is semester, the OCP Chessed committee joined Philadelphia community members at the Jewish Relief Agency’s Center for a day of packaging and distributing food. Penn students assembled boxes of kosher-for-Passover food and delivered them to families in need in time for the holiday.

In March, the OCP Chessed committee organized its "fth annual ManiCURE-Salon with a Cause fundraiser, where more than 200 students and faculty from all across campus enjoyed manicures while raising money for breast cancer research, support programs for women diagnosed with breast cancer, and breast cancer awareness. OCP Chessed is proud to report that its most prominent event of the year raised $3400 for e Penn Abramson Cancer Center and Sharsheret.

z OCP Chessed z

A N E N D - O F - S E M E S T E R U P D A T E F R O M T H E O R T H O D O X C O M M U N I T Y A T P E N N

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

\

Newsletter

CONTENTS:

SocialYachad ShabbatonNew ArrivalsSunday Night LearningShiruimGraduate StudentsScholar in ResidenceBeit MidrashNew Shul AdditionsMazal Tovs

2334455556

is past April brought in another installment of OCP's annual Fling Feast, a banquet-style dinner complete with entertainment that provides a kosher, Shabbat-friendly alternative to the campus-wide Spring Fling festivities. is year was our biggest success yet; with over 250 students in attendance, we were able to truly celebrate Fling in a way that was both festive and comfortable for Jews of all levels of observance. is year, the weekend of Spring Fling con#icted not only with Shabbat, but also with the last days of Pesach, and Jews across campus joined together to celebrate the holiday in style. is year's Prohibition-themed banquet was chock-full of #apper dresses, pinstripe suits, prop puff cigarettes, and delicious kosher-for-Passover catering. e evening was hosted by College sophomores Rami Sherif and Yoni Levenson, which was quite a sight to see. e night was peppered with sensational performances by both the a capella group Penn Pipers and comedy troupe Mask & Wig. e evening was then topped off with mocktails and desserts on the Hall of Flags balcony.

In addition to the Fling Feast, OCP Social kept the community busy with battles of wits, including our "rst team-based game of Assassins, a live-action competition that spanned three blood-curdling weeks, and an epic back-by-popular-demand match of Pennoply, a trivia game that challenged participants with everything from

pricing Starbucks drinks to building paper airplanes. We "nished off the semester with a stress-relieving study break complete with free hugs, video games, and a station showing footage of puppies exclusively.

Social

Yachad Shabbaton

Every spring, the OCP hosts Yachad Rayim for an inclusive Shabbat of fun-"lled singing, world of Torah, and a lively carnival to cap off the weekend.  Yachad members delivered divrei Torah at OCP services throughout Shabbat, ate meals with students, and stayed in the dorms, which allowed all members of the OCP to have face-time with our incredible guests. e weekend was structured to foster relationships between Yachad members and Penn students, to give Yachad members a fun experience in a college setting, and to allow all participants to embrace difference. Yachad members look forward to the Penn-Yachad Shabbaton, and we look forward to hosting them again next year!

e OCP is excited to welcome the newest edition to our beloved JLI family, Naftali Shulman! Born on March 21, 2012, Naftali was welcomed into the community with a beautiful brit milah service followed by a delicious seudat Mitzvah breakfast. Dr. Jenny Shulman spoke about the incredible story behind Naftali's name, and he quickly has become a community favorite. It was a year "lled with baby boys for the greater Hillel community as well. Penn Hillel’s Senior Jewish Educator, Rabbi Josh Bolton, welcomed a son in February. Several weeks later, the OCP was privileged to celebrate the brit of Benjamin Isaac, son of Hillel Director Rabbi Michael Uram, on campus. Finally, our much beloved office manager, Joan Bobroff, welcomed a beautiful grandson, Josef Alexander, at the beginning of the summer.

New Additions to Our Family

e Sarah and Abraham Sunday Night Learning Program (SAM-SNL) is widely considered to be the premier Torah education program on Penn’s campus.  Its success can be measured by its popularity: weekly

SNL attendance continues to top the 100-mark every semester. A typical SNL session consists of a free and delicious communal dinner for all attendees, followed by an hour of paired studying.  During SNL, students explore Jewish texts or topics of particular interest to them with their study partners. SNL has a loyal following, and members of the OCP consider it a permanent part of their weekly schedule.

