Talmud Chaburah
2026-02-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-27 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

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!

Shabbat at Tufts Hillel
2026-02-27 18:00 - 2026-02-28 17:00, 2026-03-06 18:00 - 2026-03-07 17:00, 2026-03-13 18:00 - 2026-03-14 17:00, 2026-03-27 18:00 - 2026-03-28 17:00
Shabbat at Tufts Hillel

Shabbat is an opportunity to unplug from the week and plug into rest of all kinds as a community. On Shabbat, we invite you to step away from school, technology, and other stressors of the week, and step into holy rest and celebration at Tufts Hillel! We’re so happy you’re spending Shabbat with us.

Friday Nights:

Candle Lighting: Every Friday, join us in the Hillel lobby as we transition into Shabbat with a communal candle lighting and intention-setting. Candles will also be available to light on your own time as you arrive at the Hillel building. In the winter, feel free to come by earlier to light candles as the sun sets.Services: After candle lighting, welcome Shabbat with prayer in our Reform or Traditional Egalitarian services. Services are student led, with song, dvar torahs, intention setting, and a way to begin the weekly holiday with joy as a community.

Interested in leading a part of the service? Want to bring a melody you love, or a poem you want to share? Looking to learn some of the prayers? Looking to start (or re-start) a new minyan or service during Shabbat? Contact our staff or Tufts Hillel minyan chairs!

Shabbat Dinner: There is always a place for you around our Shabbat table! All students are welcome – bring your friends or come make new ones at Hillel every week for our delicious kosher Shabbat dinners. Each week is facilitated by a cohort of Shabbat Fellows, who are there to welcome you, facilitate the evenings, and ensure everyone who attends feels at home.Dinner concludes with Birkat Hamazon (the blessing after meals), dessert, and board games – we would love to see you for any or all parts of Friday night you can make it for!Registration for Shabbat dinner is strongly encouraged. To Sign up for weekly Shabbat dinners and to receive information about Shabbat each week, sign up for our text bot system:

Text the word ‘Dinner’ to 617 420 7411

click here to see upcoming Shabbats

Saturdays:

Shabbat at Tufts Hillel continues on Saturday mornings, with bi-weekly Saturday morning Conservative services. All students are welcome!

Following Shabbat morning services, join us for Shabbat lunch upstairs at Hillel. To register for Shabbat lunch, text the word ‘lunch” to 617 429 7411.

Shabbat at Tufts Hillel concludes on Saturday afternoons and evenings, with bi-weekly mincha and maariv services, dinner, singing, and Havdalah! Join us for any or all parts of the evenings as we conclude the day of rest as a community

All are welcome! We look forward to celebrating with you.

For questions please email hillel-center@tufts.edu

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.

RSVP Below

RSVP’s for this event are now closed

Table of ContentsText the word ‘Dinner’ to 617 420 7411click here to see upcoming Shabbats

Registration and Donation

Please fill in all information for yourself and guests.

Click here to make a gift in honor of this momentous occasion

RSVP’s for this event are now closed

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!

Community Dinner
2026-03-03 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-10 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-17 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-24 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-31 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

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!

Texts and Values: A Weekly Jewish Study Circle
2026-03-10 16:30 - 17:30 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Join Rabbi Naftali Brawer for a weekly exploration of Jewish values and ethical teachings embedded in ancient Jewish texts. No prior knowledge is required, just curiosity and an open mind.

Team Israel World Baseball Classic Watch Party
2026-03-10 19:00 - 22:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Calling all baseball fans!! Join us at Hillel to watch Team Israel take on the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

JQUEST: Second Event
2026-03-12 17:00 - 18:00 | Tufts Hillel, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, 02155
Come join us at the second JQUEST event of the semester! Hangout, meet new people, and come have fun.

Student Board Elections 2026
2026-03-24 08:00 - 2026-04-16 20:00
Hillel Student Board elections are just around the corner! Check out the timeline below if you’re interested in running for a position and please reach out to Eli Fraiman (elijah.fraiman@tufts.edu) if you have any questions!

