Hillel Community Newsletter

Weekly Events & Announcements

February 1-7

Contrary to the spring weather coming this week, Happy February! HCN is your weekly glimpse into all the happenings in and around Hillel, and different ways you can get involved. A summary of this week's event is below - here are some highlights:

- Registration for Birthright Summer 2016 opens TODAY! Read below to learn more about how you can sign up for a trip of a lifetime!

- A $5 gift card to Amazon, iTunes or Starbucks awaits! Just complete this short survey, which will help improve the services offered to the Brown and RISD Jewish student community. Your answers will remain confidential and your email will not be used in any way. Access the survey here.

- If you are a graduate or medical student, see below for information on a Grad Community Oneg happening this Friday, hosted by a med student.

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Our spring semester hours are in effect:

Monday - Friday: 9am - 10pm

Saturday: 10am-8pm

Sunday: 12pm-6pm

This Week's Events

Monday, February 1

6:30pm: Brown Students for Israel (BSI) Weekly Meeting (Meeting Room)

Brown Students for Israel is a pro-Israel educational group who aims to educate ourselves and the Brown community about Israel and the Middle East. Join the conversation during our weekly meetings.

Tuesday, February 2

7-9pm: RISD Mid-Year Activities Fair (Upper Met)

Stop by the Hillel table to say hi, register for more Birthright information and hear about all the great things happening at Hillel. You can grab some candy and BRH chapstick too!

9pm: J Street U Brown Weekly Meeting (JWW 202)

J Street U Brown advocates and organizes for peace and security in Israel, as well as self-determination and human rights for Palestinians. Come to a weekly meeting to learn more about getting involved.

Wednesday, February 3

7-9pm: Brown Mid-Year Activities Fair (Alumnae Hall)

Stop by the Hillel table to say hi, register for more Birthright information and hear about all the great things happening at Hillel. You can grab some candy and BRH chapstick too! If you're interested in attending the fair to talk to students about Hillel, let Abby know.

Thursday, February 4

4pm: Challah for Hunger Baking and Braiding (Hillel Kitchen)

Join Brown's Challah for Hunger chapter for weekly challah bakes in three shifts (baking, braiding, and packaging) featuring returning flavors and weekly specials. The challah is sold in the Blue Room on Fridays, with all proceeds going towards social justice awareness.

Friday, February 5

11am-1pm: Challah for Hunger Sale (Blue Room)

50% of the funds raised by our delicious challot go the Challah for Hunger's national cause - the American Jewish World Service's Sudan Relief and Advocacy Fund. The other 50% go to our chapter's local cause of choice - the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Thank you for your support!

Shabbat Services and Dinner

6:15pm: Havurah (Beit Midrash), Reform (Student Lounge) Services

Some background on our two service options.

- Havurah is a traditional egalitarian Carlebach-style minyan that strives to create a prayer experience full of ruach (energy), song, and meaningful connection.

- Reform Minyan is an open, inclusive service that draws from the music and traditions of the Reform movement. We welcome participants of all backgrounds to sing, pray, and discuss.

7:30pm: Kiddush (Lobby) and Dinner (Social Hall)

All are welcome to join us for dinner.

9pm: Graduate Student Oneg (377 Angell St. Apt #2)

Last fall we had a great off campus graduate community oneg, and we're doing it again! This is a chance to enjoy food, drinks and socializing with other grads on a Friday night after a hectic week. Basic snacks and alcohol will be provided by me, or you can BYOB. Join the Facebook event and spread the word to other grad/med students you know who might be interested. Please RSVP here (and encourage your friends to do so) by noon on Thursday, Februrary 4th so I have enough food and drink. Contact Abby with questions. **Please note, this event is ONLY for graduate/medical students, if you are an undergrad over the age of 21, please don't RSVP.

Saturday, February 6

12:30pm: Shabbat Lunch (Social Hall)

Free and open to all.

4:30pm: Third Meal and Havdalah (Social Hall)

Enjoy the third meal of Shabbat before concluding with Havdalah, the weekly ceremony marking the end of Shabbat.

