Shabbat Dinner

Jewish life at Carleton is active, dynamic, and varied, serving students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

The college is served by Rav Michaela Brown, our Associate Chaplain for Jewish and Interfaith Life and supports our Jewish student organization, the Jewish Students of Carleton (JSC).

Jewish life on campus is lived out and supported in many ways:

Shabbat

  • Students gather each Friday evening to celebrate Shabbat, led by our Rabbi and student leaders.
  • A well attended service is followed by a student-cooked dinner for Jewish students and the broader Carleton community.
  • Weekly Shabbats are held in the Jewish Interest House, Page East. Special Shabbats, such as during New Student Week and Family Weekend, will be held elsewhere. Check the Chapel calendar for the Shabbat location each week!

Holiday Observances

  • High Holidays: Carleton hosts Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services and meals for 100+ students and community members.
  • Sukkot: Every year, students build a Community Sukkah that welcomes students of all backgrounds and the broader Northfield community. Our Sukkah is graciously funded by an Ignite Grant from St. Paul Jewish Federation.
  • Simchat Torah: The past few years, we have built a new tradition of gathering students from Carleton, St. Olaf, and Macalester to dance with the Torah and build a broader Jewish network!
  • Tu Bishvat: Carleton celebrates Tu Bishvat with a seder honoring the trees and the earth. Each year has looked different and we always welcome collaborations to make the event unique!
  • Purim: Jewish and Hindu students on campus partner each year to host a joint Purim/Holi celebration featuring a Purim spiel and Bollywood dancing that is one of the largest events held on campus by any group each year.
  • Passover: Carleton hosts two nights of seder for Passover – one is a community-wide seder led by our Rabbi and the second is led by students for Jewish students.
  • Yom HaShoah: Yom HaShoah is commemorated at Carleton with a memorial service and speaker.
  • Shavuot: Shavuot often falls just as finals approach in the spring and we find fun, delicious, dairy-filled ways to take a break from studying!

Jewish House

  • Our Jewish House (aka “Page East”) is a dedicated living space for Jewish students on campus and serves as a center for Jewish activity, complete with a kosher kitchen.
  • Page East is the home to our weekly Shabbat services and home-cooked dinner, many social programs hosted by the JSC, and holds many relics from throughout the history of Jewish life at Carleton.

Connecting Across Campus

  • Rav Michaela hosts “Tuesday Schmooze-Day” each week at a table in the Sayles-Hill Campus Center, allowing students of all backgrounds to say hi, grab a snack, and ask any questions ranging from: “what is a rabbi?” “How does Judaism approach the concept of forgiveness?” to “where can I find a decent bagel in Minnesota?”
  • Any questions or concerns related to Jewish observance on campus (kashrut, ritual objects, and more!) can be fielded to Rav Michaela via email.
  • All people affiliated with Carleton (regardless of religious affiliation) can meet with Rav Michaela for pastoral care. She is a confidential resource, has experience in Clinical Pastoral Education, and participated in the Jewish clergy training for All-Options pregnancy support with the National Council of Jewish Women. Appointments to meet can be made via email.

Beit Midrash

  • A Jewish gathering space, the Beit Midrash is a dedicated space in the Chapel for Jewish study and learning.

Academics and Travel

  • Chumie Juni, Assistant Professor of Religion, and Stacy Beckwith, Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, together offer religion and Hebrew language and literature courses at Carleton
  • The Jonathan Paradise Israel Experience Scholarship offers a summer study in Israel
  • Carleton students often travel to Israel on Taglit-Birthright together
  • Carleton encourages and supports students in many other internships, study, and work experiences during school breaks at U.S. and Israeli institutions

Jewish Alumni of Carleton

Jewish Faculty and Staff of Carleton

  • We now have a Community Resource Group that allows Jewish, Jew-ish, and Jewish-adjacent (e.g., someone partnered to a Jew) to connect socially, culturally, and spiritually through various modalities. Email Rav Michaela to join the group!