Tufts Hillel

Simchat Torah Song Circle
2024-10-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | MA
Join us to sing and pray together, joining voices, hearts, and rhythms to create a sacred healing space. Learn and sing new melodies by queer Jewish musicians. Although this will not be a Torah service, we will include some morning prayers! Whether you enjoy singing or want to listen, everyone is welcome.

Apple Picking
2024-10-27 13:00 - 17:00 | MA
Escape the hustle and bustle and join us for a day of fun and fresh air at our annual Apple Picking Event! Enjoy the beautiful orchards, where you can handpick delicious apples straight from the tree.

Sign Up!

Apple Crisp Bake Event
2024-10-29 18:30 - 20:30 | MA
Come join us as we bake yummy apple crisp from the apples we pick at apple picking! Hope to see you there.

World Series Shabbat
2024-11-01 19:00 | MA
It’s the World Series, so we’re celebrating with WORLD SERIES SHABBAT! Come join us for food, friends, and fun at Tufts Hillel. Candle Lighting and services at 6pm, World Series Shabbat Dinner at 7pm. We can’t wait to see you there!

Elections & Eats: A Community Gathering
2024-11-06 12:00 - 13:15 | MA
Feeling excited that you just voted in your first presidential election? Feeling stressed about election results? However you’re feeling, come hang out at Hillel after Election Day for bagels, snacks, and company.

A Conversation with Bernard-Henri Lévy
2024-11-09 10:30 - 11:30 | MA
Students, join us for an intimate conversation with philosopher and public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy, as he discusses his new book, Israel Alone, and his perspective on the Israel-Hamas war. Breakfast will be served!

Bayit Info Session!
2024-11-12 18:00 - 18:30 | MA
Interested in living in the Bayit (The Jewish Culture House) next year? Stop by our Bayit Info session next week during Community Dinner to hear from ResLife about the application process and former Bayit residents about their living experience.

Get the Tea on Course Registration
2024-11-12 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
Come get the tea on course registration from our wonderful group of upperclassmen who can offer advice on choosing professors, preparing for graduate school, fulfilling major/distribution requirements, and more! Tea, snacks, and excellent advice will be provided! 🍵🍪 We hope to see you there!

Soulmates and Schmoozing: Exploring Love Through a Jewish Lens
2024-11-13 19:30 - 21:00 | MA
Join us for a fun evening of watching a Jewish Matchmaking show . After the show, we’ll chat about the unique aspects of Jewish dating.

Maariv and Movie
2024-11-14 19:30 - 22:00 | MA
Looking for a place to chill after a long week of classes? Join the conservative minyan for Maariv and a movie. Snacks will be provided! See you all there!

Apply for Board!
2024-11-15 08:00 - 2024-11-23 23:00 | MA
Interested in planning events and building Jewish community at Tufts? What about working with the university chaplaincy planning interfaith programming? Applications for Hillel’s student board are open to get involved as Interfaith Chair or Senior Rep!

APPLY!

Applications are due at 11:59PM on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024!

Read by the River Kickoff Paint Party
2024-11-19 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Every Spring, Tufts Hillel hosts a reading-themed carnival for local children. We make all of the decorations ourselves, so it’s important that we get a head start. On Tuesday, stick around after you’ve finished eating your community dinner to make a painting! No prior artistic experience is required. We’re so excited to see you there!

Friendsgiving Pre-Shabbat Gathering
2024-11-21 16:30 - 17:30 | MA
Join the reform community for a Hillel Friendsgiving and celebrate with good food, friends, and gratitude. Please feel free to dress up as your favorite Friends character too!

We will have…

Cooking: Thanksgiving dishes with a Jewish twist like challah stuffing.

Gratitude Letter Corner: Write a thank-you note to friends, family, or our community

Creative Crafts & Mitzvah-Making: Make care packages and holiday crafts for those in need (Tikkun olam)

Icebreaker Tables: Connect over fun questions on community, gratitude, and Jewish identity.

Modeh Ani Table: Reflect on Jewish gratitude traditions and share what you’re thankful for.

Ready to take a breather after Yallapalooza and get ready for Thanksgiving—come join us!

Israeli Dance Night
2024-11-21 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
Come join Tufts Hillel for an evening of Israeli Dancing! From traditional folk styles to camp classics, we’ll guide you through a range of dances. No experience (or dance skills) necessary! Looking forward to seeing all of you there!

First-Year Movie Night
2024-12-05 19:00 - 21:30 | MA
Come hang out with other first-years, enjoy snacks, and watch a movie! See you all there!

ChanuCasino
2024-12-08 18:00 - 20:00 | MA
Join us to roll your dreidels and try your luck at ChanuCasino! Enjoy a sufganiyot bar and more Chanukah treats!

Apply for Senior Rep and Reform Co-Chair
2024-12-20 08:00 - 2025-01-15 23:59 | MA
Apply for senior rep and reform co-chair! More details can be found on the application form.

First-Year Game Night
2025-01-21 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Welcome back! Come have fun with your fellow First-Years at First-Year Game Night! Get ready for an evening of exciting games and great company as we kick off the new semester together. Don’t miss the chance to relax, connect, and make some more memories!

