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“Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire” by Gustave Doré (1866)
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A Reflection from the University Chaplaincy
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One of my most evocative childhood memories is about opening the door of our home to the Prophet Elijah on Passover eve. This is part of the Passover ritual, and it takes place towards the end of the Seder close to midnight.
Elijah, a character who as the Hebrew bible describes it, never died but ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot, features prominently in Jewish culture and ritual as a harbinger of redemption. Invoking his memory, indeed opening the doors of one’s home to symbolically invite him in is particularly apt on Passover, a festival associated with redemption, both past and future.
It is customary to have a child open the door for the prophet and in our family this ritual involved the added drama of bearing a lit candle. I was seven or eight years old that particular year and my brother, a few years younger. When we reached the critical moment in the Seder my father handed me a candlestick with the lit candle, and I proceeded to carry it down the narrow, dark stairway from our second-floor residence to the first-floor landing and our front door. The flickering candlelight cast eerie outsized shadows along the walls, and I felt a shiver of trepidation as I approached the doorway. Previous experience had taught me that an embodied Elijah was highly unlikely to be standing on the other side of the door, but then again, to my young mind it wasn’t an impossibility. The closer I got to the door the more certain I was that I did not want to meet this prophetic ghost on our doorstep. Our front door had a thick opaque window and as I put my hand to the doorknob a dark figure suddenly loomed in the window frame. I dropped the lit candle and ploughed right into my younger brother who was two steps behind knocking him over as I scrambled back up the stairs in terror.
It turns out the looming figure distorted by the opaque glass was not the biblical prophet but rather our diminutive Hungarian downstairs neighbor Mrs. Weiss. She had run out of some Passover staples and had come to see if she could borrow more.
Years later I came across the following story: One year, at the Passover Seder the Hasidic Master Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (1787-1859) promised his disciples that they would behold the Prophet Elijah. Bursting with anticipation they couldn’t wait to get to the end of the Seder. When the moment arrived, Elijah was not standing on the doorstep. They returned to their places crestfallen. Their Master, however, was ecstatic. “Why the long faces?’ he chided them, “Did you think that Elijah comes through the door? He comes through the heart!
It dawned on me then that perhaps I had met Elijah all those years ago. He appeared in the guise of a neighbor asking for help and my parents’ generous response. Elijah isn’t necessarily revealed through mystical visions, but through the simple yet profound acts of seeing someone in need and responding with compassion. The divine is alive in our concrete actions toward others — actions that invite love, understanding, and connection. And in these moments, we, too, become a doorway for something sacred.
Rabbi Naftali Brawer
Jewish Chaplain, Neubauer Executive Director of Hillel, Tufts University
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Special Opportunities with the University Chaplaincy
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Senior Awards Night Save the Date - and Nominate a Senior Today!
Nominations due by Monday, April 21
This year, the University Chaplaincy hosts its fourth annual celebration to honor and uplift the wonderful contributions of our seniors and young alumni across all of our religious and philosophical communities. You are welcome to submit more than one nomination, as well as to nominate yourself. You can nominate anonymously or share your name and email. Sharing your information ensures that you will be notified of the final awards decisions and Senior Award Celebration. All nominees will be honored at our celebration, featuring delicious food and mocktails, at the Interfaith Center on Wednesday, April 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please submit all nominations by 11:59pm on Monday, April 21 through the form below. Reach out to University Chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger with any questions
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Apply To Join Our Student Worker Team
Submit by April 14
The Student Worker Program provides the opportunity to learn about the multifaith work of the University Chaplaincy and to assist our chaplains and staff in fulfilling essential functions that support our programs and services. Responsibilities include general support, hospitality management, space maintenance, publicity and communication support, and special event staffing. Training and mentoring will be provided through monthly staff meetings and ongoing coaching to build knowledge and skills. Current undergraduate Tufts students may apply, with and without workstudy. Apply below and reach out to Associate Director for Programs Nora Bond with any questions.
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Join the Graduate Interfaith Student Council
Wednesday, April 16, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Interfaith Center, 58 Winthrop St.
Calling all grad students! Join the University Chaplaincy team for a brainstorming session to shape the new Graduate Interfaith Student Council (GISC) launching Fall 2025! Let’s co-create a space where students from all faiths, philosophies, campuses, and programs can connect and collaborate. For questions, contact Grad Intern Prakruthi Ramesh.
