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A Greeting From Your University Chaplain
Dear Tufts Community,
When I was seventeen, I attended an intensive theater arts camp where rising high school seniors sweated it out on stages and in studios for five weeks: rehearsing, competing, exploring whether a college theater program would be for us. I learned that it would not be for me. I loved acting and singing. I liked dancing. And it was clear to me that many of my camp peers were not only formidable “triple threats,” but also driven to perform. It was theater or bust. And I didn’t feel that way. So, I departed camp with amazing experiences and (at least at that time) a sense of clarity. I also departed with a thin book, given to each of us on our last day: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. I’ve held it close ever since. Rilke writes:
. . . be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue…Do not now seek answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without even noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
As we begin a new academic year at Tufts, I am once again grateful that we learn and work in a community that is rooted in both living and loving our questions. For living the questions is not for young poets alone! First years and seniors, graduate students and faculty, coaches and counselors, advisors and all: we get to explore questions about our disciplines, our beliefs, our identities, our pasts and present, the world as it is and as it should be.
Across the communities that connect with the University Chaplaincy, I see vibrant and challenging questions being lived and loved already. This year, a Tufts cohort of chaplains, academic and career advisors, and staff from various divisions are living questions related to vocation, calling, meaning, and purpose. Through monthly readings and discussions, we hope to live into some answers that can renew the work we do together and alongside students to deepen reflection and discernment throughout the educational experience. The Interfaith Ambassador team is beginning this year with questions like these: How do we bring our own personal values and practices into the work for social justice? How do religious and non-religious communities and individuals work together for the common good? Across our religious and philosophical communities, the questions abound: what does it mean to love our neighbor? To do justice and love kindness? To embrace “not-knowing” as a way of spiritual growth?
What questions are you living these days? And what might it mean to even love the questions themselves? None of us are alone in this journey, and the gifts of Tufts' communities of inquiry, exploration, and friendship are here for all. On stages, in studios, in labs and libraries, classrooms and the Chapel: let's live and love our questions with creativity, courage and joy!
Pax et Lux (Peace and Light),
Elyse Nelson Winger
University Chaplain
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| Meet our new Graduate Student Intern
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Frances Lee, Graduate Student Intern with the University Chaplaincy
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| Welcome Graduate Student Intern Frances Lee!
Frances Lee is a chaplain intern at Tufts University for the 2023-2024 academic year. Frances will co-facilitate the Interfaith Student Council with intern supervisor, Lynn Cooper, as well as engage across our diverse communities. They are a third year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School studying Buddhist spiritual care, preaching and creative writing. Frances recently completed their first unit of clinical pastoral education as an interfaith chaplain at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. They enjoy supporting queer and trans students who are forging their own path within/without religious institutions. Frances is originally from Texas and recently moved to Somerville from the lush Pacific Northwest. In addition to serving at Tufts, they founded and co-lead The Greenhouse, a healing sanctuary and ritual incubator for BIPOC students at Harvard. In their free time, Frances loves being an indoor plant daddy and going in bike rides with their partner on the Somerville Community Path.
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| Meet Dee-1: Tisch College's Artist-In-Residence
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Meet & Greet with Dee-1: Tisch College's Artist-in-Residence
Tuesday, Sep. 26, 2023 - 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Rabb Room, Barnum Hall
Meet Tisch College's inaugural Artist-in-Residence, renowned rapper, educator and activist Dee-1! Get to know Dee over lunch and hear about the innovative work he will be doing at Tufts as Professor of the Practice. Dee will also preview his highly-anticipated spring course exploring the historical and cultural significance of hip hop and examining how it’s been used as a catalyst for activism and social transformation. Time for networking will be allotted. Lunch provided.
In the announcement of Dee-1's appoinment, Tisch College writes, "Developed in collaboration with the Tufts University Chaplaincy, the residency program also recognizes the significance of religious and philosophical diversity in promoting activism and social justice. The partnership will help foster interdisciplinary conversations and connections between art, spirituality, and social change, all in pursuit of Tisch College’s North Star: building robust and inclusive democracy for an increasingly multiracial society."
Dee-1 began rapping and performing publicly while in college at Louisiana State University. After graduating from LSU in 2008, he taught middle school math in Baton Rouge. After two years of teaching, he pivoted to focus exclusively on his music career. In 2010, Dee-1 was named Artist of the Year at the NOLA Underground Hip Hop Awards. In 2016, he released "Sallie Mae Back", a hyper-energetic track celebrating the completion of his student loan payoffs. He used a part of his label signing advance to pay off the loans. The song received critical acclaim from CNN, ESPN, Forbes and Time magazine. The Washington Post called it the "anthem of a generation." Dee-1 is the recipient of the 2020 NAACP “Power of Influence Award,” highlighting his activism and commitment to inspiring youth. In 2021, he became the first rapper in history to be appointed to a statewide position by a governor, John Bell Edwards of Louisiana, joining the Louisiana Council for the “Success of Black Men and Boys.” He was also nominated for an Emmy Award in 2021 for hosting “The Manhattan Project”. His recent album, “Finding Balance” (2022) debuted at No. 4 in the world on the Apple Music/iTunes Hip-Hop Charts. In 2023, he was appointed the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellow at Harvard University. You can read more about his upcoming work with Tisch College here.
