Category Archives: Holidays

Blessed Ramadan Ends; Fast of Shawwal Begins

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Kim Alston
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Community! That’s a good word to describe Ramadan 2025, the mandatory sacred fast performed by Muslims annually during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Many know that the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) starting in the month … Continue reading →

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Hag Ha Aviv: The Festival of Spring Draws Near

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Kim Alston
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Spring is officially here as evidenced by the appearance of the first flowers breaking through the ground and buds on trees. Passover, celebrated from the evening of April 12 until April 20, is one of the three Jewish festivals (Shavuot … Continue reading →

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The Sacred Month of Ramadan

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Kim Alston
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Muslims worldwide look forward to the start of the Ramadan season, a beautiful time of year for reflection, spiritual renewal, and devotion to Allah. Some of our students and community members at Smith will engage in Ramadan. You will hear many … Continue reading →

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Ramadan at Smith

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Kim Alston
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Ramadan Mubarak! Muslims worldwide look forward to the start of the Ramadan season, a beautiful time of year for reflection, spiritual renewal, and devotion to Allah. Some of our students and community members at Smith will engage in Ramadan. You … Continue reading →

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Six Ways Faculty and Staff Can Support Students During Ramadan: A Letter from Students

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Anna Ostow
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Dear Smith College Faculty and Staff, Greetings from Al Iman, Smith College’s Muslim Student Association. We are excited to announce that the Holy Month of Ramadan is approaching us in the Spring 2024 semester. The official start date depends on … Continue reading →

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CRSL Shepherds a Re-energized Ramadan at Smith

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Kim Alston
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Whenever we guide others on a path or journey, whether spiritual or physical, it is a great responsibility for the appointed leader. The Center for Religious and Spiritual Life holds this sacred role dear to its heart. Students know when … Continue reading →

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Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a Tzadik

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser
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After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, 11-year-old Micah Blay made a pilgrimage to the U.S. Supreme Court and blew the shofar for the hundreds of people gathered there. In keeping with Jewish custom, they laid small stones on the steps … Continue reading →

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Fear and Freedom: Hand in Hand

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Matilda Cantwell
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“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings of freedom.”  ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Here … Continue reading →

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Times of Captivity, a Time of Liberation

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Matilda Cantwell
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For the next two issues, our newsletter will focus on the theme of liberation. Passover, the holiday which began last night, April 8, commemorates the successful exodus of the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt. The COVID-19 crisis kept … Continue reading →

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Uncertainty

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser
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There is a Jewish holiday dedicated to uncertainty. Its very name, Purim, means “dice.” During the holiday, the community reads the Book of Esther, a biblical book in which God is never mentioned. In the Book of Esther, God works … Continue reading →

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