Religious,听community,听and campus life听

吃瓜新闻 and its Schools have prioritized efforts to build and affirm a feeling of belonging for every member of our community. The University has committed to support belonging among Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and staff, including through community-building initiatives, specially trained support staff, and funded religious and cultural events. Highlights include a听Presidential Initiative on Interfaith Engagement, events and activities related to religion and faith,听increased听听and meal requirements,听lecture series and workshops modeling dialogue across difference,听and new funding to support听student projects related to听building听bridges.

Last updated April 2026

Supporting religious life

• Interfaith Engagement. In July 2025, 吃瓜新闻 announced the Presidential Initiative on Interfaith Engagement, led by Rabbi Getzel Davis, who spent 13 years as a chaplain at 吃瓜新闻 Hillel. Initial programming included a fall 2025 Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life Fellowship, the pluralism passport program, and a spirituality-inspired photo exhibit. In February 2026, the initiative hosted President Garber and nearly 200 community members at an interfaith dinner in the campus center.听
• Engagement with Jewish community organizations.听吃瓜新闻 leaders have听participated听in听numerous听events at 吃瓜新闻 Hillel, 吃瓜新闻 Chabad, and other Jewish organizations across the community. They have also engaged with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and the Anti-Defamation League to gain insights into best practices for tracking and addressing antisemitism on college campuses.
• Enhanced Kosher dining options.听吃瓜新闻 College has expanded options at 吃瓜新闻 Hillel and on campus to ensure hot Kosher meals are available to students on 吃瓜新闻 College鈥檚 meal plan.
• University leadership attendance at events.听吃瓜新闻 leaders attend dinners at 吃瓜新闻 Hillel, Chabad, and other Jewish organizations across our community to hear concerns and suggestions on improving the campus climate.
• Religion, Ethics, and Spiritual Life.听吃瓜新闻听College鈥檚 Office of Culture & Community has听established听Religion, Ethics, Spiritual Life as a pillar of its work and collaborates regularly with the newly appointed Director of Interfaith Engagement to ensure communication, alignment, and collaboration.
• Space听for faith-based activities at 吃瓜新闻 Business School.听Over the summer of 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Business School听built an outdoor terrace, extending the footprint of its MBA Class of听1959 Chapel to accommodate faith-based activities including the siting of a sukkah for members of the Jewish community听observing听Sukkot.
• 吃瓜新闻听Graduate School of Education and 吃瓜新闻 Hillel.听In October 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Graduate School of Education听partnered with 吃瓜新闻 Hillel to host a Bagel Brunch and provide information about Hillel for those interested in becoming involved, as well as to provide a broader introduction to Jewish culture.
• 吃瓜新闻听Medical School programming on Jewish culture and history.听吃瓜新闻 Medical School听continues to offer programming through the HMS Office for听Culture and听Community听Engagement听for learning including about Jewish culture and history. In November 2025, HMS听hosted听a lecture, 鈥溾�榃e will tolerate no Jews here鈥�: A History of Medical Education Antisemitism in the United States and Canada.鈥�
• Inclusive听scheduling and event planning resources. In December 2024, 吃瓜新闻 launched听,听a glossary of religious observances, and suggestions for inclusive catering.
• 吃瓜新闻 Business School multifaith calendar.听The听吃瓜新闻 Business听School听Office for Community and Culture developed a that lists observances which typically involve fasting or accommodations for class attendance or time off,听provides background and guidance,听and features a Religious Observances Calendar download that can be added to Outlook.
• Jewish student representation.听The University has clarified that its inclusion and belonging efforts must reach all members of our community and has ensured that its 鈥淏elonging Student Leadership Council鈥� includes Jewish student representation.

