Shabbat Meals and Prayer

The Jewish way encourages us to carve out time for rest, reflection, and celebration, taking time to nourish our bodies and souls.

Shabbat Dinners and Services

We can’t wait to celebrate Shabbat with you this year! All BU students are welcome to join in on whatever parts of Shabbat feel right for you and fit into your schedule. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome you to our beautiful Hillel building for inspiring services, delicious community meals, and fun activities. Join us for great food, new friends, and time to reflect and welcome in Shabbat. 

Hillel offers BU students two great ways to enjoy a fun, delicious, and meaningful Shabbat dinner. You can sign up to attend the communal Shabbat dinner in Hillel’s 3rd floor dining hall. Alternatively, you may sign up to host a Shabbat meal for a group of friends using Hillel funds. BU Hillel also offers a Saturday Shabbat Lunch every week in addition to the Friday night programming provided.

You can sign up and learn more about the different dinner options, as well as the Shabbat services we offer, below.

Friday Night Shabbat Dinner Sign Up

Ready to be back in person at Hillel for Shabbat with incredible energy and delicious food? Friday night Shabbat at Hillel will begin at 5:45, with hors d’oeuvres and mocktails served in the lobby. Shabbat services run from 6:00-7:00 on the 4th floor. Shabbat Dinner will start at 7:00 in the 3rd floor dining hall. You can come to any part of the night that you would like! Just make sure you sign up below by Thursday at 9:00 am to reserve your spot. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Hosting Your Own Friday Night Shabbat Dinner

You also have the option of, once a month, being reimbursed $10 a person for your own Shabbat meal that you host! Just fill out this form, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Julia Grunes at jhgrunes@bu.edu.

Thank you for joining us for Shabbat – we’re so glad to host you! Shabbat dinner tonight is made possible because those of you on BU meal plans generously donate a swipe or points to cover the cost of your meal. If you are unable to donate, please contact Rav Micha.

Saturday Shabbat Lunch Sign Up

Interested in celebrating Shabbat with a wonderful community and delicious kosher food? Throughout the academic year, BU Hillel will be hosting a Saturday Shabbat lunch from 12:30-2:00 pm every week in our wonderful 3rd floor dining hall! Sign up below by Thursday at 9:00 am to reserve your spot. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Thank you for joining us for Shabbat – we’re so glad to host you! Shabbat lunch is made possible because those of you on BU meal plans generously donate a swipe or points to cover the cost of your meal. If you are unable to donate, please contact Rav Micha.

Religious Communities and Spirituality

Our tefillah (prayer) services are open to everyone! Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform services are held every Friday night. Shabbat Morning, Rosh Chodesh, Mincha, and other holiday services take place at varying times – check out this page throughout the year to learn more. All services are filled with energy and singing and held on the fourth floor of Hillel. For information on any of our religious communities or services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Rav Micha or Julia Grunes. 

Reform Community

The Reform Community at BU is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. We hold services for Shabbat and holidays, along with social justice events, and times to just hang out and get to know each other!

Our dynamic services provide a sense of community and celebration through music and minyan participation. Prayers and songs during services are in Hebrew (transliterations are provided) and English, and also include responsive readings that can be found in our siddur, Mishkan T’filah. Song melodies and prayer choices may be centered on a theme, anything from a particular musician to favorite childhood songs. Prayer services will sometimes be accompanied by an instrument, creating a lively musical environment. We also host several social action, educational, and social events that are open to the entire BU community. The aim of the Reform Minyan is to be an accepting community that is open to all.

For more information, contact Roni Lakin.

Conservative Community

The Conservative Minyan at Boston University Hillel is a traditional egalitarian prayer group. We have Friday night services every Shabbat as well as services for all of the Jewish holidays. We also meet periodically on Shabbat morning. These services are conducted in mostly Hebrew with some English using Siddur Sim Shalom (Hebrew, English) and Siddur Hadash’s (Hebrew, English, Transliteration) books according to the participant’s preference.  

We hope to create an inclusive and engaging community environment in which everyone is welcome to share and strengthen their religious experiences. Try leading a service, bring in a new tune, come to fun events, and share your smiles!  

We offer students opportunities to learn how to lead a service, to bring in and teach a new tune, to read Torah and/or Haftorah, and to give a D’var Torah.  

For more information, contact Sarah Kornfeld or Noah Lenkin.

Nafsheinu (Orthodox Community)

Nafsheinu at Boston University is a very diverse community and has members from both Sephardic and Ashkenazic backgrounds. The student-led group runs weekly Shabbat services as well as holiday services, Shabbat meals, and Jewish learning opportunities. We also meet periodically for weekday davening and Rosh Chodesh.

In addition to religious opportunities, Nafsheinu offers a wide range of social events, such as breakfast and ice skating, apple picking, and March Madness tournaments.

For more information on how to build community with other students in the BU Orthodox community contact us at bu.nafsheinu@gmail.com, or reach out to President Akiva Zeff. We look forward to getting to know you!

Nafsheinu Student Leadership

President: Akiva Zeff (auzeff@bu.edu)

Director of Religious Life: Shmuel Bogomolni

Director of Programming: Zev Fine

Director of Outreach: Eytan Mobilio

Holidays

BU Hillel also offers a full array of Holiday services, meals, and programming. 

Come back and visit our website in the weeks before each holiday for an up-to-date schedule of fun and meaningful celebrations.

Staff Contacts

Rav Micha Stettin, L.Ac L.OM, is thrilled to join Boston University as the Rabbi, Senior Jewish Educator, and University Chaplain. After a decade in Israel, living first in Jerusalem and then in Jaffa, Rabbi Micha brings a wealth of experience as a community Rabbi and health practitioner. He spent his time in Israel building a home with his wife, practicing martial arts, and providing community leadership and healthcare. Rabbi Micha received his Rabbinical Ordination from Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem and earned his licensure in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Tel Aviv University’s campus for complementary medicine. Email Micha at mstettin@bu.edu.

Julia Grunes (she/her) enters her first year in 2024-25 as BU Hillel’s Jewish Life Fellow. Julia is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo, where she earned a BA in psychology and English with a concentration in creative writing. After graduation, she was awarded a 2023-24 Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Israel, but was relocated to Spain. Julia spent her time there teaching at IE University, attempting to improve her Spanish, and exploring the small, but present, Jewish community in Madrid. Though each Jewish person she spoke to in Madrid practiced differently, and came from all over the world, each one emphasized how important having a Jewish community was for their own wellbeing. As a Jewish Life Fellow, Julia looks forward to helping Jewish students connect to their community and explore their identities in a supportive space. Outside of work, Julia enjoys spending time in nature, singing, playing the violin, writing, and experiencing live music. Email Julia at jhgrunes@bu.edu.