Fall 2024 Schedule
Meeting the Moment: Community in Dialogue is a new initiative launching in fall 2024 that expands the College’s ongoing commitment to amplify the collective knowledge, tools, and resources of our faculty, staff, students, and the broader community. The College-wide Initiative promotes new and renewed ways of critically thinking about and engaging with one another on issues that impact the College community, and the smaller communities therein, both individually and collectively, through dialogues, education, and responsive engagement.
Meeting the Moment aims to centralize and highlight ongoing efforts, programs, and resources within our communities, and encourages ethical engagement and responsive dialogue on complex local and global issues. We invite our community to learn together by encounters with a range of perspectives, experiences, and narratives, and meet each of us where we are.
This Initiative features a series of planned programs, including facilitated discussions on collective grief and resilience; workshops addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and bias; civic action and engagement; and a plenary session featuring acclaimed Campus Read author James McBride with a discussion about complex relationships in shared community. Events under Meeting the Moment also include programs that began in 2023-24 (e.g., “Dinner with 12 Strangers”) and others that launched in earlier years (e.g., Community Vigils) as well as new dialogic opportunities listed below.
All programs are open to the Haverford campus community (students, staff, and faculty) only unless otherwise noted.
Community Dialogues
Dialogues on Grief and Resilience
Dialogues on Grief and Resilience is a series of facilitated discourse among faculty, staff, and students through the experiences of collective grief and journey towards resilience, particularly in the context of the current geopolitical landscape and historical narratives. Each session is designed to cultivate a compassionate space for discussing how such a challenging environment can impact personal and communal experiences of immense loss and building agency.
Dialogues on Grief and Resilience events are open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Dialogue on Collective Grief and Heart Work
Monday, September 16
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
DC Bryn Mawr Room
Dialogue on Collective Resilience in Times of Crisis
Wednesday, October 9
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
DC Bryn Mawr Room
Dialogue on Finding Meaning and Purpose
Monday, November 11
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
DC Bryn Mawr Room
Dialogue on The Role of Care in Strengthening Communities
This event has been cancelled
Active Voice Dialogues: Navigating Complex Emotions
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only. RSVP is required.
Please note that this event is postponed and will be scheduled for another date during the academic year. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24, 4:30 - 6:00, Lutnick 200 (Faculty and Staff Only) and Wednesday, Sept. 25, 4:30 - 6:00, VCAM 201 (Students Only)
The Active Voice Dialogues invites faculty, staff, and students to engage in open, honest, and critical inquiry and responsive dialogues with one another about critical issues. Facilitated by Soliya, an international organization that promotes high-impact inter- and cross-cultural dialogues, members of the College community will have the opportunity to explore skill-building in navigating emotions and narratives, while engaging in conversations about the impact of longstanding tensions on the lives of those who call this land home.
Let's Circle Up Restorative Justice Workshop
Friday, October 25 6:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. (dinner provided)
Saturday, October 26 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (lunch provided)
Whitehead Campus Center 205 B and C
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Haverford College Center for Peace & Global Citizenship invites members of the Greater Philadelphia community to a free 10-hour Let's Circle Up workshop. This highly participatory introductory restorative justice (RJ) workshop was developed by men incarcerated at Graterford Prison in 2007 and will be led by experienced Let’s Circle Up facilitators. The four themes addressed in workshop sessions are: rethinking justice, exploring harm, developing restorative approaches, and applying RJ values to our lives. This workshop is free and will include Haverford and Let's Circle Up community members.
Dinner with 12 Strangers
Dinner With 12 Strangers is a program that is part of the Active Voice initiative fostering discourse among faculty, staff, and students on complex and intersectional issues. Join us for facilitated conversations and shared understanding as we explore the themes of social identities and political views.
Dinner With 12 Strangers events are open to current students, faculty, and staff only. RSVP is required.
Dinner with 12 Strangers: Interfaith Community & Learning
Tuesday, October 22
6:30–8:30 p.m.
President’s House
Dinner with 12 Strangers: Engaging in Democracy
Wednesday, November 13
6:30–8:30 p.m.
President’s House
Active Voice Dialogues: Facilitator Training and Groups
Facilitator Training: Monday, January 13 to Friday, January 17
10:00 a.m..–3:00 p.m.
Dialogue Groups: Spring Semester, TBD
Lutnick 200
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
As part of the initiative, Active Voices Dialogue, we are recruiting and training a number of faculty, staff, and students to become Dialogue Facilitators. The training will be held over the course of a week, January 13–17. Starting in Spring 2025, groups of 8-10 participants will meet to engage in critical conversation, ethical inquiry, and thoughtful engagement with one another.
