Kedma uncertain about hosting in-person events during the pandemic
By Erin Harper
For Mitzpeh
@umdmitzpeh
As this university wraps up another semester of mostly virtual classes, Kedma, the Orthodox Jewish group on campus, is hesitant to host limited in-person events and services.
Founded in 1997, Kedma has operated as one of the largest Orthodox college communities at this university, working to host ...
Hillel connects students despite the pandemic
By Erin Harper
@umdmitzpeh
For Mitzpeh
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic reshaping how each semester looks for college students, this university’s Hillel has continued to host a series of virtual freshmen events and Shabbat to-go dinners to keep the Jewish student body connected.
Shabbat dinners, which are available to all students, ...
Shabbat Crew serves meals despite pandemic
Ben Baruch
For Mitzpeh
@Ben_J_Baruch
The "Shabbat Crew" is serving Shabbat dinner and lunch again now that Maryland Hillel is allowed to host outdoor or socially distant indoor meals. Hillel is the only place students at this university can get kosher food during the week, and one of only a few on Shabbat and holidays.
The Shabbat ...
Orthodox community maintains campus eruv
By Paige Maizes
@MaizesPaige
For Mitzpeh
An eruv [air-oov, er-; Sephardic Hebrew e-roov; Ashkenazic Hebrew ey-roov] is an important aspect of Shabbat that the Orthodox community protects and preserves each week.
Co-head of maintaining the eruv at this university, Judah Lesser, a junior computer engineering major, explained how ...
A socially-distanced SHABBAM brings Jewish students together
By Nira Dayanim
Staff writer
@Mitzpeh
On Friday night, almost 800 students got together at over 80 different Shabbat dinners across campus. Also known as "SHABBAM" or "Shabbat Across Maryland," this Hillel-hosted event has brought students from different backgrounds together for a Shabbat meal each fall for the past ten years.
“Th...
Hillel adjusts prayer service options amid university coronavirus regulations
By Char Freedberg
News editor
@CfreeOfficial
With the coronavirus lingering and changing this university in many ways, this university’s Hillel still grapples with the question that students are asking themselves: how will Jewish prayer services be handled this year?
The High Holidays are rapidly approaching, so this question seems ...
Ometz hosts another successful “extravaganza” event
By Dylan Spilko
For Mitzpeh
@DylanSpilko
Ometz, this university’s conservative, traditional egalitarian Jewish group, hosted another successful “Ometz Extravaganza,” which consisted of many members from the Jewish community coming together for a special night on October 26.
For the Friday night event, several members of the ...
Hillel’s “Pink Shabbat” brings students together for night of support
By Tori Bergel
For Mitzpeh
@BergelTori
Pink streamers and decorations aligned the walls.
Pamphlets were strewn across the tables.
Dresses and polo shirts in various rosey tones were worn by students scattered throughout the room.
The Pink Shabbat Dinner was the first of a two-part series of events put on by Hillel for breast ...
SHABBAM unites students around friends, creative themes
By Clara Longo de Freitas
For Mitzpeh
@Mitzpeh
Students all over this university hosted Shabbat dinners, reaching over 1,000 students in more than 100 locations across campus on Friday, September 19, said Maryland Hillel. The meals had a wide variety of themes, including Hippie Shabbat, an “Area 51 raid” dinner, an IHOP dinner and ...