A NOTE FROM URI

Dear Friends,

November is election month, and there has been a lot of attention paid to various races. The one race you probably have not heard much about was the one in the Yale Jewish community: a new Hillel Student Board was elected. The official transfer of power happens each year at Student Leadership Transition Shabbat (which took place November 7-8), one of my favorite moments of the year.

I’m a big fan of ceremonies. In front of a packed Kikar Schusterman (our dining hall) at that Shabbat dinner I talked about the public spectacle described in Numbers 27 15-23 in which Moses implores God to appoint a new leader for the people who will follow Moses. God tells Moses to select Joshua, and to bring him up in front of all the people and the Urim v’Tumim (the High Priest’s breastplate which famously appears on the Yale crest). “You shall put some of your honor upon him that all the congregation will be obedient,” God says to Moses in verse 20. “And he laid his hands (“vayismokh”) upon him and gave him a charge.” This commissioning is the most famous leadership transfer in history, and we reenact it (in a way) annually at Slifka.

Later on in my talk I mentioned the concept of “servant leadership.” I asked the students who had heard of it, and maybe two hands went up. Servant Leadership is the idea that the main motivation for some leaders is to serve, and the definition of success is the well-being of those being led. This type of leadership is easier when those being led are a relatively homogeneous group - it’s much harder when there is significant diversity of opinion and belief across multiple axes. Jewish communities fall into this latter category, of course.

Servant leadership isn’t about making everyone love you or agree with you. It’s not about always getting what you want all the time - either as leader or constituent. It’s about a durable trust that the leader is committed to the well-being of the whole, and that while individuals within the group are cared for all the time, they get what they want often enough to make it worth it to stay in the group. It’s all about trust.

I had the opportunity that night to toast the outgoing co-Presidents of Hillel Student Board for the close partnership we have shared and the ways their work have strengthened this community. I also shared my excitement and gratitude for the incoming student co-Presidents who are committed and energized to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and take our community to new heights.

Leadership at Slifka isn’t limited to students’ time here. Slifka is a training ground for future leadership opportunities and commitment to Jewish life. Two proofs of this:

1. I’d like to congratulate Noah Tirschwell, who was just named a Rhodes Scholar, and will be studying Jewish Studies at Oxford.
2. I also want to salute Rob Bildner '72 (and his wife Elisa Spungen Bildner '75) along with Bill Poorvu '56 (and his wife Lia Poorvu) upon each receiving the Yale Medal. Rob & Elisa and Bill & Lia are Slifka Founders and long-time supporters. We are so proud of you all!

What happens at Slifka has ripple effects far and wide across space and time.

I hope that all those who were elected and those who did the electing (whether your candidate won or not) will be served well by your elected officials. The more servant leaders we have out there, the brighter the future will be for all of us.

As always, thanks for reading.

Uri Cohen

Executive Director

Jewish Learning

Slifka offers Jewish learning opportunities that bring together students from different backgrounds. These classes are taught by diverse educators, including Associate Chaplain Rachel Leiken, Rabbi Emmanuel Cantor, and Rabbi Dr. Alex Ozar, who ensure a dynamic learning environment. Current offerings include:

• Intro to Judaism: teaches basics of Jewish thought and practice.
• Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF), a ten-week cohort-style program that encourages students to ask life's big questions through a Jewish lens.
• Yeshivat Yale: offers students the opportunity to engage in direct Jewish text study at various levels of experience.

These programs provide a welcoming space for all students to engage deeply with Jewish tradition and learning. To help support the future of these efforts, we are grateful to the newly established endowment for Slifka's 30th Anniversary year: Marilyn G. & Joseph B. Schwartz '62 Endowed Fund for Jewish Education 

THE GAME

Students, alumni, parents, and friends joined together to cheer on the Bulldogs as Yale hosted the Harvard Crimson for the 141st playing of The Game. Again this year Slifka hosted a tailgate, featuring the debut of our "Yale" in Hebrew hats (seen on Uri, above) honoring the 30th anniversary of Slifka Center at Yale. The night before The Game students from Harvard joined Yalies for services and a family style dinner in Kikar Schusterman, festively decorated in both Yale Blue and Harvard Crimson, and the building was abuzz late into the night. Yale four-peated, beating their hitherto undefeated Harvard rivals 45-28! As noted in scripture, "Harvard's team may fight to the end but Yale will win!" Boola Boola!

Centered: Joe Lieberman

Centered: Joe Lieberman, is a poignant new documentary celebrating the remarkable life and legacy of Yale's own double alumnus ('64 BA, '67 LLB) and first Jewish nominee to a major U.S. presidential ticket. The recent Slifka Center screening showcased the extraordinary impact of the 4-term U.S. Senator from Connecticut, and long-time Slifka supporter and Honorary Trustee. The screening was introduced by Joe's grandchildren Eden and Yitzhak and was attended by many members of the New Haven and Yale Jewish communities.

The film highlights Sen. Lieberman's roles as a dedicated father, grandfather, and politician who consistently bridged divides with integrity and faith. It underscores his timely voice of moderation and civility, featuring conversations with family, friends, and colleagues from across the political spectrum. Centered offered a compelling portrait of a man who demonstrated that conviction and civility can, and must, coexist.

Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari

This month, Slifka hosted a critical and insightful conversation regarding the current situation in the Middle East, seeking to answer the complex questions of "How did we get here and what comes next?" featuring former Ambassador Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari.

Dennis Ross was the former Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department under President George HW Bush, and Ghaith al-Omari was an advisor to the Palestinian Authority's negotiation team from 1999 to 2001. Both speakers are currently members of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

These distinguished experts (who regularly present together, modeling dialogue and cooperation) brought context and different perspectives from their direct involvements in previous rounds of the peace process. Their dialogue provided the community with an essential, nuanced understanding of the ongoing conflict in the region and the challenging prospects for peace. Many students found this to be one of the most impactful conversations they have heard at Yale.

Slifka Goes West!

Uri and some of the Slifka team will be in California from February 9th-12th. Let us know if you would like to be added to the list for more information on our West Coast travels.

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