Welcome Week 2026

This year’s Welcome Week runs Wednesday, August 26 through Wednesday, September 2, with something happening nearly every day at 52 Mt Auburn.

Check out our complete schedule

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Welcome Week Kickoff Party

Kick off the semester with Harvard Hillel! Join us in the courtyard for a night of great food, music, games, and more. Come enjoy hibachi, meet new people, and hang out with friends!

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Parsha with Pammy

Join Harvard Hillel’s Mashgicha Ruchanit (Orthodox spiritual advisor and educator) Pammy for a lively, low-key conversation about the week’s Torah portion—exploring what it has to say about our lives, questions, and the world today.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Mishmar

Thursday nights are for pre-Shabbat learning, lively conversation, and connecting with friends. Drop in for a short teaching from a student or rabbi, dive into a Jewish text or question, and ease into Shabbat together.

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Oyntology

Over breakfast, we’ll bring questions from our lives (interpersonal, spiritual, or intellectual) and think through them using Jewish and non-Jewish texts that offer multiple ways of considering what’s at stake.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Student Org Fair

Orthodox Shabbat Services

Join our Orthodox Student Minyan and Orthodox Minyan for Friday Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat, a meaningful opportunity to pray and connect as Shabbat begins.

Shabbat Dinner

Orthodox Shabbos Shacharis

Join us for Orthodox Shabbat morning services. Shacharis on Shabbos is a time to pause, pray, and connect with community—complete with Torah reading and the unhurried rhythm of Shabbat. All are welcome, whether you’re a regular or just want to experience a Shabbat morning with us.

Shabbat Lunch

Continue the Shabbat spirit on Saturday afternoon with a communal lunch following morning services. Enjoy good food and great conversation as we mark the day of rest together. Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in, and graduate students eat free. Whether you join us for services or just for the meal, you’re always welcome – community members can

purchase Shabbat meals in advance.

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Shiur and Seudah Shlishit with Ezra

Spend Shabbat afternoon learning together over Seudah Shlishit with Ezra Klausner, our Orthodox Rabbinic Intern. Come for good food, good conversation, and a chance to dive into Jewish texts and ideas in a relaxed Shabbat setting.

Orthodox Sunday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Bagel Brunch

Start your week with Bagel Brunch at Harvard Hillel. We’ve got fresh bagels, schmear, and lox- plus a space to catch up with friends or meet new ones. Everyone’s welcome to stop by for good food and good company. Hope to see you there!

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Apple Picking

Shana Tova! Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Harvard Hillel for an afternoon of apple picking, good company, and a sweet start to the new year.

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Shulchan Ivrit

Shulchan Ivrit is a casual weekly gathering where students can come together over lunch to speak Hebrew, practice their language skills, and connect with others.

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

HJAA-Hillel-Chabad Webinar

Join HJAA, Harvard Hillel, and Harvard Chabad to prepare for the new year with an evening of learning and reflection

Register Here

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Zimmer Hall Tabling

Stop by the Harvard Hillel table outside of Zimmer Hall! Meet Hillel staff, learn more about Jewish life on campus, get all the details on High Holiday services and meals, and grab some Hillel swag while you’re there.

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!

Steak Break

Take a break from the academic grind for a great meal and even better conversation. Enjoy a premium kosher steak dinner cooked by Rabbi Yoni Ganger while exploring big questions about meaning, ethics, relationships, personal growth, and what makes for a life well lived. Good food, thoughtful conversation, and a chance to pause, reflect, and connect with other students.

Jewish Learning Fellowship

The Fellowship is open to any Freshman who wants to learn in a welcoming community. No previous Jewish learning or religious practice is expected, and students of all political perspectives are welcome.

Come with your questions. Learn with others. Build lasting friendships and a sense of belonging in a Jewish space.

INFO:
7:45-9:45pm Wednesdays, beginning September 9
DINNER served each session
Stipend of $300 paid to each Fellow who attends all sessions!

Questions? Email elisha@hillel.harvard.edu

Sign up here

Orthodox Weekday Shacharis

Start your day with Orthodox weekday morning services. Join us for Shacharis each weekday morning to connect with tradition, community, and prayer before diving into your day. All are welcome, whether you’re looking for a daily minyan or just want to pop in.

Parsha with Pammy

Join Harvard Hillel’s Mashgicha Ruchanit (Orthodox spiritual advisor and educator) Pammy for a lively, low-key conversation about the week’s Torah portion—exploring what it has to say about our lives, questions, and the world today.

Lunch

Join us for lunch Sunday through Friday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. It’s a great way to grab a bite, catch up with friends, and take a break from your day in a welcoming space.

Check out this week’s menu!

Dinner

Join us for dinner Saturday through Thursday at Harvard Hillel! Undergraduate students on the meal plan can swipe in; graduate students and community members are welcome to purchase meals. On Wednesdays, graduate students can enjoy Cheap Eats—a full dinner for just $5. Come for the food, stay for the community.

Check out this week’s menu!