Kehillah Newsletter: For the most up-to-date information on our Graduate and Professional programming, join our mailing list to receive our biweekly newsletter

Hillel-Talk: Hillel-talk is restricted to current undergraduates at Yale, and is a more informal way for members to talk about what’s going on. Students will often use this to publicize smaller events that others might be interested in attending, such as those from affiliated organizations. It is also a fun way to talk about Judaism in the news, and other interesting topics. All members can send to this list.

Slifka-Talk: Slifka-Talk is not restricted to any one group at Yale, and is the formal means of finding out what’s happening at Slifka, as well as messages from our Staff and Students for the Yale and Greater New Haven community.

Slifka is hiring interns! Below are the positions, please take a look. If you are interested in any of these roles, send an email to rachel.leiken@yale.edu or aviva.green@yale.edu with the role in the subject line and a few sentences about why you’re interested. We will follow up with you!

SNACK Intern- Slifka Nourishment and Community Kitchen Intern – Managed by Rachel

The SNACK intern is responsible for helping to maintain Slifka’s common student spaces, including Sussman Hall, the Noah Wellness Center, and the student-use kitchen. This includes tidying these areas up at the end of each day, ensuring that there is no trash laying around and that items from the Noah Center are replaced and moveable charging stations are plugged in. They are also responsible for liaising with staff around ordering snacks and supplies for the kitchen, as well as maintaining the popcorn machine in the SFS Office. The SNACK Intern will gather student feedback and input on the Noah Wellness Center and the kitchen, and will communicate this information with the staff. The Intern will also support the planning, advertising, and implementation of at least one event of the Noah Center each semester. The SNACK Intern is expected to spend 5-10 hours per week on this role and will be compensated at $14.30/hr.

JLF Intern – Managed by Rachel and Aviva

The JLF Intern supports the JLF facilitators in creating a meaningful experience for those who participate in the Jewish Learning Fellowship. They are involved in each aspect of the fellowship, from advertising and recruitment to planning and facilitation. Their particular focus is on fostering a sense of community and connection among fellows in each cohort. This includes having coffee conversations with fellows, sharing information about other Slifka events they might be interested in, and attending events together. On a weekly basis, the JLF Intern is expected to (1) attend the JLF session, (2) meet with Aviva and Rachel to debrief and plan the next week, (3) engage at least 2 JLF fellows in conversation, and (4) send out a weekly email. The JLF Intern is expected to spend 5-7 hours per week on this role and will be compensated at $14.30/hr.

Reform Chavurah Intern – Managed by Rachel

The Reform Chavurah Intern supports the functioning and flourishing of Slifka’s Reform community. This includes logistical responsibilities such as maintaining the Reform email list, sending out weekly emails in advance of services, setting up or getting supplies for services or events, creating a calendar for service leading, and more. They will work closely with Rachel, Associate Jewish Chaplain and Reform Clergy person, to ensure that students know and are excited about Reform services and programming, and that those who attend receive follow-up engagement. They will also support community-building activities among the Reform Chavurah, planning, advertising, and implementing at least one social or outreach event each semester. The Reform Intern will represent the Reform Chavurah at G?!d Squad meetings and will support community-wide holiday planning. The Reform Chavurah Intern is expected to spend 5-7 hours per week on this role and will be compensated at $14.30/hr.

Social Media Intern – Managed by Aviva 

The social media intern will create content for Slifka’s Instagram, facebook, and screens in the Slifka building. The intern will be responsible for creating original content as well as content made per the instructions of their supervisor. They will make sure there is a content calendar for the Slifka social media pages that is dynamic and exciting. This intern will also be responsible for creating and posting two student spotlights per month. Along with their work with supervisor, Aviva Green, they will work with Operations Manager, Margarita Nieves, and Student Life Operations Associate, Nick Rivera. The social media intern will be expected to work 5-10 hours per week and will be compensated $14.50/hr. 

Service Engagement Internship – Managed by Aviva

The Service Engagement Internship is run in partnership with Repair the World and Hillel International for students interested in direct service, social justice work, learning and peer engagement. Interns will create and run service projects that engage their peers and participate in cohort learning sessions run by Hillel International and Repair the World. Each student intern will receive $500 directly from Repair the World for their participation in the year-long program and will be supervised by Springboard Fellow Aviva Green. There are 3 internship spots available. 

