ChaiLights from Hillel - November 21, 2011

In This Issue
HannuKasino
Celebrity Shabbat
Takkana
JDRC Spring Break
Join Our Mailing List
Quick Links
There will be no Hillel-hosted Shabbat Dinner this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  We look forward to seeing you at Shabbat Dinner on Friday, December 2 in College Hall.
Happy Thanksgiving! 
The staff at St. Louis Hillel would like to wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  Whether you're traveling home to spend time with family and friends or staying in the St. Louis area, we hope you have a wonderful holiday.

We have a lot of great activities planned for your return!  Please read below for information about our upcoming HannuKasino event and our first
ever "Celebrity Shabbat!"

Safe travels & Warm Wishes,
The St. Louis Hillel staff
Save the Date: Thurs., December 1
HannuKasino in Tisch Commons!
 
Are you feeling lucky?  JSU invites you to try your luck on the Blackjack, Craps and Poker tables at this year's HannuKasino event!
 
7:00-9:00pm
There is no cost to attend.
Hannukah-themed snacks and drinks will be provided!
 
Questions? Contact Jen Spielman at
jenspiel@gmail.com.
Celebrity Shabbat with Maxine Clark, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Bear
of Build-A-Bear Workshop - Friday, December 2
7pm in College Hall, South 40

St. Louis Hillel is hosting a FREE Shabbat Dinner for students that you won't want to miss!

Join us for inspiring discussions over a family-style meal.  This is a great opportunity for you to make a personal connection with one of St. Louis' great community leaders and philanthropists.

 

(This dinner is generously funded by Maxine Clark and Bob Fox.) 

 

A few lucky students will go home with their very own Hillel Bear!
Takkana Social Justice Initiative:
Seeding a Sustainable Future 
Jan. '12-Nov. '12, Trip to Muchucuxca, Mexico May 2012

If your vision of social justice moves you to get out into the world to be an agent of social change, the Takkana Initiative is for you. Participants will learn about the pressing issues of our time including environmental sustainability, food sovereignty, community greening and what it takes to feed our world. As part of this initiative, students will have hands-on opportunities to work in a traditional Mayan community in Mexico, be a part of a new educational garden in a St. Louis public school, and engage with local and national leaders.
 
Registration is open now!  Cost is $250 which includes program fee and travel to Mexico.  Space is limited to 10 select students. 
So, apply now

Application deadline is January 10th.
Contact Rabbi Andy at rabbiandy@stlouishillel.org for more information. 

Jewish Disaster Response Corps 
Spring Break Service Trip to Alabama

 

Be a part of St. Louis Hillel's exciting new collaboration with JDRC. Students will volunteer alongside the Hillels of Metro Detroit, NYU and George Washington University in a week of work with Habitat for Humanity assisting communities in Alabama who were affected by the tornadoes.  

 

Registration is NOW OPEN!  Contact Rayna Schaff at rayna@stlouishillel.org to register. Registration closes February 1.

Weekday Services 
Conservative Minyan (Egalitarian Minyan)

Tuesdays at 8:00am, Lee Library, South 40
Contact Jeremy Rose at jsrose@wustl.edu for more information.
  


Mechizah (Orthodox) Morning Services
 
Monday - Friday at 8:00am, Lee Basement, South 40
Contact Justin Eisenberg at jeisenberg@wustl.edu for more information.

Opportunities     

Do Something Extraordinary in 2012!

Enrich yourself on a generously subsidized ($3,000-$7,500 grants) program for young adults age 21-30 organized by Israel Pathways. Learn a digital media skill in Tel Aviv, hike the entirety of Israel, or take part in a community service program and get a close-up experience in Israeli society. Hurry: The "Early Bird Discount" expires November 30th!

 

In addition to funding from MASA, anyone registering by November 30, 2012 qualifies for an extra $200 "Early Bird Discount" from Israel Pathways. The discount can be applied to any program starting in February 2012.  Note: A separate deadline applies for programs starting in September 2012.

 

For more information, visit www.israelpathways.com or contact Rachel Schonwald at rachel@israelpathways.com.

 

The Gephardt Institute's Civic Engagement Fund 

Apply to the Civic Engagement Fund! The Gephardt Institute's Civic Engagement Fund provides support for civic engagement and community service projects throughout the year. Undergraduate, graduate and professional students are eligible to apply. 

 

Funding amounts are variable based on the budget, duration and scope of the project. Grants are available for both individuals and groups.

The deadline is December 2, 2011 at 5pm.

 

For the application or further information, please visit gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu, email gephardtinstitute@wustl.edu or call (314) 935-9104.    

 

Boston University
February 23-February 26, 2012
KOACH, the college program of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, invites you to the 22nd Annual KOACH Kallah, February 23-26, 2012 at Boston University in Boston, MA.  Registration is just $100!  

 

Students from campuses throughout North America will come together for a weekend of learning, sharing and friendship. Rabbi Jane Kanarek of the Hebrew College, will be our scholar-in-residence on the theme of Wandering in the Wilderness of Jewish Identity.  Workshops on leadership and essential skills, community service, text study and a phenomenal Shabbat will round out the program. There will be time to meet in small groups and network with students from across the continent.

For more information, contact Rabbi Elyse Winick, KOACH Director at winick@uscj.org or (857) 231-3690.  

