Two new Living and Learning Communities centered around the environment and Judaism, respectively, joined Georgetown’s themed housing offerings this fall.

The Greenhouse LLC currently has only three residents in addition to its resident assistant, Penny Hung (SFS ’16), The Hoya’s city news editor. Though the small size was initially an obstacle to its establishment, the residents say it has not compromised the LLC’s goals.

“There are only three of them, but the three that are there, and the RA, are super passionate about it, and so sometimes the work of a few minds can equal more than that of two or three times the amount,” Assistant Director of Residential Education Amanda Erdmann said.

Greenhouse residents, who live on the fourth floor of LXR, go on hikes, garden in Georgetown’s community garden, focus on building a community and other sustainable practices. The LLC is allotted only a few hundred dollars for the year, but founder Megan Griffin (COL ’14) hopes to work on other initiatives, like a composting program or solar electricity.

“I think if we could make a campus where people were as engaged and in tuned to environmental issues as they are economic injustice, social injustice … think of what could happen in the city,” Griffin said.

Bayit, the Jewish Interest LLC in Henle Village, aims to provide a place for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike to practice their religion and Jewish culture as well engage with other Jewish groups on campus.

The community plans to celebrate religious holidays together, such as having weekly Shabbat dinners. However, Kosher Cleanliness Captain David Turer (MSB ’16) hopes that Bayit can become more than just a place for religious events, but one that fosters a sense of community among its members.

“[Judaism] is more of a culture I’d say than a religion, or equally,” Turer said.

Despite the Jewish affiliation of the majority of its residents, Allison Heymann (SFS ’16) said that she feels comfortable as a non-Jew living in Bayit.

“It doesn’t even feel like Jewish housing, more like a really nice Henle,” Heymann said. “I feel like all of the Jewish students living here have gotten a lot out of it, but as someone who’s not Jewish, I feel very impartial.”

Bayit does, however, differ from surrounding apartments in that it expects its residents to keep kosher to a certain degree.

“To be truly kosher, it’s not impossible, but it’s really, really difficult,” President of Bayit Jake Bercow (COL ’16) said.

Along with a ban on pork and shellfish, a strict kosher household would need separate refrigerators and utensils to completely separate meat and dairy.

“It’s just not really sustainable or practical for a Living and Learning Community, so we have to deal with that,” Bercow said.

There are nine LLCs with themes ranging from French to Justice and Diversity.