Community Gatherings
Havdalah and Community Space for Grief/Reflection/Connection
Sunday, October 6
7:00–9:00 p.m.
JSU Lounge (Jones Basement)
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
JSU will be holding space for conversation, reflection, grief, and connection before the anniversary of October 7th and in recognition of a year of devastating violence, grief, and trauma in Gaza and Israel. We hope to provide space for connection, reflection, and rededication to our values of justice, compassion, and antimilitarism in the coming year.
Community Vigil: Remembering Oct 7
Monday, October 7
8:00–9:00 a.m. Quaker Meeting
4:00–5:00 p.m. Open Candlelight Vigil
Founders Great Hall
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
We invite you to join us for a vigil to remember the lives lost and those affected by the horrific attack on October 7, 2023. This gathering will provide a space for the College community to come together in solidarity, mourning, and reflection.
Community Grief Space: Remembering Ongoing Loss and Trauma
Tuesday, October 8
8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Labyrinth
12:00–1:00 p.m. Sound Bath
Founders Great Hall
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
We invite you to join us for a grief space to remember the ongoing loss and impact of trauma. This gathering will provide a space for the College community to come together in solidarity, mourning, and reflection.
Trainings and Workshops
Antisemitism Explained: What is antisemitism and who does it impact?
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Please note that this event is postponed and will be scheduled for another date during the fall semester.
(Originally scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m.)
Join us for an essential workshop led by the Diaspora Alliance, an organization dedicated to strengthening the values of a multi-racial, pluralistic democracy by confronting anti semitism and its instrumentalization. This workshop will provide an overview and in-depth exploration of antisemitism, Jewish identity, and the challenges faced by diasporic communities. We will also delve into ways that antisemitism is weaponized across the political spectrum to undermine civil society and advance harmful political agenda and social relationships.
Interfaith Learning & Community Series
Friday, September 20 (for Students only) 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Multicultural Center (Stokes 106)
Monday, September 23 (for Faculty and Staff only) 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Bryn Mawr Room (Dining Center)
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Join Interfaith Philadelphia for the Navigating Difficult Conversations workshop, designed to equip students with skills for engaging in sensitive and challenging dialogues. This workshop will focus on practicing deep listening, understanding personal biases, and fostering empathy and curiosity in conversations. Participants will learn techniques for facilitating honest exchanges and inviting meaningful dialogue through conflict.
Antisemitism 101 with the Anti-Defamation League
Monday, September 30
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Dining Center, Bryn Mawr Room
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Antisemitism 101 will examine Jewish identity, the history of antisemitism and persistent antisemitic myths, tropes and stereotypes. This presentation and Q & A will also focus on current-day antisemitism and the impact of antisemitism on Jewish people, particularly on college campuses.
Legal Landscape with ACLU and CAIR
Tuesday, October 1
4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Stokes Auditorium
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Facilitated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Philadelphia, the workshop will examine the differences between public and private institutions in addressing Islamophobia, focusing on key legal cases and challenges. The event will also highlight why organizing around the Middle East is a crucial battleground in combating contemporary forms of Islamophobia. Join us as we engage in a deeper inquiry about legal frameworks and activism.
Explaining Antisemitism and Jewish Identity with Project Shema
Wednesday, October 30
2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
This program explores the historical context of antisemitism as a systemic bigotry, what it is, and how it works. Participants leave with an understanding of anti-Jewish themes and how antisemitism operates, as well as a greater capacity to help others recognize the complex identities and lived experiences of the Jewish people, as well as the skills to identify anti-Jewish language, ideas, and harm. There is ample time for conversation and Q&A.
Active Voice Dialogues: Critical Inquiry and Conflict Resolution
Wednesday, November 13 (for Faculty and Staff only) 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Bryn Mawr Room (Dining Center)
Thursday, November 14 (for Students only) 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only. RSVP is required.
As part of the Active Voice Dialogues , faculty, staff, and students are invited to engage in skills-based facilitated dialogue on activism through critical inquiry and conflict resolution. Facilitated by Soliya, an international organization that promotes high-impact inter- and cross-cultural dialogues, these sessions will focus on developing essential skills while exploring critical issues.
Civic Engagement and Action
Voter Registration Drive
September 17, 18, 23, 26, and 30
October 1 and 21
11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
September 17, 19, and 25
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Dining Center (outside)
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
As part of our commitment to fostering civic engagement, Haverford hosts voter registration drives throughout the year. These events are a vital opportunity to actively participate in shaping our community by completing your voter registration form and learning about the voting process – including mail-in ballots and location elections. Political Science faculty and student volunteers will assist you throughout the process.