Note: one internship spot is reserved for someone who will be working on a community fridge project. The community fridge, located outside of the YMCA on Howe Street in the Dwight neighborhood of New Haven, serves as a food supply resource for those living in the neighborhood. It is open one day a week and receives food donations from Slifka and local grocery stores. The intern working on this project will oversee the maintenance of the fridge, ensure it is continually stocked, and serve as a liaison to other community partners working on the project. 

Internship requirements: 

• Interns will be required to attend a two hour orientation session on Zoom at the beginning of the program.
• With the support of Aviva, each intern will develop a service engagement plan to be submitted for approval to secure funding no later than November 7, 2022. 
  • Qualifying plans will result in each intern engaging in at least 10 acts of individual service and learning along with engaging at least 25 additional students who will each participate in at least one act of service and learning 
• Interns will be required to attend a 2-hour mid-year session via Zoom in January 2023.
• Interns will be required to participate in a topic-based small learning cohort run by Repair the World and Hillel International. Interns will be able to choose among several issue-specific topics such as Climate Justice, Food Justice, and Racial Justice. Cohorts will meet approximately 4 times during the year.
• (Optional): Interns will have the option of joining some or all of four skill-building trainings. These will be offered throughout the fall 2022 semester. Topics will include:
  • Recruitment 101
  • Planning a Program
  • Influence/Campus Mapping
  • Identifying Service Partners 

Photography Intern – More Info Coming Soon!

Here you will find everything you need to know about the regular programming Slifka has to offer for the Fall 2022 semester, including fellowships, internships, learning and arts

Fellowships 

• First Year Ambassadors 
  • Looking for an opportunity to grow your leadership skills in a supportive and nurturing environment? Looking for an opportunity to connect with other First-Years? Looking for an opportunity to build community amongst your class year? Become a First-Year Ambassador and learn how to do all of this and more! First-Year Ambassadors is a community-building leadership opportunity for anyone in the Class of 2026 to gain experience and create opportunities for their classmates. Click here to apply. Contact Aviva Green with any questions.
• Urim Fellowship 
  • Community is one of the central pillars of Judaism. The Urim fellowship recognizes the sacredness of building relationships and Jewish community, and invites you to hone your skills in this work. In this fellowship we will meet once a week to build and discuss leadership, community organizing, and human-centered design thinking skills. But most importantly, we will actively be working to build community and foster new relationships among Yale’s Jewish student body. Every week fellows will reach out to at least one peer for a one on one conversation. As we build these personal relationships we will also work together to foster new Jewish communities.
  • Strong candidates will either have a) a specific constituency in mind that they would like to engage as well as a network within that constituency. Or b) an interest in fostering new relationships and cultivating belonging among Jews of diverse backgrounds. We encourage everyone to apply regardless of your Jewish knowledge and background.

Internships 

• Service Engagement Internship
• SNACK Internship
• Social Media Internship 
• JLF Internship
• Reform Chavurah Internship 

Learning

• Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) – Tuesdays 5:30-7 or 6:30-8
  • JLF is an 8-10-week experiential, conversational seminar that invites fellows to deepen their understanding of Judaism on their own terms. We will explore some of life’s big questions, including those related to community, identity, friendships, and space. We make no claims about the “right” way to practice or not to practice Judaism. The goal of the fellowship is to help you explore the tradition in a welcoming, warm space in conversation with a diverse group of people. That means we’ll ask a lot of big questions, but we don’t purport to have any of the big answers. This semester (Fall 2022), we will be offering two different tracks– one focused on exploring big questions in Judaism, and one focused on what Jewish wisdom can teach us about fighting for justice. Apply here. Students who attend at least 8 sessions will receive a $300 stipend. Fall semester cohorts are open to all Yale students. Interested? Questions? E-mail Rachel Leiken.