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| Religious and Philosophical Programs
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Islam in Depth with Muslim Chaplain Najiba Akbar
Thursdays, beginning September 7, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Curtis Musallah
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Welcome Back BBQ Shabbat
Friday, September 8, 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Granoff Family Hillel Center
Join Tufts Hillel for its Welcome Back BBQ Shabbat Dinner! Grab a kosher burger (or veggie burger!), unplug from the week, and bring in Shabbat. The BBQ will be take place outside the Hillel building. Reform and Conservative Shabbat services will be held right after, followed by dessert and board games. Whether you celebrate every week or it is your first time, we would love to see you there! Shabbat dinner is provided compliments of Hillel. If you are on an unlimited meal plan, or have the resources to do so, please allow us to subsidize your meal by using a meal swipe. You can always find more on the Tufts Hillel website.
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Misa Católica en Español
Spanish Mass
Sunday, September 10, 5:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel
Every second Sunday of the month, the Catholic community celebrates mass in Spanish. Designed for both native Spanish speakers and non-native Spanish speakers, these services bring a taste of home to Goddard Chapel and celebrate the universal spirit of our global church. If you would like to help support this part of our ministry, please contact Catholic Community at Tufts (CCT) e-board member Sebastian Fernandez or Catholic Chaplain Lynn Cooper.
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Voices for Peace and Light: An Intergenerational Interfaith Choir
Thursdays, 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. (starting September 21), Goddard Chapel
Do you love to sing? Spend your Thursday lunch hours this fall singing with colleagues in our new Voices of Peace and Light. All are welcome; no experience is necessary! Voices of Peace and Light is an interfaith, intergenerational choir whose membership is drawn from the entire Tufts community – graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and neighbors. We welcome experienced choral singers and people who are brand new to choral music. Supported by 4 strong Choral Scholars, we will rehearse weekly and perform a few pieces for the Goddard Chapel’s In Living Memory celebration in November. Director Suzie Cartreine is the Music Director of the University Chaplaincy, and has years of experience conducting choirs of all ages and abilities. If you can talk, you can sing! Bring your friends and colleagues and come check it out. For more information, or to sign up please contact Music Director Suzie Cartreine.
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| Resources, Scholarships, and Opportunities
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Apply to be a Choral Scholar
Applications now open
Voices for Peace and Light is an unauditioned choir open to all members of the Tufts community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors). Four Choral Scholars, one for each voice part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass), will serve as section leaders in Voices for Peace and Light. The Choral Scholar is a paid position open to all Tufts undergraduate work-study students, secured by audition. To learn more and/or apply, find the posting on Handshake.
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Humanism for Everyday Life
Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
How did Humanism develop? What are the values that inhere a Humanist community? Students in this course will read diverse texts that address genealogies of Humanist thought, the human condition, and the possibilities and challanges of realizing a Humanism for all. We will examine Humanist orientations from marginalizes voices and subjectivities. Throughout the course, we will address questions such as: What does it mean to be? How might a Humanist orientation respond to obligations to self, other, and the world, especially during this time of "post-truth"? You can register now for this class with Anthony Cruz Pantojas.
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Upcoming Religious Celebrations and Observances
These events are drawn from the multifaith calendar maintained by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at Harvard Divinity School. To see more upcoming religious holidays and festivals, please follow the link to the Harvard Divinity School calendar.
Krishna Janmashtami (Sri Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami)
Wed., Sep. 6, 2023
Tradition: Hinduism
Celebrates the birthday of Krishna. According to the Hindu epics, Krishna was the eighth incarnation of the God Vishnu, opposed to the demon Kansa, who was responsible for the increase of evil in the world. Worship of Krishna is characteristically expressed in dance and song.
Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos
Fri., Sep. 8, 2023
Tradition: Christianity-Orthodox
Paryusana Festival
Mon., Sep. 11 – Tue., Sep. 19, 2023
Tradition: Jainism
Considered the holiest period of the year, these eight days are marked for Jains by fasting, meditation, prayer and public readings of the life story of Lord Mahavira. Observed especially by the followers of the Shvetambara sect, Paryusana concludes on Samvatsari, the most solemn occasion of self-scrutiny and forgiveness. On this day, Jains ask for forgiveness from their relatives and friends for any offense they may have committed by deed, word or thought.
Ghambar Paitishem
Tue., Sep. 12 – Sat., Sep. 16, 2023
Tradition: Zoroastrianism
Celebrates the creation of plants, the sowing of the winter crop and the return of herds from pasture
Rosh Hashanah
Fri., Sep. 15 – Sun., Sep. 17, 2023
Tradition: Judaism
The Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of the world, Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Awe (also known as the Ten Days of Repentance) that conclude on Yom Kippur. It marks the beginning of the holiest time of the year for Jews.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Mon., Sep. 18, 2023
Tradition: Hinduism
A celebration of Ganesh’s birthday, one of the major Hindu deities. Ganesh, who has the head of an elephant, is the God of Success and is invoked at the beginning of all new undertakings.
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Support the University Chaplaincy
Supporting dynamic 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 pastoral 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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