Rabbi Getzel Rosenberg Davis

In a world that often emphasizes our differences, we're building tables where common ground is found, one conversation at a time. ✨
​Thrilled to share highlights from our "Across This Table" dinner at Harvard, where nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff gathered to share stories, break bread, and truly see one another. It was a beautiful reminder that profound connection is possible when we come together.
​A special thank you to everyone who made this evening so special. Let's keep these vital conversations going!
​Read more about this initiative via the link in bio!
​ CampusLife MakingADifference SeeAndBeSeen HearAndBeHeard

Excited to share my love of weddings and about my couples practice on Judaism Unbound. Also, tune in for a big update on Unorthodox Celebrations. judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-458-getzel-davis

Since mid-November, I have been meeting weekly for lunch with Imam Khalil Abdur-Rashid, the Muslim chaplain on our Harvard campus.

We started meeting because he wanted to gather Muslim and Jewish student leaders after a public statement from the undergraduate student association following the October 7 Hamas attacks caused great consternation and tension at Harvard and far beyond. Khalil hoped to create a space where students could acknowledge their pain and loss, prevent further division and animosity, and initiate broader campus efforts at dignified discussion and action.

It was a beautiful idea, but not one that has yet been able to come to fruition. Our students have felt too hurt, too angry, and too scared to be able to do anything together this academic year.

We have tried several experiments to bring them together: a communal mourning circle, an outdoor meditation experience, a joint trip, and an interfaith iftar. Each one fell apart because of the deep divisions on campus and external pressures. Everyone feels isolated and unable to sit with the isolation of the other.

Khalil and I have continued to sit, eat, mourn, and get to know each other. Over the year, our families have met, and we have trusted each other deeply as we negotiate a sharply divided campus....
www.interfaithamerica.org/article/fostering-unity-on-campus-isnt-easy/
Interfaith America Hebrew College Harvard Hillel