Got a question about the Jewish Graduate Student Network? See below for the answers!
A brief introduction
Announcements and advertising
Demographics
Email list
Getting to know Philly
Housing
Jewish life on campus
Kosher Food
Making new friends
Orthodox community
Partner organizations
Religious services
Transportation
A brief introduction
The Grad Network is part of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia and attracts Jewish grad students from across the city. We run events throughout the academic year as well as over the summer.
If your question isn't answered here, please feel free to contact Miriam Steinberg-Egeth, director of the Grad Network, or any of the student members of our Programming Board.
Announcements and advertising
To post your announcement about roommates, job opportunities, or anything else relevant to Jewish grad student life, go to jewishgrads.org and click on announcements then on "submit an announcement." The posting will be up on the website for four weeks and go out in our weekly newsletters during that time. This is free for students and non-profits, but there is a charge for businesses who want to advertise. If you have any questions about announcements, email Trish at tswed@phillyhillel.org
To publicize an event, go to jewishgrads.org, click on calendar then on "submit an event."
Demographics
Typically 75-80% of the participants at Grad Network events are current graduate students who are between 22 and 35 years old. The remaining participants are recent college grads, recent grad school grads, and other young professionals. The majority of participants are single, though there are also many students in couples. Participants come from a variety of professional school programs (law, med, business, dentistry, social work, etc), as well as PhD and Masters programs in both the humanities and sciences. About half the participants come from programs at UPenn, and the other half are from a combination of the many colleges and universities in the area.
Email list
Click here to sign up for the Grad Network's weekly e-newsletter, Network News. You'll get a message each Monday (check spam if you don't!) letting you know about all the upcoming events and opportunities for Jewish grad students around Philly.
Like the Grad Network on facebook!
Getting to know Philly
Philly is a great city, and if you're new to town, you're in for a treat! Great sources of information about the city are the City Paper, Philadelphia Weekly, Yelp, Philly Fun Guide, and just asking around.
Some popular places to check out are Rittenhouse Square, Reading Terminal Market, any of the numerous BYO restaurants or local coffee shops, and the city's wonderful arts offerings.
Housing
Check out the Grad Network Rental and Housing Guide! Be sure to tell our partners that you found them through the Grad Network.
The Announcements page on our website is a great source for apartments and for roommates. Craigslist is another popular go-to spot for finding apartments.
Penn students are typically split between living in West Philly/University City and Center City. Specific Center City neighborhoods popular for grad students are Rittenhouse Square, Graduate Hospital, Fitler Square, the Art Museum area, and Washington Square. Many students who go to school outside of downtown choose to live in Manayunk/Roxborough or other surrounding areas.
Orthodox students looking for an active Shabbat community often live near Penn's campus in West Philly, though an increasing number live in Center City as well.
Jewish life on campus
Our Schools and Programs page has contact information for student leaders from all of the Grad Network-affiliated campus-based organizations.
For information about Penn Hillel, contact Debbie Yunker.
For information about Temple Hillel, contact Phil Nordlinger.
For information about Drexel Hillel, contact Rabbi Isabel DeKoninck.
Kosher Food
Click here for a list of the kosher restaurants in Center City and the suburbs (thanks to Mekor Habracha for compiling!).
Trader Joe's at 22nd and Market carries kosher meat. Shoprite the Kosher Experience in Cherry Hill, NJ has an enormous kosher section, but you need a car to get there. Fresh Grocer in West Philly at 40th and Walnut has a varying selection of kosher chicken and other foods, as does Supreme at 43rd and Walnut.
The Penn kosher dining hall is closed over the summer.
Making new friends
The Grad Network is a great way to make new friends in Philly! Check out our calendar for upcoming events. Don't worry about showing up to an event by yourself - lots of people do it, and it will be easy to meet people once you get there.
Orthodox community
For information about the West Philly Orthodox community for grads and young professionals (OCP-GAP) or to be added to their listserv, contact Joey Khodari.
For information about Mekor Habracha Center City synagogue, visit their website.
Partner organizations
The Grad Network partners with a number of other organizations in Philadelphia geared towards Jews in their 20s and 30s.
If you are in your 20s or 30s and looking for social events that are not geared specifically towards students, contact The Collaborative. If you are in your 20s, contact Moishe House Philadelphia. For information about LGBT Jewish life for young adults in Philly, contact Spectrum Philly.
Religious Services
There are numerous synagogues in Philadelphia, and young adults are always welcome. Below are some of the synagogues most popular with students and young professionals living in the city, though this is not an exhaustive list.
Temple Beth-Zion Beth Israel: Conservative synagogue at 18th and Spruce.
Kol Tzedek: Reconstructionist synagogue at 48th and Baltimore
Mekor Habracha: Modern Orthodox synagogue at 20th and Chestnut
Society Hill: Unaffiliated/egalitarian synagogue at 4th and Spruce
Rodeph Shalom: Reform synagogue at Broad and Spring Garden
B'nai Abraham: Orthodox synagogue at 5th and Lombard
Penn Orthodox Minyan: Orthodox community at Penn Hillel
Mikveh Israel: Sephardi synagogue at 5th and Market
Minyan Tikvah: Traditional egalitarian Saturday morning minyan that meets once a month in Center City
Heymish Minyan: Traditional egalitarian Friday night minyan that meets once a month, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner
Click here for a complete list of Philadelphia synagogues. Note that this list includes synagogues all over the Greater Philadelphia area, including some that are quite far away from where most students live.
Transportation
SEPTA is Philadelphia's public transportation system. The 21 bus runs along Walnut/Chestnut from Penn's Landing all the way past Penn, and it is a popular one amongst students. The Broad Street subway line runs as far south as the sports stadiums and up to Temple's main campus and health sciences campus. You can buy SEPTA tokens at Fresh Grocer in W. Philly, at 30th Street and City Hall stations, and at most subway stops, or you can pay $2 on board buses and trolleys.
Most students who live in Center City and many who live in W. Philly choose to get around without a car, though Philly Car Share and Zipcar are both popular options. Students who live further outside the city often find that a car is useful, though parking downtown is difficult, and if you miss your meter by a minute, you'll probably get a ticket.
The Penn Bus is a wonderful and free way to get from Penn's campus to Center City after 5:00 p.m. on weeknights.
Philly is also an incredibly walkable city. While you should always use common sense when walking around the city, most students find that they feel safe walking anywhere they would want to go. Cabs are also very popular, plentiful, and affordable. | 
