High Holidays
High Holiday Celebrations at Drexel Hillel are free of charge!
We encourage guests to make a tax-deductible contribution to Drexel Hillel to help support our holiday celebrations.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR GUESTS, RECOMMENDED FOR GRADUATE & UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends are encouraged to join Drexel Hillel for HighHoliday celebrations at our home, the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life (118 N. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104). Services will be hosted in the Scheller Chapel, a light-filled space featuring warm tones and comfortable chairs creating an intimate and inspiring environment for prayer and reflection. Our services will be led by Rabbi Isabel de Koninck and Rabbinic Intern Zack Wiener and will feature a variety of opportunities for student and guest participation. The services will be egalitarian (all participants seated together) and will draw on the holiday traditions of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements and will utilize the fully translated and fully transliterated Mahzor Eit Ratzon.
What Do You Dare to Dream?
An invitation to public reflection in honor of the new year
The greatest strides in our personal development, and in the transformation of our world, begin first with a dream. Whether our dreams are humble or audacious, whether they impact our individual lives or the lives of others, the first step to actualizing our dreams is having the courage to vocalize them. The new year in the academic and Jewish calendars offers us a moment to summon the courage to dream big as we set our intentions for what we hope to accomplish in the coming twelve months. As we enter into the 2020 academic year and the 5780 Jewish year, we invite students, faculty, alumni and friends to share your dreams with us.
We encourage you to share your reflections on the theme with us:
- Write a reflection (350 – 500 words) to share in person during the High Holidays (during services, as the teaching at our holiday meals and shabbat dinner between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur etc).
- Write a short reflection or piece of creative writing (approx 350 words) to be printed in the Drexel Hillel High Holiday Supplement and/or on our website
- Create a visual piece to be printed in our supplement, shared on our website or on Hillel’s social media
- Share your own images and reflections on social media. We encourage you to use #drexelhillel and #whatdoyoudaretodream
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.
High Holiday Schedule 2019 / 5780
Rosh Hashanah
Sunday September 29th, 2019:
Erev Rosh Hashanah Services 5:30pm – 7pm: Perelman Center Scheller Chapel, 3rd Floor The Jewish New Year begins at sundown on September 9th. Join Drexel’s Jewish community for an intimate service to kick off the High Holiday season. All are welcome to attend free of charge.
Rosh Hashanah Dinner 7pm: Join us in the Fishman & Green Dining Room (first floor Perelman Center) for a festive holiday meal featuring Drexel Hillel’s signature home made challah. Free for Students.
Monday September 30th, 2019:
Rosh Hashanah Morning Services 9:30am-12:00pm: Perelman Center Scheller Chapel, 3rd Floor Rosh Hashanah provides us with time to reflect on the past year and set our intentions for the coming year. You are warmly invited to celebrate the New Year with Drexel’s Jewish community in a service that will feature, music, meditation and the sounding of the shofar. All are welcome to attend free of charge.
Tashlich (Casting of Sins), 2pm: Meet at the Perelman Center to walk to the banks of the Schuylkill River for the traditional ceremony of casting off sins. We’ll join together for some reflection, chanting and meditation to begin and end this brief ceremony.
Tuesday October 1st, 2019: No services at the Perelman Center, walking groups from the Perelman Center to Conservative and Orthodox Services hosted at UPenn (free of charge for students with IDs)
Yom Kippur
Tuesday October 8, 2019:
Kol Nidre (Yom Kippur Evening) Services 6:30pm: Perelman Center Scheller Chapel, 3rd Floor 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.
Wednesday October 9, 2019:
Yom Kippur Morning Services 9:30am-12:30pm: Perelman Center Scheller Chapel, 3rd Floor 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. All are welcome to attend free of charge.
Yom Kippur Closing the Gates, 6:45pm – 7:45pm: Perelman Center Oculus / 3rd Floor Outdoor Courtyard (rain location Scheller Chapel)
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 for story telling, poetry, conversation, meditation, music, shofar blowing and havdallah to end the holiday. All are welcome to attend free of charge.
Yom Kippur Break the Fast, 7:45pm: Perelman Center Dining Room and First Floor Lounge
End the Fast with Hillel! Enjoy delicious food, make new friends, and start your year off right!
OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE THE PERELMAN CENTER
Orthodox Services at Penn (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur): Steinhardt Hall (Penn Hillel), various times.
2nd Day of Rosh Hashanah Conservative Services at Penn: 9:30am, Steinhardt Hall (Penn Hillel)
please note – services at UPenn are free for students with ID, all others must register in advance at www.pennhillel.org