The Notion of Community
Haverford's Religious Groups
By Steve Manning `96 and Cara Hersh `97

Matthew Voss '99 and Noel Watson '97 join in Christian Fellowship prayers

The Founders would be quite surprised with Haverford College if they were to see it today. Quakers represent a minority of the student body and faculty, Quaker Meeting is no longer required, and the `guarded education' that was the cornerstone of the Haverford curriculum was discarded long ago. The weekly calendar of student events now spans the religious spectrum, as Meeting co-exists with Catholic Mass, Christian Fellowship meetings, Muslim gatherings, and Friday night services organized by the Jewish Student Union and co-sponsored by Haverford's chapter of Hillel.

The defenses of a guarded education began to soften soon after the College's inception. Low enrollment due to the specific admissions criterion meant the fledgling institution could not pay the bills, so in 1846, the first non-Friends were admitted. Despite the influx of new students, Haverford maintained its Quaker traditions and practices. Religious courses were required through the turn of the century, and attendance at Meeting was compulsory for all students. However, the admission of non-Friends did little to diversify the religious nature of the campus; Haverford remained a homogeneous Protestant institution. Steve Cary `37 recalls that when he matriculated, "There were a few Catholics and a few Jews, but not many. Everybody went to Quaker Meeting on Thursdays and as far as I knew there weren't any other religious groups on campus."

This began to change in the 1960s, a shift Cary attributes to both a diversification of the student body and the end of required Meeting. "The students translated required Meeting into compulsory religion. For a century Quaker Meeting was part of Haverford, you were required to take courses in English and Mathematics, and you went to Meeting. But in the `60s the whole mood changed and there was growing resentment about going to Meeting. The attendance rules were somewhat liberalized, but in the end the resentment was so great that the College abandoned compulsory attendance." Cary surmises that this might be what prompted religious groups other than Quakers to organize on campus. Jewish students started a Hillel chapter and a Catholic mass was held at Haverford in cooperation with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore.

Student religious groups have since sprouted and grown on campus; currently there are five established organizations that sponsor events and activities, conduct services, and provide fellowship. There is also a wide variety of other religions represented in the student body, ranging from Hindus to Christian Scientists. Many students go off campus to worship, taking advantage of religious institutions in the local communities. Bryn Mawr College is also a valuable resource, as some of their religious groups supplement those that don't exist at Haverford, such as the Baha'i Club.

Haverford's student religious groups also serve a secular purpose. As on many campuses, these organizations play a large role in the social lives of some students. The Jewish Student Union has started a weekly film series in their newly renovated lounge and planned an ice skating trip in Philadelphia. QuAAC (Quaker Action and Activities Committee) members pack their bags each Spring Break and travel to a different site each year, searching out community service activities.

Yet finding sub-communities at a school like Haverford is often difficult because of the College's small size. At larger schools there are enough students with similar interests that groups can function as the primary social circles for students. For the majority of Haverford students, organized religious groups do not operate as their primary social group. With a student body that averages 1150 students, it is hard to subdivide into distinct groups at Haverford. In addition, there is no guarantee that students with a particular religious background will seek out the corresponding religious organization. The majority of students are not involved, which translates into low turn-out rates for activities and services and frustration for many group members.

Asim Rehman '97

Religious apathy might be one reason that religious organizations have a difficult time attracting new members and maintaining high attendance rates. Rehman observes that religious dialogue among students is not pervasive in the dining center or library. "Religious conversations about the most salient issues these days are very interesting," he notes, "and we don't have much on this campus." Students also might not have the time to participate in religious activities due to the busy schedule of every collegian, or might not be interested in organized religion.

College is also a time when students are navigating on their own, usually for the first time, and are put in a position to make decisions they often never could before. Religious observance might have been a tradition students experienced as a family ritual more than a personal spiritual choice. In college students begin to ask what religion means to them and where it fits into their lives now that they are outside of the family realm. "For me, coming to college was a transformation from the ritual to the spiritual," remarks Rehman, "I started asking why do I take these rules for granted , why do these rituals exist. I would hate to say Islam was something I was just born into."

