Until now, graduates from Hasidic yeshivas who wished to pursue a college education faced steep barriers. For many, the path to traditional higher education was blocked by gaps in their secular education and challenges in navigating college life. That may all be about to change, thanks to a new initiative at Hunter College called the Bridge to College program. This unique program is designed specifically for students from religious backgrounds who have had limited secular education. Its goal is to equip them with the skills and confidence to succeed in a college environment, paving the way for full-time enrollment in Hunter’s traditional degree programs.

“The initial impetus for the program came from an awareness that there's a real need among people who grew up in the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox community who lack formal secular education and may think of college as something that's beyond them,” said Professor Schneur Zalman Newfield, who founded the program. He initially conceived of the program to cater to people from Ultra-Orthodox backgrounds, but he and the school authorities soon realized it could be beneficial to individuals from varied religious backgrounds.

The Bridge to College program goes beyond academics, aiming to support students emotionally as well. Participants will regularly meet with Newfield to discuss challenges and receive guidance on overcoming them. The shift from yeshiva learning to formal academic education can be especially daunting, as many yeshivas have been found deficient in their secular offerings, despite state requirements that they provide “substantial equivalency” to public schools. Over the past decade, New York City’s Department of Education has repeatedly found shortcomings in numerous yeshivas’ secular education programs, leaving students without the skills needed for college.

Bridge to College aims to address this gap by offering students practical tools and personal support as they make the leap into the world of majors and minors, graduation requirements, and college credits. By fostering a sense of welcome and belonging, Newfield hopes to ease their transition into a world that may feel unfamiliar — “Every new experience could have some anxieties or fears. But we really want to make this introduction to college as joyous and positive as possible.” 

Newfield is especially well equipped to support individuals given his own background. After growing up in the Chabad Lubavitch community of Brooklyn and attending a yeshiva that provided no secular education, he had to study for his GED in his early 20s, when he left his community to enroll at Brooklyn College.

“I’m very aware of the challenges that people who grow up in the Haredi community face because of lack of secular education. I really hope that this program will be one resource to help prepare people to go to college and benefit from all of the tremendous resources that a college education could provide,” he explained.

Newfield also recognizes that for students from religious backgrounds, the transition into secular education may feel like a compromise of their beliefs. However, he envisions the Bridge to College program as a way for religious and secular education to coexist, offering students the chance to explore a broader world while holding onto their faith. “Within the Haredi community, there tends to be a narrative that secular knowledge is not to be trusted, and secular education is potentially dangerous for your religious beliefs. And we're here to say that it does not have to be that way – that it's possible to go to a secular college, to be in secular classrooms, to read secular books. And if you want to stay religious, then it's perfectly possible to do.”

Newfield is encouraging Haredim with a curiosity about education to consider the program, noting that mostly what it needs is determination. Moving on from the program, students must earn a minimum test score on the GED and the assigned English class to receive guaranteed full-time admission to Hunter College. The Bridge to College program is now accepting applications and the first semester begins in January of 2025.