The Klehr Center for Jewish Life

Since opening in 2008, F&M’s Klehr Center for Jewish Life, home to F&M Hillel, has been committed to enriching the lives of Jewish F&M students so that they may in turn enrich Jewish people around the world.

An Enduring Commitment to Jewish Life

The Klehr Center for Jewish Life at F&M is a vibrant hub that strengthens the campus community by fostering intercultural understanding of Jewish Life. The Klehr Center was built in 2008 as a large, well-lit, and welcoming building centrally located on campus designed to foster a sense of home and community.

The Klehr Center engages Jewish students in Jewish activities, helping them develop leadership skills, access service-learning opportunities, and form and inform their identities as independent Jewish adults committed to Jewish life and the world. It is also a connecting point for Jewish alumni and families of Jewish students, both current, past and future. Most importantly, the Klehr Center welcomes all F&M students to participate in its community observances and celebrations including cultural and educational programming, enriching the overall campus dialogue and fostering connections among diverse groups.

The Klehr Center serves as the dedicated home for F&M Hillel, which organizes numerous student-led programs throughout the year. Academically, the Klehr Center supports intellectual exploration by sponsoring Judaic Studies lectures, discussions and films, and hosts a recurring Jewish Book Reading Group.

In terms of tradition and community, the Klehr Center provides regular opportunities for connection, including Shabbat services and dinners and holiday celebrations. Students also gather for informal social events, such as Bagel brunches. A weekly tradition is the preparation of hallah every Friday by students at the Center.

Beyond campus, the Klehr Center helps students explore their heritage through travel opportunities like Birthright Israel.

Students make hallah every Friday at the Klehr Center.

A Welcoming Home

The Klehr Center is a large, well-lit and welcoming building on campus. The Center features a cozy living room with a fireplace and comfortable furniture, a library, a kosher kitchen, multipurpose spaces on the first and second floor, office spaces for staff, and an outdoor patio.

In 2023, the Klehr Center signed on as part of Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition through Adamah formally known as Hazon. The Klehr Center is considered a green building, with eco-friendly features including:

  • Geothermal heating and cooling
  • Natural sustainable products used during construction when possible
  • Energy-efficient appliances
  • Compact fluorescent lighting
  • Light timers and motion detection systems
  • Two-stage water-saving toilet accommodations

A Culture of Philanthropy

The Paul and Rose Wiener Scholarship

The need-based Paul and Rose Wiener Scholarship is awarded to incoming students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to the Jewish community through volunteerism and youth activities. Awarded students receive a renewable scholarship up to $5,000 based on annual review.

To be considered for a Paul and Rose Wiener Scholarship, prospective students must submit an application for general admission and a Paul and Rose Wiener Scholarship Application by January 6.

Please download and mail in the following application to be considered. Mail in instructions are within the application.

Apply now

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