Digital Security 101 for Activists and Organizers
Tuesday, October 29
4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Learn digital security for protecting oneself while remaining civically engaged. This training will teach you concrete skills and strategies to protect your accounts, your communications, your devices, and your sensitive personal data, as well as an awareness of legal issues and shielding oneself from online harm. Facilitated by 18 Million Rising, a national organization that connects the power of Asian America to digital organizing through grassroots campaigns, culture shifting work, and education, we will share best practices, favorite apps, and Q&A with an experienced security and privacy researcher. Bring your laptop, charger and phone.
Impacts of the Election - Migrant Rights and Inclusion in PA
Friday, November 1
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to the public
Learn more about the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, and International House Philly, while joining a discussion of how local, state, and national elections will impact migrant communities in Pennsylvania specifically. In addition to providing an introduction to their respective organizations, panelists will discuss the Driving PA Forward campaign and the ways community organizers and policy advocates expand inclusion in the region. Presenters include:
- Jasmine Rivera, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
- Blanca Pacheco, Co-Director at the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia
- Bill Keyes, Program Director at International House Philly
Election Day GOTV
Tuesday, November 5
Voting in GIAC, Lunch trucks on Hall Drive near the Alumni Field House
Open to the public
Join us on Election Day for a fun and engaging Get Out the Vote (GOTV) event right here on campus! Activities will include tabling with non-partisan voting information, sidewalk and classroom board chalking, food trucks, etc.
Post-Election Day Programming
Wednesday, November 6
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Multicultural Center (Stokes 106)
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
In the wake of Election Day, the Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team invites you to join our annual Post-Election Community Space.. Whether you seek meaningful conversation with compassionate staff, a quiet and meditative moment with a snack, or creative outlet alongside community members, our space is open for you to drop in as needed. We are here to support each other as we navigate the emotions and actions that follow the election.
Talks and Panels
Book Talk: A Conversation with Wendy Pearlman
Monday, September 9
4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
Chase Auditorium
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Join us for an evening with Wendy Pearlman, author of The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora. In this deeply moving account, Pearlman, a political scientist and author of We Cross a Bridge and It Trembled, draws on a decade of interviews with hundreds of displaced Syrians and traces their movement through several life stages (e.g., “leaving,” “seeking,” “belonging,” and if they eventually manage to feel at home somewhere new, simply “living.”) Tracking her subjects' evolving emotions, Pearlman uses their experiences to shed light on the idea of home and the haunting rumination of what it means to belong somewhere.
Campus Read: James McBride
Tuesday, September 17
7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Marshall Auditorium
Open to the public
Those with Haverford IDs will be given priority access at 6:30 p.m. The Library's Benston Distinguished Speakers Series presents a reading, discussion, and Q & A with author James McBride. McBride’s book, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, was selected by faculty and Senior Staff in the Antiracism Curriculum Development Working Group, in conversation with the Provost, the Dean of the College, Student Leaders in the Customs Program, and the Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access. It was chosen from a shortlist of nominations by committee members and the campus community that included recent fiction and non-fiction titles. Learn more about this event.
9/11 and the Oval Office: U.S. Policy and Global Power Since 2001
Monday, September 23
4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
In this presentation, Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher explores how 9/11 reshaped U.S. domestic and foreign policy across four presidential administrations. Key topics include the 9/11 wars, surveillance strategies, and shifting priorities in the Middle East, illustrating the lasting influence of 9/11 on American governance and global power.
Public Policy, Advocacy, and Improving Educational Equity
Wednesday, October 9
7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to the public
Learn about how the state funds public schools and a recent PA Commonwealth Court victory for public education, and hear from panelists walking various career paths devoted to justice and equity. We’ll also discuss how elections impact policies and decisions about government funding. Presenters include: Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of Education Law Center, Paul Socolar ‘77, Co-founder, longtime editor/publisher of The Philadelphia Public School Notebook (now Philadelphia Chalkbeat) and the communications specialist at the Education Law Center, and Jude Hussein, Chief of Staff of State Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives in the Pennsylvania State Senate, and Deputy Executive Director of Philly BOLT.