• Building Your Judaism – Wednesdays at 6pm starting on October 26 
  • The purpose of this “class” is to think about what it looks like to build a Jewish life and practice that meets our needs, hopes, and dreams. We’ll think about different elements of Judaism including but not limited to prayer, theology, observance, and justice with the aim of figuring out what it might look like to incorporate these into our daily lives. There is no assumption about what your Jewish life “should” look like; instead, we’ll focus on what is important and nourishing to us and how we might go about building the skills and resources to make it a part of the way we move about the world.  This offering is for anyone who has ever asked “what next?” or “Ok, I’m Jewish, or I want to be Jewish, but what does that mean? What can my Judaism look like?”
• Intro to Judaism – Fridays at 3pm starting October 14 
  • This (non-credit) course will meet once a week for an introduction to many different aspects of Judaism and Jewish life. Topics will include but are not limited to: the Jewish cycle of time and Jewish holidays, study of some major Jewish texts, halakha (Jewish law), different denominations of Judaism, and more. This class is ideal for anyone who wants to learn more, including those who are reconnecting with Judaism and/or want to deepen their knowledge, those who are in the process of conversion, or those who just want to know more. You do not have to be Jewish to sign up– people of any faith and no faith are welcome!
• Yeshivat Yale – Thursdays at 8:30pm on 3rd Floor of Slifka
  • Beloved weekly hour of Talmudic mayhem, deep camaraderie, and homemade waffles. All are warmly welcome – no background required. We’ll do deep dives on one or more of (1) the question of brain death and organ donation in Jewish law, and (2) liberal-democratic ethics in Talmudic sources, and (3) pluralism in theory and practice.  
• LGBTorah – Every other Friday at 2pm starting on September 9th in Zucker Reading Room 
  • Join us for a bi-weekly warm and welcoming session of queer text study! We read all types of Jewish texts through a queer lens. Come by all year or drop by for one session. No prior Jewish learning experience or knowledge necessary. All texts will have English translations. All are welcome!
• Sunday Night Learning – Sundays, 7pm on 3rd floor of Slifka
  • Kosher dinner from local restaurants paired with Torah learning curated by Slifka staff
• Ambition, Worry, Love, etc: Torah as a Guide to Living – Wednesdays at 6:30pm starting September 7th in Friedman Library (3rd Floor Library) 
  • Each week, we’ll focus on a central, sometimes-wonderful, sometimes-angsty part of what it means to be a person – and we’ll explore the terrain of our experiences, taking Torah as a kind of map. No prior experience with Jewish text study or Hebrew is required – just an open mind and heart. (Dinner provided)
•  Abortion and Reproductive Rights in Judaism – September 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 12pm
  • A 4-session course at Yale Law School on Judaism’s approaches to abortion and reproductive rights (lunch provided)
  • Register on Yale Connect here

Arts

• Student Art Exhibition
  • We have lots of wall space in our beautifully reopened building and would love nothing more than to fill it with pieces from you, our wonderful students. Lend us your art and we will proudly display it in our gallery, and the exhibition will be featured in the building’s grand reopening on October 13th. All we need is the piece itself, its title, an artist statement and your name and class year. Along with paintings, drawings, etc., we would love to spotlight your summer experiences, so if you have an amazing photograph you took this summer, we will print it for you. To have your art in the exhibition, send the above information and a photo of the piece (or an image file for a photograph) to Aviva Green.  

• Blanksteen Artist in Residence Student Cohort 
  • The Blanksteen Artist Residency will run for the first time this year from December to March. We will welcome (name) into our community for these three months during which they will work on a commissioned piece and develop a collaborative project with you, the students. This cohort will meet with the artist in person when they visit Yale and will continue working while the artist completes their piece in their home studio. Students who participate in this cohort will receive a stipend of $200. Click here to sign up. Contact Aviva Green with any questions.
• Judaism and Theatre Series – weekly starting September 12th 
  • Nine weeks of learning covering the intersections of theater and Judaism facilitated by YC junior, Catherine Alam-Nist followed by a two-week rehearsal process for a staged reading to be presented at Slifka.

Shanah Tovah

If you have questions about times and locations of services, please email slifka.center@yale.edu.

We can’t wait to celebrate the High Holidays, welcoming in the new year of possibility and learning together. Slifka Center is holding Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox services, plus full holiday meals and a variety of learnings and programs. For security and COVID-compliance, service locations will be provided upon registration. Full vaccination will be required for all participating adults. To purchase tickets for the services, click here

September 25-26/7: Rosh Hashanah services

Reform: Evening service 9/25: 6:30pm, morning service 9/26: 10am-1pm

Conservative: Evening service 9/25: 6:30pm,  Morning services 9/26 and 9/27: 9:30am-1pm

Orthodox: Evening services 9/25 and 9/26: 6:30pm, morning services 9/26 and 9/27: 9am-1:30pm

Meals: Night 1&2 Rosh Hashanah Dinner- 8-10pm

End of Rosh Hashanah Dinner- 5pm

Rosh Hashanah:

• Come get all of your questions answered about High Holiday Services. Find out what to expect when walking into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Services!
  • Friday Sept. 16th at 3pm at Slika
• Pre-Rosh Hashanah ‘Taste of Apples and Honey’
  • Friday Sept. 23rd at 12pm on Cross Campus 
• Tashlich:  Monday September 26th at 3:30pm

Join us for the ritual on the first day of Rosh Hashanah in which we symbolically cast our sins away in a running body of water.