Sending Support to LA: Thank You Cards for Firefighters & First Responders
2025-01-22 09:00 - 21:00 | MA
Looking for a way to support the LA community? Stop by Hillel on Wednesday 1/22! We’ll have card-making materials out all day for you to make cards, share your appreciation, and show your support for those helping fight the wildfires in California. We’ll be sending these cards to our friends @Hillel818 for distribution on the ground in the Los Angeles area!

HCAP GIM
2025-01-24 12:00 - 13:00 | MA
Join us for an info session about Hillel’s after-school program (HCAP), an on-campus volunteer opportunity working with local middle school students! Participate in art, engineering, and tutoring activities. Come to the GIM to learn more—lunch provided!

First Year Retreat
2025-01-25 18:00 - 2025-01-26 17:00 | MA
First Year Retreat offers a fantastic opportunity for first-year students to connect with their peers, make new friends, and engage with Hillel for the first time. Join a great group of of fellow students for a memorable and meaningful experience!

Sign Up!

Cozy Dessert Crawl
2025-01-25 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
Join us for an evening of warmth, connection, and reflection! We’ll gather in front of Hillel before embarking on a cozy walking tour, stopping at various houses to enjoy delicious treats and sip on hot apple cider.

This is a chance to share stories about how your holidays went, reflect on what being Jewish means to you, and enjoy meaningful conversations with friends and community members. Whether you’re looking to connect, or simply feast on some sweets, this event promises to be a memorable way to spend an evening.

Read By The River Kickoff Paint Party
2025-02-02 01:00 - 16:00 | MA
Come paint some decorations for Read by the River, a children’s literacy carnival for the local community. Everyone is welcome regardless of artistic ability. See you there!

Seder and Succulents: Tu Bishvat
2025-02-12 18:30 - 19:30 | MA
Join us for a Tu Bishvat celebration for a celebration of the trees! We’ll have an evening of discussion, community, food, plant potting and decorating, and celebrating the earth. Everyone is welcome – we can’t wait to see you there!

First-Year Karaoke Night
2025-02-13 20:00 - 21:30 | MA
Come sing, dance, and have a blast at our karaoke night with all your first-year friends! Enjoy great food, refreshing drinks, and a lively karaoke set-up as we reunite the Class of ’28 after our retreat and warmly welcome new first-years to the community. We can’t wait to see you there!

Israeli Dancing
2025-02-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Get ready to dance! Join Hillel and the Israeli Culture Club for an unforgettable Israeli Dancing Session. No experience is needed! The fabulous Katie Hamelburg will be teaching us some fun, energetic moves. So bring your friends, wear your dancing shoes, and get ready for a dance party! All are welcome!

Visualizing the Divine
2025-02-24 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Join Professor Chajes for an eye-opening exploration of ilanot, the ancient visual maps of Kabbalah. These intricate parchment scrolls, dating back to the 14th century, were used by Jewish mystics to map out the divine, blending spiritual insight with stunning imagery. Almost forgotten today, these “tree diagrams” offer a fresh perspective on how Kabbalists viewed the world, absorbed different cultural traditions, and connected with the divine. Whether you’re a history buff, a visual learner, or just curious about the intersection of religion and art, this talk will change the way you think about knowledge, spirituality, and creativity.

Background: J. H. (Yossi) Chajes (Ph.D., Yale University 1999) is the Sir Isaac Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought in the Department of Jewish History at the University of Haifa. Chajes directs the “Ilanot Project”—an ambitious and unprecedented attempt to research kabbalistic cosmological diagrams. His pioneering work has been awarded five Israel Science Foundation (ISF) research grants, the Friedenberg Prize for the outstanding ISF-funded project in the humanities, and two Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony/Volkswagen Foundation grants to develop the digital humanities project “Maps of God – The Visual Kabbalah Portal” (ilanot.org)

Beat Midrash: A live performance and open conversation
2025-02-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Join us at Hillel for “Beat Midrash,” a live performance and open conversation, followed by a dessert reception. With Neta Weiner and Stav Marin, explore how creative language shapes community and drives social change. Blending music, text, and movement, the performance weaves English, Hebrew, Arabic, and Yiddish to reflect diverse cultural roots.

It tells the story of System Ali, a multilingual Jewish-Palestinian arts collective. The performance connects the audience (Kahal) and the community (Kehila) to examine art’s role in dialogue and conflict. Straddling the line between hip-hop and Klezmer, it offers a lens into the diverse city of Jaffa’s complexities while envisioning a brighter future.

Schmüsic Night
2025-03-05 20:00 - 22:00 | MA
Love music? Looking for an opportunity to perform? We’re hosting an open mic event to bring together you, aspiring performers, to play music. Sign up below to perform. Whether you’re on stage or in the audience, everyone is welcome to join and enjoy the show!

Sign up to perform!

Bingo Night
2025-03-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Think you have what it takes to get 5 in a row? Hillel’s Bingo Night will be an evening of friendly competition, exciting prizes, and plenty of fun. Bring your friends (and your luck) because the first to get 5 in a row won’t only win a prize, but they’ll also get to claim the ultimate Bingo bragging rights.
