotland and the north east of England.
Student Testimonies:
"As a new student at St Andrews, I felt welcomed into the J-Soc. I was pleasantly surprised by the large attendance of events and impressive organisation of the committee. I always look forward to delicious Shabbat meals and joking around with the Rabbi during bagel lunches. Though I miss being a part of a larger Jewish community, it is nice to be a part of such a unique society at St Andrews." - Elana "My time with the St. Andrews J-Soc ranks among the most positive experiences of my university career thus far. The society is a total success on every level; its thorough support of its members' needs and interests clearly reveals the drive of its dedicated committee. Most importantly, the memories gained and friendships made in the society have changed my life for the better." - James |
Local Synagogue:
The nearest synagogue is Dundee (25mins), although services here are not regular, given the very small community. Otherwise Edinburgh (1-1.5hrs) and Glasgow (2-2.5hrs) are the nearby options.
Kosher Food and Accomodation:
Currently, there is no kosher accommodation, and food has to be ordered in from Manchester. However, we are looking into establishing a 'JShop' stocking kosher food, and addressing the lack of accommodation, hopefully by the time you start university.
The University of St.Andrews- for prospective students:
The University of St Andrews is broadly integrated with the town - in effect, the town is the campus. With just three main streets, nothing is far away, and the amenities are sufficient for student life, with a wealth of pubs, cafes and restaurants. St Andrews is a very pretty town, with the ruins of both a castle and cathedral, as well as 3 beaches, one of which featured in 'Chariots of Fire'. Unsurprisingly, it is also steeped in tradition, including the academic family system, Raisin Weekend, torch lit pier walk and May Dip. St Andrews is often described as a 'bubble', but it should be noted that Dundee, Edinburgh and even Glasgow are easily accessible by public transport.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have at jewishsociety@st-andrews.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can also contact the National Development Officer for the region at josh.m@ujs.org.uk