Jewish Learning Initiative on CampusJLIC is a project of the Orthodox Union. Its mission is threefold:

• To enable, encourage, and advance Jewish education and commitment of Jewish students at secular universities.

• To provide avenues to spiritual development and exploration for Jewish students from all backgrounds.

• To strengthen Jewish communities on campus in a manner that also encourages openness and mutual respect to all Jews and Jewish communities on campus.

SNL

e Scholar in Residence Committee (SIR) organized an exciting range of lectures and programs throughout the spring semester.  e OCP hosted several different SIR Shabbatons over the course of

the semester, featuring scholars such as Nishmat educator Simi Peters and Drisha founder Rabbi David Silber.

SIR also hosted the annual Sol Sved Memorial Lecture on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Nissan. is year’s lecturer was Professor Lawrence Schiffman, an eminent Jewish Scholar and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at YU, who spoke about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the midrash of the Passover haggadah. Students found his lectures fascinating and enjoyed his unique and engaging teaching style.

In addition to special shabbatot, the community also hosted many weekday events, including a Lunch ‘n Learn about social justice with the head of Uri L'Tzedek, a lecture on secular Jewish Studies with Penn professor David Ruderman, a heartfelt discussion about “the religious transition” with psychiatrist and parent of a Penn alumna Dr. Michelle Friedman, and, of course, visits from much-beloved Israeli yeshiva and seminary educators (including Rabbi Yaaqov Medan from Yeshivat Har Etzion).  

SIR always strives to bring highly regarded and interesting speakers to campus in order to enrich the community’s religious and intellectual development.

Scholar in Residence

e OCP Graduate and Young Professional Community (OCP-GAP) celebrated Tu B'Shvat with a seder full of fruits, Israeli delicacies, and singing.

OCP-GAP also enjoyed its annual Purim Seuda, which brought the community together in a way that really enhanced the holiday experience.  With plenty of food and drink to go around, people came in costume in order to dine together.  As the end of the school year approached, OCP-GAP also hosted its annual End-of-Year BBQ, at which friends bid one another farwell before many of the grad students took off for the summer. We are excited to see everyone in the fall for another year of exciting programming.

ShiurimBeit Midrashe Beit Midrash Committee seeks to foster a strong culture of learning that nurtures students’ love of Torah and encourages them to grapple with texts in a supportive environment. is year, the Beit Midrash Committee fundraised, collected book suggestions, and attended the Yeshiva University Seforim Sale, where it purchased 60 new books for the Beit Midrash. Additionally, the BMC introduced the Nosh Nook, a corner of the Beit Midrash dedicated to snacks and warm drinks to aid students in their study of Torah. We can’t wait for another exciting year of Beit Midrash development!

Graduates & Young Professionals

In commemoration of their graduation, the OCP Class of 2012 donated a new cover to adorn the bima in the Beit Midrash. e graduating seniors hope that the bima cover will enhance the praying and learning environment at Penn for many years to come. e community is also thankful to Hillel for sponsoring a refurbishment of the Torahs. After being checked and repaired by a Sofer this Spring, several Torahs will be out"tted with brand-new atzei chaim.

New Additions to the Shul

In addition to the outstanding outside scholars that the OCP is privileged to host every semester, our community offers daily shiurim delivered by our own exceptional students and staff. is past semester, Adam Pershan (C’13) presented a new shiur entitled “Talmudic Stories” every ursday at 6:00 PM, in which he shed light on the far-reaching impact of the Talmud’s aggadic sections on Jewish philosophy and daily practice. Over the semester, Adam developed a “tool kit” of techniques with which to analyze aggadata, drawing upon literary analysis, context within the larger sugya, parallel historical data, rishonim and achronim, and even halakhik sugyot that are impacted by aggada.

Chaburah-style learning is also prevalent at Penn. is semester, a different student prepared a source sheet and discussion topic each week, presenting it on Sunday morning, as students shared breakfast and debated politics and halakha as part of the Eretz Yisrael Chabura. We continue to be inspired by our community’s enthusiasm for Torah learning, and look forward to many new and exciting shiurim next year.

