JEWISH OFF-CAMPUS INITIATIVE

The Jewish Off-Campus Initiative (JOCI) provides students who are no longer living on campus the opportunity to engage in Jewish experiences and dialogue in an informal setting.

Given your off-campus living situation is a bit roomier than that double in the quad (which, honestly, was really a single), you can finally host those Jewish related events that you have always dreamed of. Your humble abode is only the starting point for holiday celebrations, Shabbat cooking classes, movie screenings, opportunities to schmooze with professors, and many other exciting events that you can create! or fill out the form, found

Questions or want to learn more? Email Sofy Maxman , or fill out the form, found here.

BECOME A JOCI HOST IN 3 STEPS:

Fill out the application, found here. This will prompt you to think about the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of your event.

Meet with a JRP staff member to hash out the details of your event.

Receive a goodie bag day-of with some awesome swag, and things to help with your event!

JOCI HOSTS - THEY'RE JUST LIKE YOU

Here's what prior JOCI hosts have said about their experience:

In a tough school with busy students, Shabbat dinners gave everyone a friendly excuse to stop, eat and think about themselves and the people around them.

I just love the feeling of bringing people together over food and Shabbat candles; it's one of the few ways to get Penn students to unplug and be with each other without an agenda.

My friends really enjoyed the Shabbat dinners, it reminded them how much they enjoyed celebrating with their families.

Hosting Shabbat dinners helped bridge relationships not only among Jews themselves, but also among Jews and non-Jews who hail from different corners of the Penn community.

Bagel brunch was the perfect way to bring my friends together over the weekend to reflect on where we all were at this point in the semester! It was a great way to slow down during the crazy year.

“It was so amazing that JRP was able to sponsor our seder. While not a traditional seder, the event allowed to not only embrace and discuss various Jewish traditions represented within our student group, but also the similarities in experiences that other members of our student group have. The evening became a fantastic bonding event, where we discussed everything from the different in how we read and understand texts -- to oral traditions used by different cultures -- to how to think about and act against oppression today.”