Jewish students deserve great mentors – Rabbi Elisha’s new role

Dear fellow members of Harvard’s Jewish community,

I hope my message finds you, and those you love, well.

Judaism’s spiritual guidance, the searching exploration of college, and the opportunities of Harvard come together in Yehoshua ben Perachya’s guidance, as relevant now as it was twenty-one-hundred years ago: “Make for yourself a teacher.” So much of students’ growth in college is due to the mentors they find – and who find them: professors who make the case, through their passion and brilliance, for a field of study; TFs who show them what the next few years could look like; and, at Hillel – rabbis and other staff who make it clear to students that they understand and accept them; care about their past, present, and future; and connect them to the sensitivity and brilliance that our tradition offers their lives at the highest and lowest moments, and every moment in between.

We are committed to every Jewish student at Harvard having access to wise, compassionate, inspiring, and available Jewish mentors, who will accompany them through their four years here and beyond. There is no more distinctive or significant expression of that commitment than Rabbi Elisha Gechter taking on responsibility, both in her own work and in leading our rabbinic team, for the spiritual welfare of our students and our student community, as Harvard Hillel’s inaugural Senior Director of Rabbinic Engagement.

As we approach this new year, with all of its questions and opportunities wide open before us – I invite you to read Elisha’s reflection on this moment below – and I look forward to sharing more about the community of purpose and meaning she is already beginning to create with and for our students.

Shanah tovah,

Rabbi Jason Rubenstein
Executive Director

Get Your High Holiday Tickets Now

Dear fellow members of Harvard’s Jewish community,

I hope you’re enjoying these last weeks of summer. As we prepare to welcome students back to campus, I’m honored to begin serving as Harvard Hillel’s Senior Director of Rabbinic Engagement. In this role, I’ll serve as a primary rabbinic resource for students and faculty, cultivating vibrant Jewish life through teaching, pastoral care, mentorship, and relationship-building while leading our wonderful rabbinic team. At the heart of this work is a commitment to making Jewish learning accessible, fostering a pluralistic community where every student can find belonging, and empowering students to grow as learners, leaders, and builders of Jewish life.

As we approach the High Holidays, I’ve been reflecting on a ritual that quietly shapes these sacred days. Throughout Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we repeatedly open the ark that holds the Torah scrolls — not only to remove or return the Torah, but simply to stand before it. An open ark invites us to pay attention. It reminds us to remove the barriers between ourselves and something larger than ourselves — our tradition, our community, and the Divine. In those moments, we are invited to listen more deeply and remember that transformation happens through relationship, learning, and openness.

My hope is that Harvard Hillel continues to be a place where those doors are always opening: where students from every Jewish background and those exploring Jewish life encounter learning that is welcoming and intellectually engaging, build meaningful relationships across difference, and discover their own voices and capacity for leadership.

I hope you’ll join us for the High Holidays. You can find our schedule on our website. If you plan to attend, I encourage you to reserve your tickets early.

Reserve Your High Holiday Tickets Now

Wishing you and your loved ones a sweet, healthy, and meaningful New Year.

Shanah tovah,