"Judaism Does (Not) Equal Zionism: Exploring American Jews’ Complicated Relationship to Israel/Palestine" with Rebecca Alpert, Professor of Religion Emeritus at Temple University
Wednesday, October 23
4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to the public
While it is commonly accepted that all American Jews stand with Israel, American Jewish views on Israel (and Israeli views of American Judaism) have reflected the reality that, like all religions, Judaism is not monolith. We will seek a better understanding of the nuances and complexities of American Jewish connections to Israel by examining the history of American Zionism, the role of the Holocaust and Jewish identity, and the effects of October 7 on American awareness of the history and context of the long-standing conflict in Israel/Palestine.
Which Way Will Swing Voters Swing?
Friday, November 1
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Stokes Auditorium
Open to the public
Each month, the Engagious/Sago/Axios Swing Voter Project conducts fascinating online focus groups with Trump-to-Biden voters in the most competitive 2020 swing states. In his eye-opening multimedia presentation, Rich Thau HC ‘87, who has been dubbed by the media as “the election whisperer,” will share key insights from his most recent research—and help you get inside of the heads of the peculiar category of Americans who’ll likely determine the outcome of the 2024 election. Visit Thau's Youtube channel for interview and speech excerpts across a variety of sources.
Book Talk: A Conversation with Maya Wind
Tuesday, November 12
4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Stokes Auditorium
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
Join us for an evening with Dr. Maya Wind, a scholar of Israeli expertise and militarism. In her latest book, Towers of Ivory and Steel, Dr. Wind explores the complex role of Israeli universities in the context of Israeli-Palestinian relations. Drawing upon extensive research, she examines the intersections of academic institutions with broader societal issues and debates concerning education and human rights. Dr. Wind is a Killam Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and doctoral graduate of Social and Cultural Analysis Department at NYU.
Applied Peacebuilding through High Conflict: Lessons Learned around the World
Thursday, November 14
7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Friday, November 15
1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Chase Auditorium
Open to the public
Concerned with the impacts of polarization and the potential for political violence in the US? Troubled by war and conflict in the Middle East? Confused about how best to speak for peace and human rights in today’s world, whether on campus or in communities?
Join this presentation and discussion with Michael Shipler '99, the VP of Strategy at the largest peacemaking organization in the world, Search for Common Ground, and interim CEO of Soliya - a global leader in virtual dialogue and exchange. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Michael has designed, managed, and scaled up effective and innovative programs that address complex and sensitive issues in conflict-affected countries. He holds an MA in War in the Modern World from Kings College London and a certificate in Disruptive Strategy from Harvard Business School Online.
Jewish Modernity: Antisemitism and Blood Libel in Imperial Russia with Bob Weinberg
Tuesday, December 3
4:30 p.m.–5:45 p.m.
Lutnick 200
Open to the public
Isaac H. Clothier Professor of History and International Relations, Swarthmore College
One aspect of the “Jewish Question” in late Imperial Russia was the scurrilous accusation that Jews engaged in the ritual murder of Christian children in order to obtain blood for religious purposes, particularly the baking of matzo. In this presentation I will examine the political ramifications of the trial of Mendel Beilis, a Kyivan Jew accused of ritually murdering a twelve-year-old youth on the eve of World War I. I will also contextualize the Beilis Affair in terms of the long history of the accusation (also known as “blood libel), which dates back to the twelfth century.
Reading Rainbow: Finding Your Community
This event has been cancelled
Open to current students, faculty, and staff only
The Office of Academic Resources (OAR), Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA), and the Libraries, in collaboration, invite you to the 10th Annual Reading Rainbow. Now a part of the What Matters to Me & Why series, this annual panel discussion features faculty, staff, and students discussing how influential books have shaped their lives. The theme this year is: “Finding Your Community”, inspired by the Campus Read, Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Each panelist will share their personal connection to a book that resonates with the theme, followed by a Q&A session.
Community Proposals
Members of our campus community are invited to propose additional events and activities to take place beginning in January and through the spring semester, aimed at:
- Deepening comprehension of pressing local, national, or global issues
- Facilitating discourse, contextual understanding, and community-building efforts
- Building religious and cultural literacy, intergroup communication, and collective long-term resilience
- Exploring the issues and impacts of the 2024 Presidential Election, and mobilizing voting power
Proposals for events or opportunities that examine diverse viewpoints, perspectives, or historical interpretations are encouraged. Funding for these programs will be awarded based on the degree to which they address the listed goals. To submit a proposal, please complete the application form.
Submit a Funding ProposalCommunity Care and Response
Stay up to date on the College’s response and resources in relation to Israel-Gaza.
Restorative Practices
Facilitates conversations about misunderstanding, conflict, and harm, and mediates harms or disputes in a restorative way.