We are thinking about you everyday, sometimes all day, and sending prayers your way wherever you are around the world. Hope you can feel it.
Please look for a call from me (Gail) just to check in. My personal cell is 336.420.0730. Please add it to your contacts so my name will pop up on your caller ID. You are also welcome to call me, or email me at bretangh@wfu.edu.
We are also planning two ZOOM Jewish student check-ins this week, before you remotely resume your classes next week. It will give us an opportunity to share with each other how we are doing. I am sure many of you remain in touch with your Jewish and other WFU communities, but this is just another opportunity to connect. Being stuck inside without a routine can be very isolating and disorienting, especially if you are used to being very active. Feel free to attend one or both sessions this week.
This session will be a sort of virtual Shabbat gathering. Similar to our Hillel Shabbats, we will arrive @ 6 pm, give (virtual) hugs, and chat. Then at 6:15 pm, we will light Shabbat candles, say the blessing over the vine, and recite the Motzi over the Challah. Then we will continue our chats, and see how everyone is doing.
Staff and Faculty. Let's chat!
As you know, I love to make the rounds around campus and see how people are doing, reminding everyone to breathe, and inviting people to remember what we are grateful for.
Since only essential personnel are now on campus, and since I, too, am working remotely, let's do a virtual check-in. This is not a therapy session - it is a caring community check-in. Some chatting, some breathing, & lots of connecting.
Monday, March 16 at 4 pm for half an hour to see how your first remote workday went. We can schedule other such gatheirngs if there is interest or if you cannot attend this one: https://wakeforest-university.zoom.us/j/664084115
Also, the entire Office of the Chaplain staff is here for you for Pastoral Care. https://chaplain.wfu.edu/
Daffodils blooming at WFU Daffodil Prject. March 2020
Jewish Life Programming and Events - Cancellations & Updates
Weekly Shabbat Dinner at Hillel. Cancelled in person until further notice. However, starting this week, we will "meet" virtually at 6 pm with opportunities to chat as we did every Friday night, but via ZOOM technology: https://wakeforest-university.zoom.us/j/751015278. We are working on sending out a weekly D'var Torah (words of Torah learning - we invite you to submit your writings or stories for us to share). Also check with Shaina for Chabad Shabbat info.
Weekly Judaism & Islam Lunch & Learn. Sessions will be moving to ZOOM, and continuing on Thursdays at noon. We will shortly send out the link to join.
Interfaith Passover Seder with 9 other religious life groups. Cancelled in person. Will resume next Spring. Maybe we'll do a chocolate seder!
Annual WFU Passover Seder (April 8). Cancelled. You will probably celebrate Passover this year with your nuclear family, as people are not traveling to their extended families and loved ones around the country and world.
Daffodil Project. Cancelled. But the photo above is a recent photo of the blooming Daffodils at the Daffodil Project Garden. The Daffodils all over campus are grogeous. As we have noted many times, Daffodils remind us of the coming spring & renewal - especially when we have a hard tme imagining so during the harsh winter times. Daffodils are a very appropriate image and metaphor for these times!
The L'Dor V'Dor Kugel Cook Off, and all events with the Temple Emauel Mavens this term. Cancelled. We will resume in the fall, and start with the Kugel Cook Off!
Interfaith Bible Study. Cancelled for the rest of the term. If you are interested in scheuling a virtual/ remote Bible Study, please let Gail know.
Hille/ Muslim Student Game night and Shabbat dinner. Postponed to next term.
Voices of the Generations Holocaust speaker: Postponed until November. http://VOGCharity.org
The Global Food Tabling Stations in the PIT. Cancelled. Will resume next term. The Global Food Committee and Food Collaboration Committe will meet virtually.
We had also co-sponsored other events
Spring Equinox, Tu-B'shevat, & Earth Month celebrations with the Office of Sustainability. Celebrations on campus cancelled for this year.
Movie "My Wishes in Heaven" and Kativarconcert of Ladino & Sephardic songs, some created for the aforementioned movie, co-sponsored through the Spanish & Italian Department, and with Jewish Studies Department. Cancelled. Hope to have Kativar and the movie back on campus at another time.
It is sad that we are going to miss so many opportunities to share these events and programs, and to create lasting memories together around these events. However, we will make other memories around new events in new configurations.
We did not get to say goodbye to many of you, and you did not get a chance to say goodbye to us or the campus so here is a good-bye ritual with the hopes it will soon be "Hello and welcome back!"
Our mailing address is:
Wake Forest University Jewish Life
c/o Office of the Chaplain
321 Benson University Center
PO Box 7204, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
(336) 758-4056 * bretangh@wfu.edu * http://jewishlife.wfu.edu/
