"Rosh Hashanah is a time of renewal... Yom Kippur is a time of atonement and apologies to start the year off right."
- Lizzie Gurwitz, Class of 2025
Supporting Your Spirituality
The Interfaith Center (IFC) offers vibrant opportunities for spiritual practice, reflection, education and community building. We support faith and interfaith student groups by hosting dynamic events, inspiring religious services and serene spaces for meditation. The IFC also provides impactful service opportunities and fosters group dialog to enhance personal growth, academic excellence and leadership development.
spirit
Our Spaces
- Interfaith meditation and prayer room
- Interfaith lending library
- Community multipurpose room that hosts an interdenominational Christian Chapel, a Jewish Sanctuary and space for other large gatherings
These spaces are available to student groups, faculty, staff and alumni.
Places to Pray or Meditate
- Campus Center Interfaith Center, Room 346. Open during Campus Center hours.
- Campus Center West, Room 182. Contact the Muslim Student Association at [email protected] for access.
- School of Public Health (SPH) Health Sciences Campus, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144. Open during office hours.
spaces
Jewish High Holy Days
Jewish High Holy Days
Annual Events
Unity Dinner
The Unity Dinner, held each fall, brings together people of different faiths to share a meal as one community. The evening aims to foster greater harmony, understanding and respect for all faiths.
Spring Equinox
The spring equinox is recognized as a holiday across many religions and cultures. Spring festivals and holidays share symbols, practices and even names. The IFC celebrates spring with a dinner to lift our spirits and bring hope to our community.
Interfaith Lecture Series
Speakers delve into contemporary issues impacting daily life, examining them through theological, religious, spiritual, ethical and humanitarian lenses.
events
Meet Our Chaplains
chaplains
Nomi Manon
Rabbi
Intercultural Student Engagement
Campus Center 344
Rabbi Manon has been the Executive Director of UAlbany Hillel, a pluralist organization that recognizes, supports and encourages all types of Jewish expression, since 2008. She is a graduate of Alfred University and The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she received her Rabbinic ordination and specialized in campus work focused on enhancing the Jewish experience of college students, non-profit management and fundraising. She teaches courses at UAlbany and encourages students to explore their many identities and passions in a Jewish context. She is available for informal counseling and conversations about life, Judaism, politics and relationships.
Catherine Reid
Campus Minister
Intercultural Student Engagement
Campus Center 346
Cathy Reid is the Catholic chaplain at UAlbany, serving in partnership with All Saints Catholic Church. She has a master’s in theological studies from Emory University's Candler School of Theology and is available for spiritual direction, conversation and assistance with sacramental preparation.
Mansoor Umar
Volunteer Chaplain Imam
Intercultural Student Engagement
Campus Center 346
Imam Mansoor Rafiq Umar has been the Imam at the University at Albany since 2019. He holds a BA from the Darul Na'im Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies seminary, serves as Imam at the Muslim Community of Bethlehem and is the President of Halal Watch World, the first halal certification agency in the state of New York. He is also the founder and president of the United States Department of Halal Standards (USDHS) and has studied under various scholars of theology and Islamic legal theory.
Aaron P. Proffitt プロフィット・アーロン
Associate Professor of Japanese Studies
Department of East Asian Studies
Humanities 241
Dr. Proffitt leads the academic study of religion and Buddhist Studies and is Faculty Advisor to the Buddhist Student Association. He teaches introductory courses and advanced seminars on topics spanning Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, and takes students on field trips to visit Buddhist temples in the Capital Region. He received his PhD in Buddhist Studies from the University of Michigan and conducted research in Japan as a Fulbright Fellow. His book, Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism, was published in 2023 by the Pure Land Buddhist Studies Series of the University of Hawaii Press. Proffitt is pursuing ordination in the Shin Buddhist tradition and serves the New York Buddhist Church as a Certified Minister’s Assistant and the Albany Buddhist Sangha (albanybuddhist.org) as Dharma leader and Dharma School coordinator.