High Holiday Schedule
Rosh Hashanah Services & Events Friday 9/15 – Sunday 9/17
Students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends are encouraged to join Drexel Hillel for High Holiday celebrations at our home, the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life (118 N. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104). Space for non-student guests is limited, so please register in advance. As these services will be indoors, we encourage guests to be vaccinated and support community health by masking. Please do not join us in person if you have cold symptoms of any kind.
Our services are led by our Executive Director Rabbi Isabel de Koninck and supported by rabbinic intern, Mathieu Wilson. Weaving together traditions of of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements our services will feature traditional liturgy, meditation, poetry, conversation and story telling. We use the non-denominational, fully translated and fully transliterated Mahzor Eit Ratzon.
Friday September 15, 2023:
JUST FOR STUDENTS: Soulful Erev Rosh Hashanah
6pm, Scheller Chapel, 3rd Floor
Join us to welcome in Rosh Hashanah in the spirit of our Soulful Shabbat prayer community. We’ll weave music, story and conversation for a joyous entry into the new year.
JUST FOR STUDENTS: Erev Rosh Hashanah Community Dinner
7pm, Fishman and Green Dining Room
Join us to welcome in Rosh Hashanah with a festive community meal! Reunite with old friends and make new ones over apples, honey and all your holiday favorites! Advanced RSVP appreciated!
Saturday September 16, 2023:
Rosh Hashanah Morning Services
10am: Scheller Chapel
Spend Rosh Hashanah with our community of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, alumni and friends! We’ll hear reflections from members of our community, connect with the holiday’s stirring music, and welcome the new year with joy! Services will be followed by a light kiddush for all in attendance. Space is limited for non-students, please register in advance.
Sunday September 17, 2023:
JUST FOR STUDENTS: Shofar on the Lawn (12 -3pm, Race Lawn)
Drop by to see our Rabbinic Intern Mat Wilson on Race Lawn for apples, honey and shofar blowing!
New Year Hike / Walk & Tashlich with Alumni & Friends
2:30pm, OFF CAMPUS – Wissahickon Valley Park (meet at Northwestern Avenue & Forbidden Drive)
Join Rabbi Isabel and local area students, alumni and friends for an afternoon walk in the Wissahickon! We’ll do tashlich (cast off our sins) in the creek and then participants will have the option to stroll Forbidden Drive (stroller friendly), hike the Andorra Woods loop, or just hang out in the glorious early fall weather! **Students coming from campus can request s LYFT code!**
Sunday September 24th, 2023:
STUDENTS ONLY: Pre-Fast Community Dinner
5:15pm, Perelman Center
Whether or not you are staying for services, join us for a special pre-fast meal!
Kol Nidre (Yom Kippur Evening) Services
6:30pm: Scheller Chapel
The chanting of Kol Nidre is one of the most haunting and memorable liturgical moments of the Jewish year. You are invite to join Drexel‘s Jewish community as we begin Yom Kippur with the meditations, music and prayers of our sacred tradition. All are welcome to attend free of charge. Space is limited for non-students, please register in advance.
Monday September 25th, 2023:
Yom Kippur Morning Services
9:30am: Scheller Chapel
Yom Kippur represent a time to reflect on the past year and set our intentions for the coming year through fasting, meditation, music, prayer and learning. You are warmly invited to mark the Yom Kippur holiday with Drexel‘s Jewish community. The Yom Kippur morning services will include the customary Yizkor (Memorial) services honoring the lives of all loved ones whom we have lost. If you’d like to add a name to our Yizkor list (whether or not you are attending services), please click here. Space is limited for non-students, please register in advance.
JUST FOR STUDENTS: Soulful Yom Kippur Neilah (Closing the Gates)
6:45pm: Perelman Center
At Drexel Hillel we close Yom Kippur with our own special riff on the closing of Yom Kippur. All are welcome to join us in the spiritually provocative Perelman Center Oculus (weather permitting) for story telling, poetry, conversation, meditation, music, shofar blowing and havdallah to end the holiday.
JUST FOR STUDENTS: Yom Kippur Break the Fast
7:30pm: Perelman Center Cozen Terrace
End the Fast with Hillel! Enjoy delicious food, make new friends, and start your year off right!
Opportunities Outside the Perelman Center
We are delighted to offer denominationally specific services in partnership with our neighbors at Penn Hillel. To learn more about Orthodox, Reform and Conservative services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at Penn visit their website.
Please note – services at UPenn are free for students with ID (registration requested), all others must purchase tickets register in advance on their site.
Where Do You Belong?
Students, faculty, staff and alumni are encouraged to participate in Hillel’s annual public reflection question!
This year over the High Holidays, our Drexel community is going to engage and reflect together on belonging! High Holiday sermons, student mini-divrei torah, and guest reflections will center on an exploration of what it means to find your people, your place, and your community – on campus and beyond.
We encourage you to share your reflections on the theme with us in one or more of the following formats:
- A video (3 minutes or less) sharing your reflection (the video will be shared on Hillel’s YouTube channel and some may be featured during various virtual gatherings or on other social media).
- A reflection (350 – 500 words) to share aloud during a Hillel virtual service, or at a Hillel socially distanced in person gathering
- A written reflection or piece of creative writing (approx 350 words) to be shared digitally and in print with our community
- A piece of visual art, music, or other creative media to be shared digitally and in print with our community
- A social media post – make sure to tag @drexel_hillel
As you craft your piece, please remember the goal is personal reflections – we ask that you avoid generalizations about what “we” experience or “what Jews or Drexel students do / think” and instead share your thoughts and feelings from your personal perspective focusing on “I statements.” If you can, tell a story that helps us get to know you and your perspective in a more relational manner.
You are encouraged but not required to share a photo or image with (or as) your reflection. Please also let us know whether we have permission to share your reflection with attribution or anonymously and whether you would be interested in sharing your reflection during our High Holiday services (or at another time). Questions should be sent to Rabbi Isabel de Koninck, idekoninck@drexelhillel.org.
SUBMISSION PAGE COMING SOON!