Rachel Goldstein
BA ’17, Sociology
Each year, the Muslim Jewish Interfaith Dialogue Group, also known as MuJew, collaborates with the Ginsberg Center to organize an Alternative Spring Break Trip. This service learning experience functions as a way to give back to the broader community while strengthening bonds between the two religious communities. This year, we will be returning to the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, a refugee resettlement center in Utica, New York.
During the week of spring break, we will be doing a variety of jobs at the center, including setting up apartments for newly arrived refugees, working with refugee children, and other general housekeeping projects. We will also be attending talks and classes to help us learn more about the resettlement process and the experiences of immigrants in the United States.
The MuJew Alternative Spring Break also has a religious component. We’ll be observing the dietary laws of both religions, attending Jumma and Shabbat services at a local Mosque and Synagogue, and engaging in nightly dialogues about the differences and similarities between the two faiths.
Library Mentor: Sue Wortman