Housing shortage makes living close to Hillel difficult
By: Erin Spiegel
Issue date: 5/2/07 Section: On Campus
As each rising senior who was denied on-campus housing for next year scrambled to find accomodations elsewhere, some prioritized affordability or location while others demanded a list of amenities. For some of these students, however, religious practices drastically limited their housing options. After years of taking advantage of convenient on-campus housing located within walking distance from Hillel, these Jews found themselves seemingly stranded with very few off-campus options that boasted similar locations.
Mia Lazarus, a junior aerospace engineering major, was one of the rising seniors denied on-campus housing for next year. As an observant Jew, Lazarus found most of the off-campus housing options to which her classmates resorted would not fulfill her religious needs.
"Proximity to Hillel is important because I try to go there for davening a few times a day during the week and on Shabbat," she said. "There aren't any other synagogues within walking distance of College Park. Also, being able to carry things on Shabbat is very convenient and useful and I can only do that within the eruv, so that restricts my housing decisions to a small area."
The timing of the e-mail notifying the hundreds of rising seniors of the termination of their housing agreement came at an inconvenient time for religious Jews like Lazarus. As this important e-mail was sent out during the Passover holiday, many observant Jews did not learn of their upcoming eviction until two days after the rest of the students, leaving them even less time to organize alternative housing.
Lazarus currently plans on living in a Knox Box with two of her friends who are currently studying abroad. According to Lazarus, her and her roommates were only able to secure this house as a result of connections with the landowner.
"If I hadn't had an 'in' with the landlady, I would not have been able to get an apartment at all since all the housing stuff took place smack dab in the middle of Passover," Lazarus said.
Although Lazarus is fortunate to have found housing within walking distance from Hillel, she is concerned about the safety of her new home. Especially after hearing about a fire that was recently started in the Knox Box of one of her friends, Lazarus couldn't help but worry.
"The landlord is saying that it's not her fault, but no one knows yet what caused the fire, so while I appreciate the relative proximity to campus that Knox Boxes offer, I am more than a little concerned about their safety," Lazarus said.
Although not an ideal situation, living in a Knox Box will provide Lazarus, her roommates, and other observant Jews in similar situations, with the location necessary to continue to follow their religious practices, which was their first priority.
Mia Lazarus, a junior aerospace engineering major, was one of the rising seniors denied on-campus housing for next year. As an observant Jew, Lazarus found most of the off-campus housing options to which her classmates resorted would not fulfill her religious needs.
"Proximity to Hillel is important because I try to go there for davening a few times a day during the week and on Shabbat," she said. "There aren't any other synagogues within walking distance of College Park. Also, being able to carry things on Shabbat is very convenient and useful and I can only do that within the eruv, so that restricts my housing decisions to a small area."
The timing of the e-mail notifying the hundreds of rising seniors of the termination of their housing agreement came at an inconvenient time for religious Jews like Lazarus. As this important e-mail was sent out during the Passover holiday, many observant Jews did not learn of their upcoming eviction until two days after the rest of the students, leaving them even less time to organize alternative housing.
Lazarus currently plans on living in a Knox Box with two of her friends who are currently studying abroad. According to Lazarus, her and her roommates were only able to secure this house as a result of connections with the landowner.
"If I hadn't had an 'in' with the landlady, I would not have been able to get an apartment at all since all the housing stuff took place smack dab in the middle of Passover," Lazarus said.
Although Lazarus is fortunate to have found housing within walking distance from Hillel, she is concerned about the safety of her new home. Especially after hearing about a fire that was recently started in the Knox Box of one of her friends, Lazarus couldn't help but worry.
"The landlord is saying that it's not her fault, but no one knows yet what caused the fire, so while I appreciate the relative proximity to campus that Knox Boxes offer, I am more than a little concerned about their safety," Lazarus said.
Although not an ideal situation, living in a Knox Box will provide Lazarus, her roommates, and other observant Jews in similar situations, with the location necessary to continue to follow their religious practices, which was their first priority.
Be the first to comment on this story