Tu B’shvat Seder
2026-02-01 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Come join us for Root Systems: a Tu B’shvat Seder. We will explore the roots that connect us all and discuss what it means to show up intentionally in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. There will be an abundance of fruit, snacks, and great discussions. We’d love for you to join us!

Community Dinner
2026-02-03 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-02-10 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-02-17 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-02-24 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-03 17:30 - 18:30
Join us for a free mid-week Kosher catered dinner! Come for the food, stay for the people! Check the instagram on Tuesday morning for what’s being served.

Food. People. Comfort.

For the most up to date info please see our social media

instagram.com/tuftshillel

facebook.com/tuftshillel

Making Micrography!
2026-02-03 18:30 - 19:30 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Micrography is an old Jewish art form that uses biblical and liturgical texts in small font letters to create figurative designs, such as animals, plants, and human beings. Come try your hand at micrography in a beginner-friendly, judgement-free zone, and have fun with your friends in the process!

Tu B'shvat: Pot Decorating & Planting
2026-02-04 11:30 - 13:30 | Campus Center, 44 Professors Row, Medford, 02155
Stop by the Campus Center to celebrate Tu B’shvat! Join us to decorate a pot, plant seeds, snack on foods that grow from the Earth, and learn about the Jewish holiday called the “New Year of the Trees.” Take your plant home to brighten your room and watch it grow all semester long!

Challah for Chesed
2026-02-05 15:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-19 15:00 - 21:00
Challah for Chesed, formerly known as Challah for Hunger, is a student group committed to giving back through the tradition of baking challah. Each week, we bake and sell delicious flavors like Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, Everything Bagel, Sweet Crumb, and Plain. All proceeds support Family Table, one of the largest Jewish food banks in Greater Boston, helping provide meals to families in need.

This semester, our bakes are on 1/22, 2/5, 2/19, 3/12, 3/26, and 4/23.

You can join us on Thursdays for…

Dough-Making: 3-4pm

Braiding: 5-6pm

Baking: 7-8pm

Selling: 8-9pm

Sign up here to bake with us: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gwh5K3jQw-jW_pK81vj7gW6oQ3AWssRpN6g8sXFJ3ew/edit?usp=sharing

Nice Jewish 'Bos: Dating as an NJB
2026-02-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Growing up, were you ever told you had to marry a Jew? Let’s talk about it this week at our second Nice Jewish ‘Bos (NJB) session. Snacks will be provided.

Introducing NJB: Nice Jewish ‘Bos! This program explores what it means to be a Jewish man in the twenty-first century through conversations, bonding activities, and fun! Over four sessions throughout the semester, will cover topics such as men’s mental health, dating, mitzvot (religious obligations), masculinity, and more.

Talmud Chaburah
2026-02-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-20 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Want to take sharpen your Talmud skills? Join a weekly, text-based study group where you’ll work through the Hebrew/Aramaic of the Gemara together, sharpening both reading skills and analytical thinking. Guided by Rabbi Brawer, this chaburah offers a collaborative space for deep learning and thoughtful discussion.

Prerequisite: Participants should be comfortable reading Talmud in the original Hebrew/Aramaic.

First Year Retreat
2026-02-07 17:00 - 2026-02-08 15:00 | Prindle Pond, Charlton, Massachusetts, 01507, United States
Calling all first years!! This year’s FROZEN-themed First Year Retreat is coming up soon… applications open Jan 25. Get ready for a fun getaway to meet & build lasting connections with fellow Jewish first-years through games, bonding activities, and more.

The trip leaves the evening of February 7th and returns the afternoon of February 8th (leaving plenty of time to get to your Super Bowl watching parties). We will stay at a retreat centre.

Grab your spot while they last and join us for a weekend of fun & bonding!

Schmüsic Night pt.2
2026-02-11 20:00 - 22:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Get ready for Schmüsic Night, Tufts Hillel’s annual night of music and schmoozing. Come hang out, meet new people, and enjoy live performances from talented student musicians!

Read by the River Paint Party
2026-02-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Read by the River is an annual youth literacy carnival hosted by Tufts Hillel where local kids come and enjoy reading themed activities.

Help us prepare for this amazing event by painting decorations! This is a super fun way to destress after a long day and hang out with your friends. All artistic abilities are welcome. This year, the carnival is circus themed, so get ready to paint popcorn, elephants, balloons and more!

Queen Esther: Veiled Subversion
2026-02-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Join us for a Megillah text study and Q&A exploring how Queen Esther strategically navigates Persian patriarchal power structures through silence, timing, and subtle influence. Together, we’ll examine how Esther’s actions challenge traditional ideas of power and leadership while ultimately helping to save her people. No prior knowledge of the story is needed — all are welcome!

Shmirat Haguf Spa Night
2026-02-24 18:30 - 19:30 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Shmirat Haguf Spa Night is a space to explore what it means to care for yourself in Judaism while unwinding and relaxing during midterms. Join us for a conversation about the concept of Shmirat Haguf and how it shows up in your life. Snacks and face masks will be provided!

Nice Jewish 'Bos: Stress and Wellness
2026-02-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
When was your last crash out? What caused it? This week at Nice Jewish ‘Bos, join us for a conversation about stress and wellness. Snacks will be provided.

Nice Jewish ‘Bos (NJB) is a new series at Hillel exploring what it means to be a Jewish man in the 21st century. Join us!

Loss to Reconciliation: Conversations with bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
The Parents Circle – Families Forum is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization made up of over 800 bereaved families. Their common bond is that they have lost a close family member to the conflict. But instead of choosing revenge, they have chosen a path of reconciliation. Through their educational activities, these bereaved members have joined together to take tens of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis on journeys of reconciliation. It is often raw and always emotional. But out of these interactions, comes change. Not the kind of change that makes headlines, but a more personal and profound shift in perspective.

