Smith College Center for Religious and Spiritual Life 
Helen Hills Hills Chapel
Northampton, Massachusetts 01063
June 2017
Smith's New Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and College Chaplain

The Reverend Matilda Rose Cantwell has assumed the position of Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and College Chaplain at Smith College. She served as the interim director at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life for the last year and as the senior fellow for interfaith initiatives for three years prior to that. Matilda welcomes visits from members of the Smith community at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. Stop by to congratulate her on her new position. Read more here. 
Collaborations Shape CRSL's Spring Semester

The spring semester was a whirlwind of spirited activity. Many collaborative ventures  stretched our intellect, consciousness and empathy including the Engaging Identity series with the Wellness Education Office; The Refugee Resettlement Project with the Jandon Center for Community Engagement; the panel discussion on  Muslims in America: Citizenship and Community with the Department of Religion; and the Interfaith Works service project with local faith ministry, Cathedral in the Night. CRSL regularly collaborates with students, faculty, staff and community organizations in accordance with its mission. Read more here.

Rituals and Transitions: Spring at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

Our website highlights several recent perspectives on the season and how the holidays in different religious traditions incorporate spring. I have always found it to be so profound how the religious traditions; celebrating their own stories and events; are so often in line with the rhythms of the natural world. Our Center is a unique place for student engagement and transitions. Read more about rituals, observances and celebrations here.  

The Glowing Influence of the Spring Equinox

The spring equinox, which fell on March 20 this year, is considered the first day of spring, and is recognized as a holiday across many religions and cultures. The spring and fall equinoxes mark important moments in our orbit of the sun, when the Earth's tilt presents the Northern and Southern hemispheres equally to the Sun. CRSL encourages religious literacy and the discovery of influences on religious practice. Click here to read more.

Spring's Promise: A Witch's Perspective
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Spring is the promise of release; of cleansing; of birth waters bearing down on the valley, washing water into the Atlantic, heralding new life and new beginnings.

Early spring's message can feel like a paradox. Warm sunny days followed by a snowstorm. Icy rain biting a raw skin followed by a warm breeze that can uplift your state of mind. It can confound the body and make wardrobe choices a frustrating activity. But though spring's message may seem confusing, at the base ("cause it's all about the base") it's about change. Our Center supports a diverse, multifaith, and multi-cultural community. Read more here.

A Bright Future for Smith College Jewish Community

Jewish student life at Smith is in a phase of growth and vibrancy. In the two years since the group officially changed its name from Smith Hillel to the Smith College Jewish Community, the organization has grown exponentially. Shabbat dinners now host upwards of 40 students each week; more than 60 students in costumes celebrated Purim this year; and the SCJC Passover Seder had over 70 attendees. Student Religious Organizations are led by students and supported by Center staff and community religious advisers. See full story.

Smith College Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Helen Hills Hills Chapel, Northampton, MA 
 413-585-2753 or 413-585-2754   www.smith.edu/religiouslife
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www.smith.edu/religiouslife