General Hillel Announcements

Registration for Birthright Summer 2016 Opens TODAY!

Spend 10 days with the people who know Israel best - Israelis - on a Birthright Israel: Shorashim trip! Get ahead of the game and help secure your spot for this summer or next winter

HERE

. Make sure to choose Shorashim as your trip provider. Registration for our 2016 Summer Trip (May 30-June 10) opens TODAY (Monday, Feb 1 at 10 am), or you can pre-register for Winter. For more info, contact Shorashim at info@shorashim.org or (312) 267-0677 or Elan Cohen.

Fill Out Our Student Experience Survey

A $5 gift card to Amazon, iTunes or Starbucks awaits! Just complete a short survey, which will help improve the services offered to the Brown and RISD Jewish student community. Your answers will remain confidential and your email will not be used in any way. The survey closes on February 26th, so make sure you get your voice heard before then. Access the survey here.

Join the Shabbat Cooking Team

Become part of a rotating crew who cooks delicious food for Saturday meals - and get paid for it! Hang out in the kitchen, get to know other members of the community, and learn to prepare delicious, kosher, environmentally conscious meals. Contact Annie for more information.

Submit to Mahberet Magazine

Mahberet Magazine, the literary magazine of Brown RISD Hillel, is looking for submissions! We publish art, poems, essays, photos, and more related to Jewish life. Did you write a great essay for your Judaic Studies class? Did you write a great poem or reflection about a Jewish holiday? Did you take an awesome photo of an event at Hillel? If so, we would love to consider your work in our first round of submissions! Submit your work by emailing it to mahberet@brownrisdhillel.org.

Language Conversation Hours

Are you taking Hebrew or Arabic courses and want some extra help? Do you already speak Hebrew and want to work on or keep up with your conversational skills? Do you want to learn how to convert what you know in Modern Standard Arabic into everyday Colloquial Arabic? Do you already speak Arabic and want to work on or keep up with your conversational skills? C ontact Elan Cohen to learn more about Hebrew/Arabic tutoring or Hebrew/Arabic Conversation Hour.

Jewish Penicillin Hotline Up and Ready to Deliver Soup to Sick Students

It's freezing outside and cold season is well underway. But don't worry, Hillel's Jewish Penicillin Hotline has you covered if you, a friend or a family member is sick on campus and in need of some TLC! If you're a parent, grandparent or caring adult and want to order soup for your sick student, fill out this form. If you're a student and want to order soup for a friend on campus, e-mail Allison Rosenbaum. Orders must be made by 4:00PM in order to have the soup delivered that evening. Deliveries will be made during the academic year by our student volunteers Monday through Thursday, between 5:30PM and 7:30PM.

Food Feedback Form

Loved your last Hillel meal? Not so much? Let us know! Hillel values your feedback! Fill out this form and tell us what sort of menus you would like us to choose in the future.

Want to get involved in a Hillel group? Contact the Hillel Leadership!

Executive Board - President: Noah Fitzgerel | VP of Religious &Spiritual Life: Sam Hainbach | VP of Social Engagement: Dorit Rein | VP of Justice & the Arts: Alyssa Baum | VP of Community Groups: Tamara Upfal

Student Committees - First Year Students at Hillel (FYSH): Jack Glaser and Julia Kirschenbaum

Student Groups - Alef Beats: Jeremy Joachim/Christine Baltazar | Brown Students for Israel: Adam Bennett | Challah for Hunger: Kat Boorstein/Roy Chen | Hillel Gallery Project: gallery@brownrisdhillel.org | Hillel Initiative on Racial Awareness and Justice: Natalia Ginsburg | Holocaust Initiative at Brown University (HIBU): Jason Nadboy | Israel Cultural Committee: Dorit Rein/Tamara Upfal | Jewish Athletes Group: Rosanna Lederhausen | Jewish Cooking Club: Emma Margulies/Veronica Sadler | Jews of Color: Amani Hayes-Messenger | Jews of Mixed Identity: Hannah Liu | J Street U Brown: Sam Hainbach | Mahberet Magazine: Maxine Joselow | Moral Voices co-chairs:
NatalieCutler/RachelLevy| JewQ: jewq@brownrisdhillel.org | Yarmulkazi: Klezmer.Brown@gmail.com

