Category Archives: Newsletter Articles

A Message from the Director

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Matilda Cantwell
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Dear Friends, Now more than ever, even in secular New England at Smith College, religion matters. Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core, says that the question of how people orient around religion or interact with one another, whether that … Continue reading →

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Nurturing Students with Secular Spiritual Programming

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Emmett Wald
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Here at the Center for Religious & Spiritual Life, we think it’s important to offer programming for students who are atheist or nonreligious. That may sound counterintuitive, but in fact it’s a vital part of what we do. When asked … Continue reading →

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A Contemporary Perspective on Islamic Traditions

Posted on March 25, 2018 by Kim Alston
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About twenty-five Smithies gathered to dine with Muslim scholar, author, activist Dr. Amina Wadud during the February 9 Jummah Prayer Lunch. Dr. Wadud, professor emerita at Virginia Commonwealth University and research scholar at the Starr King School for Ministry in … Continue reading →

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Queer Talmud Weekend

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser
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On a freezing February evening in the center of Northampton, Jewish students, many wearing yarmulkes, stood in support of Dreamers.  This action epitomizes the focus of the Smith College Jewish Community, the largest Jewish organization on campus. The Jewish students … Continue reading →

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A Message from the Director

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Matilda Cantwell
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Dear Friends, Last spring Smith conducted a national search for the new leader of the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, and I put my hat in the ring, so to speak, after serving as Interim Director for a year, … Continue reading →

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Conveying True Welcome

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Matilda Cantwell
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In these times of discrimination against immigrants, people of color, those seeking refuge, and so many other groups, in addition to a rash of gun violence and natural disasters which have displaced and traumatized whole communities this fall, it is … Continue reading →

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Welcome Across Faiths

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Emmett Wald
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What does it mean to really welcome somebody? Not just to say, “you are welcome here,” but to truly make a space feel welcoming and inviting to someone? We’ve chosen “welcome” as our theme at CRSL for the year, and … Continue reading →

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Rituals and Transitions:
Spring at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Matilda Cantwell
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Our website highlights several recent perspectives on the season and how the holidays in different religious traditions incorporate spring. I have always found it to be so profound how the religious traditions; celebrating their own stories and events; are so … Continue reading →

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New Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and College Chaplain

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Guest Author
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The Reverend Matilda Rose Cantwell has assumed the position of Director of Religious & Spiritual Life and College Chaplain at Smith College. She served as the interim director at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life for the last year … Continue reading →

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Collaborations Shape CRSL’s Spring Semester

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Kim Alston
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The spring semester was a whirlwind of spirited activity. Many collaborative ventures stretched our intellect, consciousness, and empathy, including the Engaging Identity series with the Wellness Education Office; The Refugee Resettlement Project with the Jandon Center for Community Engagement; the … Continue reading →

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