On February 26th at 7 pm, we will get the chance to hear from Elana Kaminka, a bereaved Israeli mother, and Arab Aramin, a bereaved Palestinian brother. Both will share their stories of loss and personal journeys towards reconciliation, with time for Q&A with audience participation

JQUEST Welcome Event
2026-02-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
JQUEST is hosting a welcome event to usher in a new space for the Jewish and queer community, bringing cozy vibes and a place where you can be authentically yourself with others to make friends and connect with shared experiences. Open to all Jewish and/or LGBTQ+ students as well as allies!

Niggun Circle
2026-02-28 17:00 - 17:30 | The Bayit, 98 Packard Avenue, Somerville, MA, 02144
Join Tufts Hillel for a Niggun Circle, with soulful, wordless Jewish melodies, and gentle harmonies. No singing experience needed, just come as you are! We’ll sit together and sing together before Havdalah!

Torah Completion and Dedication
2026-03-01 11:00 - 14:00
We are honored to invite you to celebrate the completion and dedication of two new Torah scrolls.

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Table of Contents

Registration and Donation

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Schedule and Details

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Eaton Hall

· 11:00am Torah completion ceremony with performance by Shir Appeal. The award-winning mixed-gender Jewish a cappella group at Tufts University.

· 12:00pm Procession to Hillel with live music

Granoff Family Hillel Center

· 12:30pm Welcome and Dedication of Torahs

· 1:00pm Festive Lunch

Please join us for this joyful and historic moment as we welcome these new Torahs into our community.

Torah Completion and Dedication Ceremony

A Torah completion and dedication ceremony is a joyful and rare moment in the life of a Jewish community. It marks the creation of a new Torah scroll—a sacred, painstakingly hand-written text—and its formal welcome into communal life. This is a once-in-a-generation occasion that celebrates continuity, devotion, and the enduring chain of Jewish learning and practice.

What is a Torah Scroll?

A Sefer Torah is the handwritten scroll containing the Five Books of Moses. Each scroll is crafted with extraordinary care:

· Handwritten by a trained ritual scribe (Sofer) using a quill and special ink.

· Inscribed on parchment prepared from kosher animal hide.

· Meticulously formed, with every letter written according to precise laws. Any error can invalidate the scroll until corrected.

For a Jewish community, a Torah scroll is not simply a ritual object. It is a symbol of continuity, identity, and sacred obligation, linking past generations to the present and future. To welcome a new Torah is to affirm the life of the community and its commitment to the Jewish future.

What to Expect at the Ceremony

A Torah completion and dedication typically includes four key components:

1. Completing the Scroll

A Sofer writes the final letters of the Torah with community members gathered around. Witnessing the last strokes brings the scroll to life as a fully sanctified Torah. Immediately after completion:

· The finished scroll is raised aloft.

· It is dressed in a beautiful mantle, specially designed for this moment.

2. Dancing the Torah to the Synagogue (Hillel)

The newly completed Torah is carried in a joyful procession beneath a wedding canopy (chuppah), symbolizing its marriage to the community. Accompanied by live music and spirited dancing, participants take turns holding the Torah as it is brought to Hillel.

3. Reception and Blessings

Upon arriving at the synagogue (Hillel), the new Torah is greeted by the community’s existing Torah scrolls. More dancing follows, along with special prayers and blessings. Finally, the new and older Torahs are placed together inside the Ark, symbolizing unity and continuity.

4. Festive Meal

The celebration concludes with a communal meal, filled with joy, gratitude, and the shared uplift of welcoming a new Torah into the community’s life.

This ceremony weaves together tradition, celebration, and deep meaning, honoring the sacred text at the heart of Jewish life and the community that will carry it forward.

Register now

Purim 2026
2026-03-02 18:30 - 2026-03-03 18:30
Celebrate Purim with us at Tufts Hillel!

Schedule:

Purim Night: Monday, March 2nd

6:30pm – Megillah Reading

Come hear the Megillah (Book of Esther) with us!

7:30pm – Purim Masque-RAGER

Come celebrate Purim at Hillel’s Masque-Rager and Variety Show! 🎭✨

Wear your best costumes, enjoy delicious foods and drinks, and watch the Purim variety show featuring performances by the Jackson Jills, sQ!, and Fire-n-Flow, plus our very own Purim spiel featuring the Hillel Student Board Religious Branch!

Purim Day: Tuesday, March 3rd

All Day: Mitzvah Bar!

Stop by our “Mitzvah Bar” to make mishloach manot (Purim food gift bags) to gift to friends!

12:00pm – Megillah Reading

Come hear the Megillah (Book of Esther) with us!

5:30pm – Community Dinner

Enjoy a festive meal with community at our weekly Tuesday night Community Dinner featuring Purim treats!

Purim Masque-Rager
2026-03-02 19:30 - 21:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Come celebrate Purim at Hillel’s Masque-Rager and Variety Show! 🎭✨

Wear your best costumes, enjoy delicious foods and drinks, and watch the Purim variety show featuring performances by the Jackson Jills, sQ!, and Fire-n-Flow, plus our very own Purim spiel featuring the Hillel Student Board Religious Branch!

Sophomore Bowling
2026-03-05 21:00 - 23:00 | American Flatbread, 45 Day St, Somerville, Massachusetts, 02144, United States
Our sophomore community at Hillel is invited to take on bowling at American Flatbread in Davis Square! We’ll have a fun night of old-fashioned, candlepin bowling with food and drink available for purchase. This event is first-come, first-serve and we have limited space so make sure to sign up with this link ASAP!