Other Announcements

The Limits of Science and Inductive Reasoning (

Dr. David Brandman, MD)

Wednesday Feb 3rd at 5:30 in the Hillel Beit Midrash. Modern secular society uses the scientific method to describe and make predictions about the world. If our modern understanding of reality is based from the scientific method, then it stands to reason that our knowledge is restricted by the strengths and weaknesses of how we use science. I'll be discussing a few fundamental questions about the scientific method. For instance, what exactly is "scientific proof"? What can scientific models actually tell us about the world? What kinds of assumptions do we need in order to make a statement about the world using science? No background in science or Judaism is required!

David Brandman is a PhD candidate in neuroscience at Brown University and a neurosurgical resident in Canada. His research interests are in brain computer interfaces, specifically in the application of artificial intelligence to decoding brain signals in people with paralysis. His hobbies include jazz piano, reading and Jewish philosophy.

Love, Power, and Empathy in an iLife Era

Join the Brand New Inter Religious Working Group through OCRL

The Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life is pleased to share the news of and invite application for membership on Brown's first Inter-Religious Working Group (IRWG), which will provide counsel and advice to OCRL, as well as to the Diversity and Campus Life Advisory Boards. It will assess and advise proactively on matters of religion, religious identity, and spiritual practice and strive to monitor and to enhance the campus climate and resources for religious literacy, as well as religious and spiritual diversity and practice in the Brown community. Student members will serve for one year--two semesters beginning in the Spring term and may be renewed. The IRWG will meet for two sessions each term. Selection will favor applicants with experience in campus and global religious communities who are committed to interfaith dialogue, nourishing a religiously inclusive climate on campus and promoting religious literacy education. Religious identity is not a requirement. Applications may be downloaded here and must be e-mailed to Janet Cooper-Nelson or delivered in person to Suite 410 J. Walter Wilson no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 12th.

OCRL Thursday Night Interfaith Supper Program (TNS)

TNS dinners are a weekly gathering of students, faculty, and staff over dinner and conversation with invited speakers who discuss how the life of the spirit guides their professional and personal lives. Attendees represent the full breadth of the Brown community as well as a wide range of religious, faith, spiritual, and ethical perspectives. TNS is free and open to the community, kosher meals are available upon request and a vegetarian option is always available. E-mail Sana Parvaiz_Siddiq, Diego Arene-Morley or thursdaynightinterfaith@gmail.com to sign-up for the TNS listserv. Suppers begin at 5:30 p.m. and end by 7:00 p.m at the home of the Chaplain of the University, the Reverend Janet M. Cooper Nelson. Directions: 58 Keene Street, Providence. Walk through the Faunce Arch on Waterman Street (walking north). Go straight for 8 blocks. Turn right. The house is on the left.

OCRL Bereavement Group

Established nearly 30 years ago, this informal gathering is for students who have suffered the loss of a loved one and are struggling with grief. Neither clinical nor religious, the group offers time with others who truly understand. Bereavement Group will meet each Monday in J. Walter Wilson, Room 411. Attend regularly or occasionally; tea and goodies will be served. Call the Office of the Chaplains at 401-863-2344 for more information.

CAPS & LETS Groups at Brown

All groups open to Brown undergraduate, graduate and medical students.

Opportunities Blog

Be sure to follow us on Tumblr at http://brownrisdhillel.tumblr.com for all the latest updates! We'll post job and internship listings, as well as opportunities for volunteer work, travel, and study abroad!

INTRODUCING: a specific job board directed at seniors! If you are looking for work/opportunities after graduation, like our BRH Post-Graudate Opportunities facebook page and keep checking back for more postings, we get them often!

In This Issue

Fellowships & Internships

Quick Links

Other Links

Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

The Jewish Voice (local Jewish newspaper)

Jewish Calendar

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