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Religious and Philosophical Events and Gatherings
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Our events and weekly gatherings are open to everyone in the Tufts community. You can find a calendar and descriptions of our regular events on our website. If you have an idea for a gathering or event, please contact the University Chaplaincy.
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Passover at Tufts Hillel
Passover begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12
Join Tufts Hillel for all or part of their Passover programming, including Seders, meals, and events. Above is the schedule for all Seders and meals, so mark your calendars! You can find more information on the Tufts Hillel website linked below.
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Mindful Movement & Community
Monday, April 14, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel
We invite all Tufts community members for an hour of mindful group movement as we celebrate spring, community, and connectedness. We will end with shared gratitude and enjoy momos for lunch. This event is a collaboration between the Tufts Buddhist Mindfulness Sangha, Interfaith Ambassadors, and the Tufts Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Wear anything you are comfortable in for some light movement. In the event of rain, we will be inside Goddard Chapel. For further information, feel free to contact Interfaith Ambassador Ananya Gita.
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Studying as a Spiritual Practice
Monday, April 14, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Interfaith Center, 58 Winthrop St
Join DeVante Love, doctoral student in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Tufts, and the University Chaplaincy for this evening event. This offering invites you to reimagine learning as a transformative journey, inspiring renewed passion, and deeper connection, including a delicious meal from Neighborhood Kitchen. Please email Humanist Chaplain and Coordinator of Africana Spirituality Anthony Cruz Pantojas if you have any questions and RSVP with the form below.
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Respite Café: Chai and Snacks
Tuesday, April 22, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Interfaith Center, 58 Winthrop St.
Join the University Chaplaincy for a time of respite, delicious snacks, and a space to just be as we approach the end of the academic year. Come and go as you please. For more information email Humanist Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas.
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Asian American Center Spring Speaker: Bianca Mabute-Louie
Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m., Lantern Room in the Joyce Cummings Center
Join the Asian American Center for the spring speaker event, to be in conversation with Bianca Mabute-Louie, author of Unassimilable: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century. Register for the event below. Please email the Asian American Center with any questions.
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To see more upcoming religious holidays and festivals, including information about seeking religious accommodations at Tufts, please follow the link to the Tufts Multifaith Calendar.
Great Lent
Monday, March 3 – Saturday, April 19, 2025
In Orthodox churches, the first day of Lent marks the beginning of the Great Fast, the final six weeks of a 10-week period leading up to Holy Week and Easter (Pascha). In the churches that follow the Gregorian calendar, Lent is a six-week observance (40 days excluding Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday and culminating in Holy Week. It is a time of repentance and sacrifice in preparation for Easter. Observance(s) during this time may include fasting.
Mahavir Jayanti
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Celebrates the birthday of Lord Mahavira. Born with the name Vardhamana in ca. 599 BCE, he was later given the titles of honor, Mahavira ("Great Hero") and Jina ("Conqueror" or "Victor"), a title applied also to the other Tirthankaras.
Passover (Pesach)
Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 20, 2025
Begins at sundown on the first day listed. Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days with special prayers and symbolic foods at home, starting with the Seder, a ritual meal that re-enacts that ancient deliverance and emphasizes the freedom of the Jews under the guidance of God. The first two and the last two days are holidays. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of Holy Week that culminates in Easter or Pascha. In some churches, Palm Sunday is combined with the anticipation of Christ's death and so is also known as "Passon Sunday." Orthodox Christians often observe this Sunday on a date different from the date on which Protestant and Roman Catholics observe it.
Vaisakhi
Sunday, April 13 – Monday, April 14, 2025
Occurs on the first day of the solar year. It is primarily an agricultural festival, celebrating the harvest, and is especially important in North India. It is named after the month Vaisakh. For Sikhs, it is also the anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa (the "Brotherhood of the Pure") in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
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Support the University Chaplaincy
Supporting programs at Tufts University in religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life is easy and vital to our work. To donate, please click on the button below. Thank you for your generosity.
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The University Chaplaincy is a dynamic hub supporting religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life for all members of the Tufts community. We provide spiritual care, support religious and philosophical communities, educate about spiritual and ethical issues in society and the world, and promote multifaith engagement.
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