Intent-to-run

CLICK HERE FOR INTENT TO RUN FORM

Interested in taking on a leadership role next school year? Are you thinking about running for Hillel Student Board? Consider filling out the intent-to-run form! If you are planning to run for a position on the Tufts Hillel Student Board, you must fill out the Intent-to-Run form by Sunday, April 5th at 12pm ET.

Leadership Interest Office Hours

Tuesday, March 31st @ 5:30pm

Have questions about Hillel’s leadership opportunities? Bring your questions to our office hours, taking place during Community Dinner. All are welcome and representatives from several leadership opportunities will be present to answer questions about their groups and the application process. If you are unable to attend, please email the relevant contacts and set up a time to talk.

Student Board

President and Exec in general (Eli Fraiman): elijah.fraiman@tufts.edu

Spiritual and Religious Life Branch (Sarah Grand): sarah.grand@tufts.edu

Community Branch (Sydney Cohen): sydney.cohen@tufts.edu

Operations VP/Treasurer (Eli Zimmerman): eli.zimmerman@tufts.edu

Engagement VP (Samantha Kaplan): samantha.kaplan@tufts.edu

Campus Relations Branch (Lexi Trifon): alexis.trifon@tufts.edu

Community Building Fellows

Senior Fellows

Yael Waxman: yael.waxman@tufts.edu

Samantha Bernstein: samantha.schwartzbard_bernstein@tufts.edu

Shabbat Fellows

To learn more about getting involved with Shabbat Fellows, please contact Katie Hamelburg kate.hamelburg@tufts.edu

Media Fellows

For questions regarding becoming a media fellow, please contact Ilan Persing ilan.persing@tufts.edu

Hillel Student Board Election Night

Tuesday, April 14th @ 6:30pm

CLICK HERE FOR THE VOTING FORM

Come cast your vote! All candidates will deliver their speeches, which will be available for viewing/reading in case you can’t make it. The voting form will go live as soon as speeches wrap up and remain open for 24 hours. The voting form will have a link to recorded speeches and written speeches (depending on position). Election results will be shared a few days after.

Late Night Flight
2026-03-24 18:30 - 19:30 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Join us to learn about dreams in a Jewish context, from the importance of dreams in Jewish history to the ways Judaism interprets dreams. Come with a dream of yours in mind!

Paint & Sip
2026-03-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
A fun night of mocktails, painting, and community building hosted by the Hillel Jewish Women’s Collective! Drinks and snacks will be provided; bring your friends!

Challah for Chesed
2026-03-26 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

Omanut M'Ahavah GIM
2026-03-27 12:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Interested in learning how to knit and crochet? Want to help out families in need? OMA does both with no prior experience necessary! Join us to create hats and blankets for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tufts Medical Center. Make some friends (and bring some too) while letting yourself mentally escape from schoolwork and life’s stresses. Come as you are to learn all about it – materials will be provided, along with free food! We’d love to have you.

Spring Festivals and Historical Connections (Passover and Easter)
2026-03-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
A discussion about the historical and cultural connections between Easter and Passover!

Gesher GIM
2026-03-30 19:00
Join us for an interest meeting for Gesher, a Tufts Hillel initiative aimed at facilitating dialogue and studying diverse perspectives surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through weekly seminars over 8 weeks.

Fill out this form to sign-up for the e-list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfegncMRYmUNzSY_jqTK-0BUo0_jXBzzOcWMGqwTEVx5CbMKg/viewform?usp=header

Building Bridges GIM
2026-03-31 19:00 | Tufts Hillel Building, 220 Packard Ave, Medford, MA, 02155
Come learn about Building Bridges, a 2 credit, pass/fail ExCollege class focused on learning and building dialogue skills and talking about American Ethics across faiths.

Apply here for the Fall 2026 Class: https://forms.gle/e2jPedUU71dqvGQN9