Advisory BoardAvi Chanales

Chaim GevaryahuJeremy HurewitzMichelle KaplanElizabeth Katz

Adriel KoschitzkyAriella Meisel

Marissa SchwartzAvraham Yale

Beit MidrashJonathan Eskreis-Winkler

Alexis Mayer

ChessedSophie Gindea

Aliza KellerLeron AramaAriella BarelJosh Belfer

Jonathan BoiarskyJulie Frisch

Melissa GoldsteinRikki Irwin

Josh KaminetskyAlon KrifcherAllie MayerTova Miller

Ike NewmanRaphael PranskyAriela RosenbergAlyse Schongold

Avital SzulcNatalie Weinberg

Divrei TorahJosh DembowitzLisa PiontnicaPhilip Trencher

EruvSam Greenberg

FundraisingIkey Setton

Mollie SussmanAdeena Che"tz

Josh Kaminetsky

Head MashesDebra GarfunkelChana LavaddinDoniel Sherman

Abe Sutton

HospitalityEliana Machefsky

Akiva Sanders

KiddushLisa Piontnica

Rachel BernardDan Blas

Becca GoodmanElan Kiderman

Allie MayerYair Schiff

Rita Wahba

Men’s ClubYoni Levenson

Hillel Neumark

Shalishudis GuyDaneel Schaechter

Aaron Wilson

ShiurimSerena Covkin

Hannah DardashtiBen Fisch

Mordy FriedChaim Gevaryahu

Nomi HachenShlomo Klapper

Loren MillerMarissa SchwartzRebecca Spirgel

Scholar in ResidenceAdriel Koschitzky

Becky MosesRaymond HabbazAmalya LehmannAdam Saltzman

Ikey SettonDoniel Sherman

Rebecca Stein

Sunday Night LearningTova MillerJosh Cooper

Serena CovkinElie Peltz

Shira RedlichMichael San Soucie

Rami SherifAdam Wachs

SocialJulie Frisch

Elan KidermanRachel BernardGavriel Fineberg

Aviva KoloskiAmalya Lehmann

Brian MundDan RaikinEtan Raskas

Marissa SchwartzRebecca Spirgel

SYQYoni Levenson

Abe Sutton

ird MealMadeleine Brown

Hannah DardashtiJonathan Boiarsky

Aviva KoloskiHillel Neumark

Etan RaskasRebecca SpirgelMichal SnyderPhilip Trencher

Ruben Waldman

Torah HoraAdam Freilich

TreasuryDovie Rosenberg

Jessica Lovett

TzedakaHaviva GarrettAdam Pershan

Madeleine BrownJacob Kaufman

WebguysDovie Rosenberg

Jordan SvedRina Krevat

Aviva KoloskiAriella Levine

YachadDebra Garfunkel

Alexis MayerDan Blas

Allie Mayer

Co-ChairsMeir Dardashti | Ricki Notis

GabbaimJacob Che"tz | Max Levy | Elan Ariel

JLICRav Jonathan & Jenny Shulman

Mazal Tov!Rav Jonathan and Jenny Shulman on the birth of a baby boy.

Rabbi Mike Uram and Leora Eisenstadt on the birth of a baby boy.Joan Bobroff on the birth of a grandson.

Corey Miller (C' 10) and Shira 'Vasilevsky' Miller on the birth of a baby boy.Ezra Weinblatt (C' 09) and Deena Ifrah on the birth of a baby boy.

Etan Aber (C ’12) and Katie Berkowitz (C ’12) on their engagement.Adam Saitowitz (SEAS '08) and Menucha Howell on their engagement.

Ariella Kopinsky (N '10) and Abayai Yosef Sherman on their engagement.Mollie Sussman (SEAS ‘13) and Yossi Davis (D ‘15) on the occasion of their marriage.

Caroline Stern (C ’11) and David Klatt (C ’11) on the occasion of their marriage.Geoffrey Kiderman (M&T ’10) and Miryam Spiegel on the occasion of their marriage.

Dina Beizer (W ‘10) and Moshe Kook on the occasion of their marriage.David Stark (W ’11) and Liora Pollick (C ’10) on the occasion of their marriage.

Rachel Baker (C ’12) and Jon Mann on the occasion of their marriage.Jamie Chiel (C ’09) and Josh Sturm on the occasion of their marriage.

Mazal Tov to Debbie Yunker and Benjamin Kail on the occasion of their marriage.

OCP COMMITTEES

Orthodox Community at Penn215 South 39th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104www.pennocp.org

pennocp@gmail.com