Yavilah McCoy and Upcoming Observances

Greetings, Emerson community! 

Next week, the Social Justice Academy, in collaboration with Intercultural Student Affairs and the Center for Spiritual Life, will host Yavilah McCoy for a 2-day visit centered on the theme of “Deepening Equity and Justice Across Intersections of Racism & Antisemitism.” Yavilah is a pioneer of the Jewish diversity and equity movement and an advocate and mentor for the empowerment of a transglobal community of Jews of Color. 

Yavilah will offer workshops for specific campus populations on Tuesday, April 12, and deliver a campus keynote on Wednesday, April 13 at 4:30pm.  Please visit EmConnect for zoom links and details. 

Additionally, with the coming of spring, April continues onwards with the sacred observances of Passover (Judaism) and Holy Week/Easter (Christianity) this month. As we continue in this spiritually significant time, we wanted to share a few announcements and reminders for our community:

• For those observing Passover (4/15 – 4/23), we are grateful to our Dining Hall staff for providing many Kosher for Passover options throughout the week. These will include ongoing staples (matzah, hard-boiled eggs, etc.) at the salad bar as well as traditional items (brisket, matzah ball soup, etc.) offered throughout the week. While these are considered “Kosher for Passover,” our campus does not currently have a Kosher kitchen. As always, we are grateful to the shared work of Bon Appetit and our Jewish Chaplain Jake Freedman for their work in providing these options. 

• Interested in experiencing Passover together? We invite you to connect with Emerson Hillel at their Passover Seder and other events in the coming weeks. Please check out Hillel’s EmConnect page or follow them on Instagram (@emersonhillel).

• The Christian observance of Holy Week is also upon us. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, April 10, and continues on towards Easter Sunday on April 17 (with Orthodox Christian Holy Week occurring one week later). An Ecumenical Maundy Thursday Service (co-hosted by our Catholic and Protestant groups) featuring the contemplative music of Taize will take place on Thursday, April 14 at 6:30pm. Dinner will be provided. 

With gratitude,
Julie Avis Rogers, Center for Spiritual Life
tamia jordan, Intercultural Student Affairs
Chris Daly, Campus Life