2008 Woodie Awards
Goucher hosts Shabbat Across America
Lori Shull
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: News
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For nine years, Jews in America and Canada have chosen one weekend to invite others from outside their community to celebrate Shabbat. Each year, the organization Shabbat Across America chooses host sites to hold the event. This year, Goucher College was chosen as one of these sites.
Two other colleges from the area, Towson and McDaniel, participated, and a total of 90 people came to the event.
"I thought it was great that for the first year we were able to attract 90 people for this kind of event. I'm really proud of how it came out and can't wait to start planning for next year," said Marissa Greenberg, '08, Hillel's co-Shabbat chair and freshman representative.
People began arriving at 4 p.m. on Friday to register and hang out and then go to candle lighting followed by services. Hillel hosted services in three movements of Judiaism; Reform services were led by Marissa Greenberg, '08, Alana Sklover,'05, and Ashley Fleischhocker, '08, a Towson student; Conservative services were led by Laura Gilman '07 and Rabbi Rachel Hertzman, Lecturer of religion; and Yoni Birnbaum, '07 led an Orthodox service.
After services, dinner was held in Heubeck A, catered by Bon Appetit. Ali Dagger '08, said, "[The dinner] was a good change from Stimson and the kugel was really good. I had a lot of fun!" Following the meal were discussions about what it means to be Jewish in the community.
On Saturday, there were more services, followed by lunch, game time, and Torah study. The event ended with Havdalah, the service ending the Jewish Sabbath.
The original idea to hold the program at Goucher came from freshmen Eryn London and Marissa Greenberg, co-Shabbat chairs and representatives.
Since returning from winter break, all of Hillel had been hard at work, pulling things together to ensure that Shabbat Across America would turn out well. Fundraising, finding rabbis to lead services, and ensuring that there was enough room for all the visiting students were just a few of the things Hillel members had to do. For next year, preparation will begin even earlier, in September.