• Reverse Tashlich: Sunday October 2nd at 1:30pm

In partnership with Tikkun Hayam; Repair the Sea, Slifka will be taking part in the 5th annual international Reverse Tashlich, an international Jewish community waterfront cleanup. Reverse Tashlich is a modern ritual of a local cleanup the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur grounded in the Jewish ethical principle of bal tashchit, do not destroy. This year we will be working with the Mill River Trail project.

To purchase tickets for services, click here.

Yom Kippur October 4-5

Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Kol Nidrei services 10/4, Morning services including Yizkor, followed by afternoon and concluding services 10/5

Pre-fast meal- Starting at 4:30pm 

• “The Long Work of Forgiveness”: Post-Kol Nidrei Community Learning with R’ Jason Rubenstein, 8:30pm October 4 in the Sylvia Slifka Chapel (2nd floor)

Arias Break-fast – 10/5 at 7pm, free for all.

Slifka Center wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the following Endowment Funds which support High Holy Days at Slifka Center:

The Robert ’59 and Louise Arias Yom Kippur Break-Fast Endowment

Frank Bernstein ’61 Family Music Endowment

The Fleischer Passover and High Holy Days Endowment

The Bernard and Norma Lytton Apples and Honey Kiddush Fund

Questions? Please contact slifka.center@yale.edu

For more information and to be kept up to date about the residency, click here.

To join the student cohort who will be working with Hannah, click here.

Kikar Schusterman (Slifka’s newly renovated Dining Hall and Commnal Space)  is welcoming Students to gather and eat!! 

Meals will be served
11:30a-1:30p Sun-Fri
5:00p-7:30p Sun-Thurs
7:30p-9:30p Shabbat Dinner
12:45PM for Shabbat Lunch
1hr after Sunset for Shabbat 3rd Meal

Bagel Brunch is just about Every Other Sunday 11:30am-1:30pm
Claire’s Brunch is hosted by HSB asnd Student Facing Staff when we’re not having Bagel Brunch (and school is in session)

Check out the Calendar of events, or peek at the screens in the Lobby! You can reserve space for your own event, study session, or hang out here.

Our Menu is Here, and Shabbat Registration lives Here!

Our Student Facing Staff are excited to meet you! Please visit our Program Office on the 1st floor at 80 Wall Street!

Redirected to https://slifkacenter.org/hillel/first-year-students/

The Slifka Center for Jewish Life is an active, vibrant, and diverse Jewish community. Slifka plays a central role in bringing together all our community has to offer. Our staff and students run a multitude of programs and platforms for your growth and enjoyment. Click each Heading for more information!

Check out all the exciting offerings at Slifka for the Fall 2022 Semester!

You may contact our staff, our Hillel student Co-Presidents, Maayan Schoen and Sam Pekats, or any of our Student Leaders for more information — they are always happy to help!

Click here for a list of job and internship opportunities for current students and recent graduates.

General:

Yale Hillel

Yale Hillel is a community that enthusiastically embraces the range of Jewish backgrounds and experiences on campus. Contact ruth.davis@yale.edu or zevi.siegal@yale.edu for more information

Jewish Graduate and Professional Student Network

Kehillah (Community) is Yale’s Jewish Graduate and Professional Student Community. We are a Slifka-sponsored, student-led organization that programs social events, Jewish learning, and prayer. While we are primarily dedicated to serving graduate and professional students of all denominations, we welcome young professionals in the greater New Haven area to join us in our programming. See the graduate student page of the Slifka Center website or be in touch with our leaders for more information.

Cultural:

Jewish & LGBTQ+

We are a student group that celebrates the cultures of both the Jewish and LGBTQ communities, and provide a comfortable space for students within these communities. Contact gabriel.klapholz@yale.edu for more information

Team Teva 

We are a student group focusing in Slifka on issues of sustainability and environmentalism. Contact gavi.welbel@yale.edu for more information

Jews of Color  

Do you identify as a Jewish POC?  Contact ikenna.maduno@yale.edu for more information.

AEPi

Yale’s only Jewish fraternity. We are culturally Jewish, and try to incorporate those values into everything we do. Contact zachary.zabib@yale.edu for more info

Shibboleth

Shibboleth is Yale University’s undergraduate journal dedicated to Jewish thought and ideas – religious, political, cultural, literary, and philosophical. Contact Dov.Greenwood@yale.edu for more information.

