Berklee Jewish Faculty, Staff, and Allies
The Berklee Jewish Faculty, Staff, and Allies affinity group aims to build, support and strengthen the Berklee Jewish community while providing opportunities for the rest of the Berklee community to learn about Judaism through acknowledging and celebrating holiday and cultural traditions, engaging in open dialogue regarding experiences and issues of concerns, discussing current events that affect the Jewish community, and providing services and various opportunities across all of Berklee’s campuses and learning modalities.
Objectives
Create community and a sense of belonging among Jewish faculty and staff.
- Develop and maintain a vibrant Jewish community in many areas of campus life.
- Provide Jewish perspectives on matters of concern including current events.
- Engage with other Berklee communities to find common ground and to build mutual understanding and respect for opposing viewpoints.
- Contribute to campus diversity, equity and inclusion, and belonging and justice by providing awareness of Jewish holidays (including the Sabbath/Shabbat), religious observances, antisemitism, and educational events about Judaism and the Jewish experience both in Israel and in the diaspora.
The Berklee Jewish Faculty, Staff, and Allies affinity group plans to collaborate with campus partners on the following:
- Contribute to the recruitment and retention of Jewish students of all observance levels by increasing Jewish visibility and “brand” on campus.
- Educate the Berklee community on the unique contributions of Jews to music, dance, and theater (e.g., jazz, Tin Pan Alley, musical theater) as well as to Berklee itself (e.g., Schillinger House, the Berk family, etc.).
- Help Berklee understand and appreciate the contributions and impact that Jews have on campus diversity and to ensure that antisemitism work is an integral component of DEI initiatives.
- Mentor Jewish students (as needed) during their onboarding and throughout their student experience at our various Berklee campuses.
Membership
Community is an important value in Judaism and, as such, the Berklee Jewish Faculty, Staff, and Allies affinity group welcomes all faculty and staff across the spectrum of Jewish culture, beliefs, and practices. We also welcome our non-Jewish colleagues to join us as allies to fulfill our mission.
Contact Information: JewishERG@berklee.edu
Steering Committee:
Ari Kaufman
Associate Registrar
akaufman@berklee.edu
Sharon Kramer
Dean Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation
skramer1@berklee.edu
Marti Epstein
Professor of Composition
mepstein@berklee.edu
Announcements