A Conversation with Jon Polin, Father of Hersh z"l
Nov
4
7:00 PM19:00

A Conversation with Jon Polin, Father of Hersh z"l

7 p.m. November 4 at The Kraft Center
Pre-registration required to attend

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s son, Hersh, was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, after having his dominant forearm blown off. In the months that followed, the couple—dual American-Israeli citizens—became full-time hostage advocates, speaking worldwide about Hersh’s abduction and fighting for the release of all those who had been taken. Almost a year later, on day 330, the IDF announced that Hersh had been murdered by Hamas in a tunnel in Gaza, along with five other young people with whom he was being held. Despite the devastating loss of their son, Jon and Rachel remained tireless global advocates, continuing their efforts until the last hostage was recovered on January 26, 2026, Day 843.

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Supper Club: Dinner & Convesation @ Malka
Nov
5
7:00 PM19:00

Supper Club: Dinner & Convesation @ Malka

We're bringing back Supper Club with a 3-course meal (significantly subsidized) and livley conversation at Malka. Supper Club has been an initiative to experience cool NY restaurants and explore a topic with a small-group of people. This conversation will focus on Jewish representation in TV and Movies. Join us to meet new people, enjoy excellent food, and have some healthy debate about our favorite characters!

Space is limited to 9 people. RSVP here to attend.

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Community Run for Coffee & Pastries
Nov
6
9:00 AM09:00

Community Run for Coffee & Pastries

Join The Grad Network community for a fun morning run. Our run begins 9 a.m. Friday, November 6 at The Kraft Center and ends at Breads Bakery, where we'll enjoy delicious pastries and warm beverages. This route is approximately 3 miles. We intend to stay as a group throughout the run and maintain a 9:30-10 min/mile pace. 

RSVP for our community run

Students are welcome to drop off bags and other belongings at the Kraft Center prior to the run.  

Anyone is welcome to skip the run and meet up for treats at Breads Bakery. We expect to arrive at Breads Bakery around 9:40 a.m. 

This run is hosted by The Grad Network Advisory Board: Mor & Yaffa

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Rosh Chodesh Kislev Women's Circle
Nov
9
7:30 PM19:30

Rosh Chodesh Kislev Women's Circle

The Grad Network is excited to host a Rosh Chodesh Women’s Circle for the month of Kislev. For generations, Jewish women have gathered to welcome the new moon. This is a time of renewal, reflection, and divine feminine energy.

This event is for female identifying students. Sign-up here to participate. Dinner will be provided. 

This month, we celebrate the new moon of Kislev, a month of dreaming and embracing life's miracles. Together, we’ll explore Kislev’s themes through guided practice, sacred text, and connecting as a community. 

If you have any questions—or if you know someone who would love to be part of this, please reach out to Megan, The Grad Network Rabbinic Intern.

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Lunch & Learn: Jewish Perspectives on Organ Donation
Nov
12
12:00 PM12:00

Lunch & Learn: Jewish Perspectives on Organ Donation

Join The Grad Network community and Rabbi Joshua Rabin of LiveOnNY for a Lunch & Learn exploring Jewish perspectives on organ donation, brain death, and end of life patient care. Sushi will be served at noon; the discussion will begin at 12:30 p.m. 

RSVP here to attend.

12 p.m. November 12 | Hammer HSC LL 108A

Reach out to Jane, The Grad Network Engagement Manager, with any questions!

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Mega Shabbat!!!
Dec
4
6:00 PM18:00

Mega Shabbat!!!

Mega Shabbat is Columbia/Barnard Hillel's largest shabbat dinner of the year! Mega Shabbat is on Friday, December 4, at the Levien Gymnasium. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.

RSVP here to reserve your seat!

This Shabbat meal is open to all undergrad students, grad students, faculty, and staff at Columbia, Barnard, and Teachers College. If you would like to bring a guest, please register your guest on this form.

Any questions? Email Shabbat@hillel.columbia.edu

In partnership with Chabad at Columbia, The Grad Network Advisory Board, Jewish Employee Resource Group. Does your group want to partner with us on Mega Shabbat? Email shabbat@hillel.columbia.edu.

Mega Shabbat is in loving memory of Myra H. Kraft. This Shabbat dinner is at no-cost to guests because of generous gifts from the Myra Kraft Shabbat Fund and The Columbia/Barnard Hillel Annual Fund. 

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Autumn Exhale: Nature Walk with The Grad Network
Oct
25
10:00 AM10:00

Autumn Exhale: Nature Walk with The Grad Network

Escape the city for a fall day in the Hudson Highlands! Join the Grad Network for a beautiful fall foliage walk at Arden Point, just off the Metro-North in Garrison. Register to join!

