HOLIDAYS:
Shabbat:
Obviously Shabbat happens here every week. Except for once in a while when there is a three day weekend. We usually cater out for Shabbat, there is a Shabbat chair who helps the staff set up for Shabbat. We typically get about 50-80 students for shabbat. Our services start at 6:30 and our dinner typically starts at 7:30.
Rosh Hashanah:
I don't really know how Rosh Hashanah works here because this past year it was before school started. However, I am sure that you will find out. Our holidays are fairly easy here because most of the students are from LA so they go home for EVERY holiday. I typically didn't have much of a role in doing anything unless it was a special program like giving out apples and honey on campus.
Yom Kippur:
School was in session during this holiday. But as I stated before everyone goes home for services. Mostly it is community people that come to Rabbi Chaim services. We do the services in Ackerman Union and you will sit at the front desk and greet the people coming into the service. I am not sure when the holidays are for your year of being a JCSC. However, in the past at Indiana, I did a break the fast for students in the dorm. If you find that there are more students at UCLA during break the fast because its during the week-then I would suggest doing a break the fast in the dorms or taking students to Diddy Riese for ice cream!
Channukah:
Channukah is a really great time to program here at UCLA! The bruin plaza is a great place to go and make menorahs, play dreidel, hand out gelt, etc. I would definitely take advantage of this holiday in recruiting students to get involved in your programs! This year (although I was not in town) the students made menorahs in the middle of bruin plaza and about 50 students gathered around for an hour making the menorahs-the student board said it was phenomenal.
Passover:
Passover is really easy here-since the Office of Residence Life is so bureacratic and anti-religion-there is no possible way for you to do a freshmen seder in the dorms. Additionally, everyone goes home for seders-because all the students-what? are from LA! This year we are only doing one seder-the second night-and we only have 50 people signed up and most of them are community members.
Basically, holidays are fairly simple around here since all the students go home to be with their families. However, there is definitely a chance for you to do pre-holiday programming-to get students excited and ready for the holiday!
NATIONAL INITIATIVES:
Birthright:
Hopefully next year there will be still BIRTHRIGHT! You obviously know all about it-since you went on Birthright. Depending on if we have a Israel Fellow or not-and if we don't-the JCSC ends up doing most of the recruiting for BIRTHRIGHT which is great because around here at UCLA Hillel that means you get to go! If you really want to go-bug Chaim about it right away!