Magevet

Magevet is a Jewish, Hebrew, and Israeli a cappella group from Yale University. All of its members are undergrads devoted to spreading beautiful music of the Jewish tradition to the far corners of the globe. Contact daniel.edison@yale.edu for more information.

Magoovet

Magoovet is Yale’s first no-rules no-pressure sorta Jewish singing group, where you and any and all of your friends can sing anything you like as badly (or as well) as you like. Contact ruth.davis@yale.edu for more info.

Yale Klezmer Band

Yale Klezmer Band brings the joyous, rousing sounds of klezmer to the halls of Yale, to its Hillel as well as to anyone who likes energized dance music. Contact amy.shteyman@yale.edu for more information.

Krav Maga at Yale

Krav Maga is a self-defense and fighting system. The martial art is focused primarily on defensive rather than offensive combat, and real world situations. 

Ever wanted to learn Krav Maga? Just want to practice your skills? Contact michelle.barsukov@yale.edu for more information.

Religious:

Young Israel House at Yale

YIHY is the student organization responsible for Orthodox student life on campus. We provide support, programming, and learning opportunities to the observant community, as well as reaching out to the greater Jewish population at Yale. Contact lia.solomon@yale.edu or zevi.siegal@yale.edu.

Egal at Yale

Egal is Yale’s traditional Egalitarian minyan. In addition to organizing weekly services, we provide learning opportunities as well as social programming. Contact daniella.shear@yale.edu or etan.basser@yale.edu for more information.

Reform Chavura

The Reform Chavura is a vibrant Reform community at Yale. From weekly Kabbalat Shabbat services to tabling with surprises and treats on cross-campus, Reform is here for you. Contact aaron.mesa@yale.edu for more information.

Israel

Yale Friends of Israel (YFI)

Yale Friends of Israel is a student group for those who care about the State of Israel and wish to learn and discuss issues related to Israeli politics, diplomacy, and history, as well as celebrate Israeli art, music, theatre, literature, cuisine, and technology. A pro-Israel, non-partisan group, YFI does not endorse any particular political views.  Contact gabe.diamond@yale.edu  for more information.

YIPAC

Yale’s AIPAC cadre advocates for a strong US/Israel relationship. To participate, contact Zachary.Zabib@yale.edu.

JStreet U at Yale

JStreet U is the student organizing arm of J Street, the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans. An advocacy group committed to ensuring Israel’s future as the democratic homeland of the Jewish people, secured through a two-state resolution, we foster dialogue and action on campus and off. Contact  daniella.shear@yale.edu for more info.

Yale Israel Journal

The YIJ explores the cultural, political and historical issues concerning Israel. Contact Mati.Zeff@yale.edu for more information. You may also visit yihy.org

Peace and Dialogue Leadership Initiative

PDLI is a student-run program that offers outstanding college students an opportunity to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a 12-day trip with Yale students and West Point cadets. For more information, contact jasper.boers@yale.edu or mehmed.olgac@yale.edu.

At Global Assembly in Atlanta, largest Jewish campus organization recognizes contributions of exemplary campus Hillels
Slifka Center Honored for Campus Partnership with Yale

“Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale serves as a model of how Hillels around the world succeed in engaging and educating students, no matter their size or location,” said Hillel International Interim President and CEO Adam Lehman. “We’re incredibly proud of our talented professionals for the work they do every day to inspire and support Jewish students and their entire campus communities.”

The award to Slifka Center, along with 15 other awards, which also recognize those who reflect Hillel’s culture of excellence, were presented at Hillel International’s annual Global Assembly in Atlanta, attended by more than 1,100 Hillel professionals from around the world as an opportunity for professional development, networking and continuing education.

The Campus Partnership Award recognizes Slifka Center’s multi-faceted partnerships with Yale centers and departments. These include active programmatic collaborations with the African-American House, La Casa – Yale’s Latino cultural center, Asian-American Cultural Center, Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale, Chaplain’s Office, and more. Activities include domestic and international travel (especially to Israel), research, career development, social justice, and community organizing opportunities.

The Award also highlights Slifka Center’s strategic partnership with the student-led Yale College Council. The result is a late dining program that ensures that all students – including athletes, STEM students who have late labs, and those who hold jobs while in school – have access to a healthy dinner at Slifka Center’s Lindenbaum Kosher Kitchen and Heyman Dining Commons. Together, the Yale College Council and Slifka Center filled a chronic need, and in doing so strengthened the entire Yale community. With this prestigious award, Hillel International has named Slifka Center’s partnership with Yale as a model for other Hillels around the world to follow.