We’ll take the Metro-North train together from Grand Central and explore Arden Point and Glenclyffe, an easy loop trail that’s perfect for all hiking abilities. Along the way, we’ll enjoy views of the Hudson, take in the changing seasons, and make a space to slow down and appreciate the natural world through a Jewish lens.

🥾 Arden Point, Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve

🚆 Meet at Grand Central Station at 10 a.m., we will return to Grand Central by 5 p.m. 

🍁 All hiking abilities welcome! This is an easy, mostly flat trail—no hiking experience necessary.

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PhD Shabbat Dinner
Oct
23
7:00 PM19:00

PhD Shabbat Dinner

Join us for a special Shabbat dinner just for PhD Students at Columbia and TC! Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. October 23 at The Kraft Center,  located at 606 West 115th Street.

RSVP to reserve your seat.

This Shabbat dinner is an opportunity for Jewish doctoral students to get to know each other. We’re excited about bringing PhD students together to foster connection among peers in similar phases of the PhD and provide a supportive community for those in earlier stages to lean on as they move through their doctoral journey.

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Community Run for Coffee & Pastries
Oct
13
5:00 PM17:00

Community Run for Coffee & Pastries

Join The Grad Network community for a fun evening run. Our run begins 5 p.m. at The Kraft Center and ends at Breads Bakery, where we'll enjoy delicious pastries and warm beverages. This route is approximately 3 miles. We intend to stay as a group throughout the run and maintain a 9:30-10 min/mile pace. 

Sign-up for our community run!

Students are welcome to drop off bags and other belongings at the Kraft Center prior to the run.  

Anyone is welcome to skip the run and meet up for treats at Breads Bakery. We expect to arrive at Breads Bakery around 5:30 p.m. 

If you have any questions, reach out to Melissa, Mor, or Yaffa.

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Shabbat Bereshit: A Ritual of Creation
Oct
9
4:00 PM16:00

Shabbat Bereshit: A Ritual of Creation

Join the Grad Network community for an immersive art project inspired by the creation story (Bereshit). We will participate in the act of creation through art, ritual, and conversation. Following the art experience, attendees are welcome to join Megan for Kabbalat Shabbat Services at B'nai Jeshurun, a progressive and pluralistic synagogue on the UWS.

Sign-up to participate.

Reach out to Megan, The Grad Network Rabbinic Intern, with questions.

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First Year Grad Fellowship
Oct
8
7:30 PM19:30

First Year Grad Fellowship

5 Thursdays | September 24 - October 22 | 7:30-9 p.m.

First Year Fellowship aims to foster friendship and community among graduate students early on in their time at Columbia. As part of the conversation series, the fellowship will also include a visit to the Tenement Museum, which shares the stories of immigrant, migrant, and refugee families. Our group will experience the The New York Historical on Sunday, October 11. 

Sign-up by 12 p.m. Friday, September 18 to be included in this learning cohort. 

Dinner will be provided at all Fellowship sessions. Participants will also receive a $100 stipend to support participation in Jewish experiences offered outside of Columbia. 

Questions? Email Melissa, Director of The Grad Network.

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First Year Grad Fellowship
Oct
1
7:30 PM19:30

First Year Grad Fellowship

5 Thursdays | September 24 - October 22 | 7:30-9 p.m.

First Year Fellowship aims to foster friendship and community among graduate students early on in their time at Columbia. As part of the conversation series, the fellowship will also include a visit to the Tenement Museum, which shares the stories of immigrant, migrant, and refugee families. Our group will experience the The New York Historical on Sunday, October 11. 

Sign-up by 12 p.m. Friday, September 18 to be included in this learning cohort. 

Dinner will be provided at all Fellowship sessions. Participants will also receive a $100 stipend to support participation in Jewish experiences offered outside of Columbia. 

Questions? Email Melissa, Director of The Grad Network.

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Community Sukkot Lunch
Sep
30
12:30 PM12:30

Community Sukkot Lunch

Graduate students at Columbia and Teachers College are welcome to enjoy lunch in the Columbia Morningside Campus Sukkah (located in the northeast corner of campus, between Fairchild and Schermerhorn).

No registration required. Stay for as long as you’d like.

This experience is provided at no cost thanks to donors’ generous gifts to the Columbia/Barnard Hillel Annual Fund.

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Sukkot Grape to Glass
Sep
29
8:30 PM20:30

Sukkot Grape to Glass

The holiday of Sukkot is rooted in ancient agricultural cycles. Experience the holiday from grape to glass by “tasting your way” through the Israeli wine scene with a professional guided wine tasting experience in the sukkah!

