Personal perspectives on faith at Yale

Making the choice to practice Christianity in college

When I arrived at college, I realized that I was free to make my own decision about how often I would go to church, or if I even wanted to attend at all. I found that I did go, but in the beginning only out of habit. After a while though, I started attending church because I enjoyed going every week. Going to church was no longer an obligation, but a choice.

Yale is a great place to be Christian because there are many options available, no matter what type of Christianity you practice. While I personally have attended two Catholic churches in the immediate area--St. Mary's and St. Thomas More--there are churches of almost every denomination in the vicinity of campus.

Whether you decide to attend church once a week or once a year, Yale has many choices for all types of Christians. There are great opportunities to enrich your spiritual life--the choice is yours.

—By Kevin Irwin

The Yale Hillel lets students see Jewish life, Eli style

The Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life on Wall Street, the hub of Jewish life on campus, houses all of the many Jewish organizations at the University. If nothing more, students come just for the food at the Kosher Kitchen, located in the basement of the building. Sponsored by Young Israel House at Yale, the Kosher Kitchen serves unquestionably the best food on campus, and it attracts people of all faiths to its meals.

Yale Hillel's offices serve as the umbrella for the other Jewish organizations on campus. Jewish students can choose from a wide variety of activities and causes to which they can devote their time. For instance, Yale Friends of Israel is a group of Yalies devoted to learning about and supporting the State of Israel. Students wishing to study Talmud can participate in the Beit Midrash program. There is never a shortage of things for Jewish students to do around campus here at Yale. It all depends on how much or how little, time they want to spend doing them, or how much previous Jewish education they have.

Urim v'Tumim, named after the Hebrew words on the Yale crest, is a student-produced journal published out of the Hillel offices. It provides a forum for Jewish students' literary expression.

Shabbat at Yale is a special experience. Students have a choice of three Friday night services—a Reform Chavurah, a Conservative Egalitarian, or an Orthodox service. After davening, everyone meets in the Kosher Kitchen for a festive and traditional Shabbat meal. After dinner, a Friday night forum is often held, where interesting speakers discuss important issues--political and spiritual%#151;concerning the Jewish population at large.

Jewish life at Yale is definitely unique. For instance, the Grace after meals on Friday nights is always joyously followed by the Yale fight song. Little things like that make Yale a great place to learn, grow, and explore your faith. I have come to view being a Jew in a completely different way during my stay at Yale.

—By Michael Buckstein

Exploring the always growing Muslim community

As my freshman year draws to an unbelievably hasty close, my experiences as a practicing Muslim in the predominantly non-Muslim environment of Yale University permeate my thoughts. While it took some time to adjust to being away from my family, my religious community, and my close Muslim friends, I can confidently say that I have made the transition and have been able to continue my religious practices here at Yale.

On a personal level, practicing Islam at Yale is not hard. I have been able to perform the five daily prayers, recite Qur'an, and fast during the month of Ramadan without much distraction or difficulty. In general, my fellow students have been very understanding and respectful of my religious practices.

But Islam consists of more than just personal convictions and private rituals. Yale's Muslim Students Association (MSA) provides me with a small but close-knit group of fellow Muslim students with whom I can share my faith. A mere eight years old, the MSA organizes activities ranging from daily evening prayers and weekly dinner discussions to Juma services and the annual Eid dinner and speech.

Though it is not as large or active as MSA's in other college towns like Boston and Chicago, the Yale MSA has a core of dedicated members who work hard to strengthen the Muslim voice on campus. And with the help of the Yale University Chaplain's Office and the Administration, MSA is steadily growing. The Muslim community here not only allows practicing Muslims the opportunity to learn more about their religion and to foster ties with others of their faith, but also enriches Yale's diverse atmosphere.

—By Syeeda Amin

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