"I have a lot of non-Jewish friends, and I likespending my time with them," says Alison L. Ralph'93. "They don't necessarily feel comfortablethere."

Although the fear of isolation is not shared byall students, Ralph's pattern of visiting Hillelon an occasional basis is a typical one for Jewishstudents.

No one organization can encompass all ofHarvard's 1,600-person Jewish population, andFinestone estimates that in a typical week onlyabout 19 to 21 percent of Harvard's Jewishpopulation visits the building.

And if there is such a thing as the "Jewishexperience" at Harvard, students say it is toovaried and diverse to be encapsulated in anexamination of just Hillel.

Religious observances such as such as koshereating laws, Sabbath practices and Jewish holidaysare a defining element for some, simply because ofhow such restrictions affect everyday and sociallife.

Restrictions for observant Jews include a banon any form of work on the Sabbath, including anyuse of machines, as well as kosher dietarystrictures.

Others point to Judaism's unique nature as botha religion and an ethnicity as a difference fromother creeds and minority groups.

This dichotomy has led to some tension betweenHillel and the Harvard Foundation, which has nopermanent student representation for the Jewishcommunity.

"Jews are a religious group but not just areligious group, an ethnic group but not just anethnic group," says Held, who has in the pastpushed for a Hillel seat on the Foundation'sstudent board.

Many students say they can pinpoint nothingspecific as a uniquely "Jewish" part of being aHarvard student. Some say they do have a feelingof being a minority, and a few say they feel ananti-Jewish bias in certain social settings.

"You feel like you're in the minority a lot ofthe time," says Laurence J. Kanner '94.

This perceived prejudice is not reflective ofthe campus as a whole, students say, but a fewhave seen isolated incidents of insensitivity.

"I've experienced some comments," said onestudent, who asked that her name not be used. Shesays she has heard expressions linking Jewishnessand parsimony in her house dining hall.

The College could also do more to make Harvarda comfortably non-sectarian place, some studentssay.

A number complained of classes held on Jewishholidays, which was a problem for many studentsthis year. And the new electronic key cards issuedto first-year students have created difficultiesfor observant Jewish students trying to return totheir dorms on Friday nights.