Space is limited. RSVP to reserve your spot.

Cost should not be a barrier to participate. If you are unable to pay and would like to attend any of the experiences offered, please email Jane, The Grad Network Engagement Manager.

This experience is generously subsidized by The Columbia/Barnard Hillel Annual Fund.

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A Shared Society: An Arab Israeli's Vision for the Future
Sep
28
7:00 PM19:00

A Shared Society: An Arab Israeli's Vision for the Future

Mohammad Darawshe will discuss different models for a shared Jewish-Arab society in Israel, following a very divisive number of years. Mr. Darawshe will conclude by imagining hope for Jewish-Arab relations in Israel.

RSVP to be part of the conversation.

Warm drinks will be provided.

This experience is presented by Columbia/Barnard Hillel, The Grad Network, and Izun.

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Community Sukkot Lunch
Sep
28
12:30 PM12:30

Community Sukkot Lunch

Eat lunch in the Sukkah with The Grad Network community! Lunch will be provided in the 6th Floor Sukkah at The Kraft Center, located at 606 W. 115th Street.

No registration required. Stay for as long as you’d like!

This experience is provided at no cost thanks to donors’ generous gifts to the Columbia/Barnard Hillel Annual Fund.

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The Grad Network Sukkot Shabbat Dinner
Sep
25
6:30 PM18:30

The Grad Network Sukkot Shabbat Dinner

We're celebrating Shabbat in the Sukkah! Dinner will be served 6:30 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Sukkah at the Kraft Center, located at 606 West 115th Street.

RSVP to reserve your seat!

Following dinner, join us for an oneg and additional dessert in the 6th Floor Sukkah.

This experience is generously subsidized by The Columbia/Barnard Hillel Annual Fund.

Cost should not be a barrier to participate. If you are unable to pay and would like to attend any of the experiences offered, please email Melissa.

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First Year Grad Fellowship
Sep
24
7:30 PM19:30

First Year Grad Fellowship

5 Thursdays | September 24 - October 22 | 7:30-9 p.m.

First Year Fellowship aims to foster friendship and community among graduate students early on in their time at Columbia. As part of the conversation series, the fellowship will also include a visit to the Tenement Museum, which shares the stories of immigrant, migrant, and refugee families. Our group will experience the The New York Historical on Sunday, October 11. 

Sign-up by 12 p.m. Friday, September 18 to be included in this learning cohort. 

Dinner will be provided at all Fellowship sessions. Participants will also receive a $100 stipend to support participation in Jewish experiences offered outside of Columbia. 

Questions? Email Melissa, Director of The Grad Network.

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High Holiday Services with Columbia/Barnard Hillel
Sep
20
6:25 PM18:25

High Holiday Services with Columbia/Barnard Hillel

Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform services are available during both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Services are available at no cost to current graduate students at Columbia University and Teachers College. Current grad students interested in attending services with Columbia/Barnard Hillel should register here.

Grad students who wish to register a guest, can purchase High Holiday service tickets at a subsidized rate here.

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Mosaic Workshop: Exploring Reparation and Repair through Art
Sep
17
7:00 PM19:00

Mosaic Workshop: Exploring Reparation and Repair through Art

For many, the High Holidays is a time of transformation. The prayers and customs are designed to help us reflect on the brokenness in our world and guide us toward wholeness and repair. Explore these themes through art-making. Each participant will use mosaic techniques to create a personalized mirror or picture frame for their home. 

Space is limited. RSVP to reserve your materials!

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Am I My Brother's Keeper? Narcan Training with Selah
Sep
16
6:30 PM18:30

Am I My Brother's Keeper? Narcan Training with Selah

Join 14Y Selah and The Grad Network for a discussion of teshuva, dinner, and a Narcan demonstration 6:30 p.m. September 16 at the Kraft Center.

Together, we'll learn more about addiction recovery resources in our Jewish community and reflect on how the value of teshuva (repentance and repair) calls us to answer with responsibility, compassion, and care for one another. 

Each attendee will receive a Narcan Kit and be able to save the life of a neighbor. Sign-up to attend.

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Rosh Hashanah Seder & Lunch
Sep
12
2:00 PM14:00

Rosh Hashanah Seder & Lunch

Originating in Sephardic and Mizrahi communities, the Rosh Hashanah Seder features simanim—symbolic foods paired with brief blessings and hopes for the year ahead. All graduate students are welcome, regardless of practice, to enjoy a delicious meal, meet new people, and welcome a sweet new year together with community.

Advanced registration is required. RSVP here.

Guests of graduate students at Columbia and Teachers College are welcome to attend.

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