Multifaith UMass Initiative Series to Launch Oct. 9

Multifaith UMass, a collaboration between the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Community, Democracy, and Dialogue initiative, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion, invites the campus community to participate in a learning and discussion series that will teach the ethical, religious and spiritual traditions held by various members of the campus community.

Through workshops led by campus and national leaders on understanding and combating Islamophobia and antisemitism, participants will gain a greater appreciation for the diversity of religious beliefs found on campus and, together, work to build a more welcoming and inclusive UMass.

Those who participate in the Understanding Series and/or the Islamophobia and antisemitism workshops will be invited to hear from a panel of UMass students who will discuss their campus experiences participating in an ethical, religious, or spiritual tradition. This event will be scheduled for Spring 2026, with location and time to be announced.

Registration is required for most sessions. For more information and to sign up to attend a session, visit the Community, Democracy, and Dialogue website.

Workshops for Faculty and Staff on the Student Experience

Maha Elgenaidi from ING and Gregg Drinkwater from UC Berkeley will present workshops intended for faculty, staff and graduate students, with a focus on learning how to better support the university's diverse student population. Each workshop will be offered twice, with a morning session and an afternoon session.

Addressing Islamophobia, Anti-Arab and Anti-Palestinian Biases in Institutional Policy and Culture

Thursday, Oct. 09, Goodell 302

• Morning session: 10 a.m.-noon
• Afternoon session: 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Antisemitism and Jewish Student Experiences

Wednesday, Nov. 12, Goodell 302

• Morning session: 10 a.m.-noon
• Afternoon session: 2:30-4:30 p.m.
  

Understanding Series

The Fall 2025 Lunch & Learn series of Understanding Communities will feature local experts to discuss about the various religious traditions, spiritual practices and ethical frameworks that are reflected in our diverse multifaith UMass community. The Lunch & Learn series is open to all faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students.

All sessions are held on Fridays from noon-1 p.m. in Goodell Hall 329.

• Oct. 24: Understanding Islam
• Nov. 7: Understanding Hinduism
• Nov. 21: Understanding Judaism
• Coming Spring 2026: Understanding Christianity, Understanding Paganism, Understanding Humanism
  

Defining and Identifying Islamophobia and Antisemitism: Workshops for Students

Undergraduate students are invited to join Brad Seligmann, director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and Penn Pritchard, OEI senior director for education and development, to learn how to recognize and disrupt Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Defining and Identifying Islamophobia
Monday, Oct. 20, 6-7:30 p.m., Goodell 329

Defining and Identifying Antisemitism
Monday, Nov. 17, 6-7:30 p.m., Goodell 329