Shabbat and Holidays

Shabbat Dinners

In addition to Kesher (reform community) weekly Shabbat dinners and suite meals hosted by students, there are two large scale community dinners every week. Hewitt Shabbat Dinners are traditional Shabbat dinners coordinated by Hewitt Dining Hall, in coordination with the student-run Shabbat Meals Committee (SMC). SMC works to make Hewitt dinners a fun, welcoming, and social experience every week. Click here to become friends with SMC on Facebook, or click here to email SMC with any questions or ideas. To register for Hewitt meals, click here (Hewitt also serves Shabbat lunch weekly). Registration closes at 12 pm every Thursday.

Weekly Kraft Shabbat Dinners are casual, comfortable dinners open to everyone. The Kraft Dinner Committee (KDC) is a student-run committee that organizes and facilitates dinners, including picking themes, reaching out to students to volunteer, and facilitating the rituals that take place at the beginning of the meal. Like Kraft Shabbat Dinners on Facebook to stay up-to-date on what’s happening each week. Click here to register for Kraft Shabbat Dinners.

High Holidays

At Columbia/Barnard the High Holidays are a uniquely communal experience. They are one of the few times when everyone comes together. Undergrads, grads, alumni, university faculty/staff and local community members are all well represented! Click here for information about Rosh Hashanah (September 9-11, 2018) and Yom Kippur (September 18 and 19, 2018), including service times and meal sign-ups.

Sukkot

Following the High Holidays of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur comes the celebration of Sukkot (literally meaning huts). Relating back to the times of the ancient Israelites wandering in the desert, this holiday is a time of great joy! Around campus we have a number of these sukkot, temporary huts, erected for the week-long celebration. Come check out the Kraft Center’s very own student-decorated sukkah located on the thrid floor terrace – it’s open to one and all!

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Shemini Atzeret, literally the Eighth [Day] of Assembly, and Simchat Torah, literally “Rejoicing of the Torah”, represent the culmination of the Jewish holiday season. While Shemini Atzeret serves as both the finale of Sukkot and as a unique joyous holiday, Simchat Torah marks the conclusion of the public Torah reading cycle.

On campus our annual Simchat Torah celebration is a real highlight! This great night always brings out hundreds of students across campus for festive dancing, communal joy, and merrymaking. Come carry a scroll, dance with friends, meet new people, or just enjoy our refreshments!

Purim

Passover

We recognize that our students observe the holiday in many different ways. From Spring cleaning to tradition-laden seders, Passover is a time for one and all to experience their own reflections on the themes of redemption and freedom.