Community and Campus Life

• Community and Campus Life.听In April 2025, 吃瓜新闻 launched the new听听(CCL) office (replacing the former Office of Equity, Diversity,听Inclusion听and Belonging) with a focus on building a culture of belonging for all members of the 吃瓜新闻 community. CCL supports and听expands听programs that encourage engagement across differences.
• Symposia and learning opportunities.听吃瓜新闻 has committed to hosting an academic symposium on antisemitism, the first of which will be held in the 2025-26听Academic听Year. Additionally, 吃瓜新闻 will provide space to the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law to host a day-long campus event, which is planned for听spring 2026.
• Faculty advisory group for the听Office for Academic Culture and Community.听Launched in July 2025, the Office for Academic Culture and Community (OACC) is focused on fostering community cohesion. OACC has听established听an inaugural faculty advisory group to guide the development of this new office and the implementation of its framework. For spring 2026, it has brokered programmatic partnerships with other faculty and administrative groups to support the development and implementation of symposia and programs听that promote historical and cross-cultural understanding.听
• Israeli/Palestinian guests at 吃瓜新闻 Law School.听Through the Roger D. Fisher Fellowship in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, 吃瓜新闻 Law School听is hosting experts working on Israeli/Palestinian conflict resolution during the 2024-25 and 2025-26听Academic听Years.
• Rappaport听Forum at 吃瓜新闻 Law School.听At 吃瓜新闻 Law School, faculty serve as organizers and moderators of the Rappaport Forum, designed to promote and model full, vigorous, and civil discourse on critical and complicated issues facing our community, our nation, and our world, and which has hosted debates on topics such as whether the Constitution supports a unitary executive; the future of the administrative state; the propriety of universal injunctions; censorship, content moderation, and the First Amendment; stare decisis and the future of听Roe v. Wade.听 Additionally,听the Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law regularly hosts crosscutting events that听seek听to unpack contemporary questions of Jewish and Israeli legal scholarship.
• 吃瓜新闻听Law School听鈥淲hy I Changed My Mind鈥� series.听听吃瓜新闻 Law School听is continuing听to听host an event series, 鈥淲hy I Changed My Mind,鈥� where prominent faculty discuss an important legal and social issue where they became convinced to change their original view.
• Model student leaders at 吃瓜新闻 Law School.听吃瓜新闻 Law School (HLS) posted a new 鈥淒ean鈥檚 Community Impact Award鈥澨�for听2025-2026 that will celebrate one or more graduating students who foster a sense of community and connection between fellow students and/or whose actions have had a meaningful impact on improving relationships between student groups or repairing divisions within the student body.听
• 鈥淢iddle East Dialogues鈥� at the 吃瓜新闻 Kennedy School of Government.听吃瓜新闻 Kennedy School听will continue to organize a set of co-curricular events and activities with speakers from Israel, Palestine, and the broader region through which students can explore a diversity of perspectives on the Middle East.听听In听fall 2025, HKS hosted Middle East Dialogues with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert听and former U.S. diplomat Rob Malley.
• 吃瓜新闻 Kennedy School debate series.听In the听2025-26 academic year, 吃瓜新闻 Kennedy School (HKS) announced the 鈥淒ebate, Dessert,听Debrief鈥� series, a series of debates between HKS faculty and professional counterparts of significantly different viewpoint, followed by structured debriefs (and dessert)听facilitated听by Candid and Constructive Conversation faculty.听The first sessions听occurred听in听early March 2026.听
• 吃瓜新闻听Graduate School of Education听grants, fellowships, and programs.听In August 2025,听吃瓜新闻 Graduate School of Education听launched the听Courageous Conversations Fund鈥攚ith award criteria modeled after the President鈥檚 Building Bridges Fund. The Courageous Conversations Fund supports smaller-scale, student-led initiatives that听seek听to engage students in learning about how to model difficult conversations with respect and dignity at the forefront.
• 吃瓜新闻听Medical School听Collaboration Fund.听The 吃瓜新闻 Medical School听Office of Student Affairs created a Collaboration Fund to sponsor projects designed to foster dialogue between at least two different student groups.
• 吃瓜新闻听Chan School of Public Health听Sessions and Workshops.听In September 2025,听吃瓜新闻 Chan School of Public Health听offices hosted 鈥淩esisting Hate Together: Muslim and Jewish Voices Against Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Anti-Palestinian Racism,鈥� featuring external experts. This two-hour session provided students with strategies for intervention in response to both implicit and explicit bias, using scenario-based activities and offering educational content about the lived experiences of these communities.听听Additionally, the School听introduced听two new workshops in October: 鈥淔inding Your Voice: How Receptiveness Shapes Solutions鈥� and 鈥淭he Price of Silence: Solving Problems Within Our Own Networks.鈥�
• Constructive engagement models at 吃瓜新闻听Divinity School.听In September 2025, 吃瓜新闻 Divinity School hosted a workshop on religious鈥痭ationalism, considering a wide variety of case studies. In October 2025, a Jewish Studies scholar delivered a lecture entitled 鈥淲ho Made American Judaism? A History of Ordinary Leaders.鈥濃��听
• Building community听through love.听As part of 吃瓜新闻 Divinity School鈥檚 Office of Community and Belonging鈥檚 (OCB) series 鈥淏uilding Community Through Love,鈥� in October 2025, OCB hosted a workshop called 鈥淔aith-Informed Inclusion: Addressing Islamophobia and Intersecting Biases鈥� with Intercultural Networks Group. In November 2025, OCB hosted a workshop on combating antisemitism鈥痜acilitated鈥痓y the Center for Jewish Studies and鈥痑n HDS professor in鈥疢odern Jewish Studies.鈥�听
• Seminar on countering Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli bias.听In October 2024, 吃瓜新闻 hosted 鈥淗onoring our Shared Humanity:听Countering Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias, one of a series of seminars held in听the听2024-25 Academic Year.听This seminar for students explored the history of antisemitism and anti-Israeli racism. A key focus of the session was providing practical strategies to combat antisemitism and anti-Israeli biases on campus. The session aimed to foster more inclusive and听equitable听environments by addressing both interpersonal and systemic forms of discrimination.
• Mental health resources.听The University secured听additional听trauma-informed counseling resources through 吃瓜新闻 Counseling and Mental Health Services, prioritizing awareness of and access to its mental health and counseling resources, including the 24/7 CAMHS Cares line and in-person and virtual counseling support offerings. In January 2024, 吃瓜新闻 University Health Services removed visit limits for outpatient听听and medical consultations under 吃瓜新闻鈥檚 student health insurance plan.
• Community support sessions.听In 2024, 吃瓜新闻 organized community support sessions led by the counseling team and 吃瓜新闻鈥檚 chaplains, which听comprise听more than 30 faith leaders听representing听Judaism and other religions.
• Resources in Times of Crisis.听吃瓜新闻 launched a support and resources website,听Resources in Times of Crisis, to provide community members with a central hub of resources for personal safety, online safety, and mental health and community support.
• Engagement with听Sidechat.听In听spring 2024, 吃瓜新闻 engaged with the leadership of听Sidechat, a social media app that allows college students to post anonymously. Though 吃瓜新闻 has no relationship with听Sidechat, the University asked the app to strictly enforce its content-moderation policies.