 

Humanity in Action: International Summer Fellowships in Human Rights: Amsterdam - Berlin - Copenhagen - Lyon - Warsaw

The HIA Fellowship brings together international groups of Fellows to study minority rights and produce research exploring how and why individuals and societies, past and present, have resisted intolerance and protected democratic values.  Separate programs will take place from June 1 to July 1, 2012 in the above listed areas.  Intensive and demanding, the HIA Fellowship features daily lectures and discussions with renowned academics, journalists, politicians and activists, as well as site visits to governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, museums and memorials. Participation requires a great deal of intellectural curiosity and stamina, as well as the ability to work effectively in international teams.

 

Current sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduates from the undergraduate classes of 2010 and 2011 are eligible to apply. All majors and academic disciplines are encouraged to apply.  No foreign language knowledge is required; all HIA Fellowship Programs are conducted in English.  HIA covers the cost of participation and accommodation during the Fellowship.  All Fellows will be responsible for the cost of airfare.   

 

The application deadline is January 9, 2012.  Information available at http://www.humanityinaction.org/.  Apply at http://apply.humanityinaction.org/register. 

 

In Service Opportunities with the JDC!    

JDC's Jewish Service programs offer young Jews the opportunity to directly engage with the work of the largest Jewish humanitarian aid organization in the world. Through meaningful volunteer projects directly connected to JDC's global programs, participants meet real needs and gain an understanding of pressing Jewish and humanitarian challenges around the world. Click here for specific program information.

 

If you're interested in getting your hands dirty?  Contact globalservice@jdc.org for more information!

 

Are you from Cleveland? Looking for a Summer internship?

Cleveland Hillel Foundation is coordinating a paid, summer internship program for college sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students are placed, based on skills and interests, at local businesses and non-profits for internships in fields such as (but not limited to) real estate, marketing/PR/advertising, community relations and planning, environmental activism, business, accounting, finance, social work, biotech, arts and culture, radio, and more.

 

  • Dates for the program are June 11 - August 3, 2012
  • The final application deadline is February 24, 2012
  • An in-person interview is required

For more information check out www.clevelandhillel.org, or email Ilana Shafran Mandel at ishafran@clevelandhillel.org.

  

Annual National Union for Jewish LGBTQ Students Conference

The conference, hosted by the American University Hillel in Washington, DC, will be held February 17-19, 2012. The mini immersion experience has been happening annually since 1997, has nearly 1000 alumni and is a great way to engage students in a sense of community beyond their campus that can bring them back to campus energized.  Campuses are welcome to send a cohort of students or individual students.

 

Students with questions, please contact Jonathan Lipton (American University '14) at nujls2012@gmail.com.

 

Interested in Teach for America after Graduation?  The final deadline is fast approaching for Teach for America! Interested applicants must submit initial application materials (resume and letter of intent) by Friday, January 6. Contact Chanel Hampton with any questions at chanel.hampton@teachforamerica.org or (314) 621-9100 ext. 49139.

 

Enjoy Travel, Politics and History?  Get Paid to Do All Three!   

Etgar 36, a summer travel program for Jewish teens, is looking for staff. Etgar 36 offers cross-country journeys in which teens develop their American and Jewish identities as well as become empowered to get involved politically and socially. As a staff member, you will be able to see America, help develop the future leadership of the American and Jewish community, and get paid. Previous work with youth and involvement with youth groups/summer camps a plus. Applicants should be in a good physical shape, and have a passion for history, politics and activism.

 

For more information on the program, and to apply for a staff position, please see the Etgar 36 website: www.etgar.org, call (404) 403-7779, or email micah@etgar.org.

 

Civil rights activists honed their skills at the Highlander Folk School. Global innovators exchange ideas at the TED Conference. YOU can learn to change the world too at an Interfaith Leadership Institute (ILI). ILIs are four-day intensive workshops that equip students and their campus allies to be movement builders for interfaith action. Join hundreds of organizers who are changing campuses through the Better Together campaign.

Rally your campus team, and apply now for the next ILI at Emory University in Atlanta, GA - January 12-15, 2012. 

Applications due November 28. (Apply by October 31 and save $50!)
  


Pardes Winter Programs from Coast to Coast! 
 

Pardes LA: December 18-22, 2011, AJU-LA Campus
5 days, 3 visiting Pardes faculty members, immeasurable inspiration!

Click here for details!

Awakening the Divine: A Pardes Jewish Spirituality Retreat
January 3-8, 2012, Pearlstone Retreat Center, Maryland
Explore the depths of Jewish spirituality and open your mind to new meaning in Jewish tradition.
Click here for details!

 

Contact naomia@pardes.org with questions about either program.

 

NOW AVAILABLE!
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Israel Experience Scholarship Applications
Applications are available for anyone going on an approved Israel experience program beginning December 2011 - Spring 2012.  For an online application, click here.

Please note: Applicants must be from the Chicago metropolitan area.

For more information, please visit the St. Louis Hillel website.
Classifieds
AP Prep: Coach High School Students this Spring in AP Chemistry or English
Wednesdays, February 1 - March 7, 2:30-5:00pm
Application Deadline: December 1
 
Throughout the six-week program, coaches assist students in becoming familiar with the exam content and structure and serve as a source of support and encouragement throughout the exam preparation process.

The commitment is only six weeks, with transportation provided!
(No experience with AP tests necessary! Training will be provided to get you familiar with the AP test.)

To learn more or to download an application, please visit http://communityservice.wustl.edu/k12/ap.
Around the Community Calendar 
Do you know of any great events or programs going on in the St. Louis Jewish community? 

Please email hillel@stlouishillel.org to share your events with students at Wash U!
If you have information you'd like us to include in an upcoming issue of Hillel ChaiLights, please email hillel@stlouishillel.org.
  
Thanks for reading!
  
Sincerely,
St. Louis Hillel Staff

 


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A Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis    

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