Haverford tries hard to support the religious groups and their activities. Space is provided on campus for the various religious advisors, lounges, libraries, and services. Most of the groups recieve funds from Student's Council to bring in speakers or organize events. Hillel Associate Director Cheryl Cook has worked closely with the Deans Office and points to the space Haverford provided in Jones for a Jewish lounge as examples of College support. "Haverford has a real understanding of what our mission is on campus," she says. The Quaker tradition at Haverford provides a welcoming environment for different religions and groups. "I think the main way the College supports religious activities is the general feeling of acceptance," says Ari Wassner. "It is a very comfortable atmosphere; I find it very easy to be Jewish at Haverford."

Many students drift away from organized religion during college, but for some these years are a religious affirmation and a period of personal and spiritual growth. Haverford's several religious groups provide space, a place for worship, a forum for fellowship, and a chance to meet people with similar interests.

"Nourishing the Spiritual Element": The Catholic Campus Ministry

Reflecting on religion at Haverford, Dan Bernard `98 constructs the following metaphor: "It's like an acquaintance that you meet freshman year with whom you have some common link. He's a nice guy but because your paths don't naturally intersect you don't really go out and foster that relationship. So this person's name is always in the back of your mind and you say `hi' to him when you pass but you don't allow yourself to benefit from the relationship because you're a Haverford student and have a lot to do."

Bernard and other active members of Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) are trying to nurture this relationship in order to forge a stronger bond between students and religion on campus. The group convenes for both religious and social gatherings at least once a week and is comprised of Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore students.

Father John Freeman leads prayers on Palm Sunday

There is a weekly Sunday Mass, attended by approximately 30-40 people, and held in either the Bryn Mawr or Haverford Campus Center, depending on the semester. Other planned activities include a Bible study group and various service projects. For the past couple of years a group of Catholic students has gone into Philadelphia during Haverford's Spring Break and has helped a community center construct playgrounds and build community gardens.

In addition to the activities that the CCM plans, the group also offers other resources to students--namely Father John Freeman and Susan Harte. These two staff workers define their job on campus as an "administrative presence." Appointed by the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Father John has been the Tri-College Minister for fifteen years and Susan Harte has worked with the Ministry for ten years. Father John explains, "Our primary job is to serve students liturgically, counseling in a spiritual direction and community outreach. We serve a ministerial function but also are just present to the students, faculty and staff."

The Catholic Campus Ministry has seen a growth in church attendance over the past few years. According to Father John this success is due to the fact that, "There's an element in all of us, a spiritual element that needs nourishing. And I think that people try to nourish that in many ways but some people nourish it in a religious context." The Catholic Campus Ministry attempts to do just this; returning to Bernard's metaphor, the group attempts to transform religion from a mere acquaintance into a close friend.

Constructing New Definitions: Christian Fellowship

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common" (Acts).

The Haverford Christian Fellowship uses this passage of Acts to define itself. Enacting the key principles in their diverse activities, members teach, pray, eat, and even sing together. However, they locate their purpose most significantly in a word found in the first sentence of the quoted text: fellowship. The group focuses on providing a forum for students to meet and talk with others who share a common Christian background.

Structurally, the Christian Fellowship is arranged around a multitude of different meetings. Every Monday night students gather for large group meetings, comprised of prayers, songs, and speakers. Lecturers include staff workers from other area colleges and pastors from local churches. Topics range from "The Culture of Haverford," "Marriage, Sex, and Dating" to readings of specific passages from the Bible. In addition to the large group, students also gather weekly for small group meetings. These dorm-based discussions center on Bible study. First-year students attend a separate small- group meeting called "Roots."

Fellowship members are assisted by their staff worker, Mark Potter, who is employed by the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a national Christian group that supports individual campus groups. As a resource, students appreciate the presence of an older person from whom they seek insight on ideological issues and problems. Potter's presence is something that members appreciate; however, some feel that their connections with other adult Christians could be strengthened. Cole notes that the student group lacks any connection with Haverford's Christian faculty and staff members.

In addition to this lack of connection, members note an apathetic air on campus; the Fellowship, although active, does not have a large group of participants relative to the number of Christian students on campus. Cole, commenting on this disinterest, notes, "I think it's apathy in terms of people not wanting to take action. But I don't think it's apathy in terms of people feeling that they don't have a spiritual side. If you look at the campus as a whole, the want for community and the want for working things out, that's a very spiritual thing. I think that people don't articulate it in those terms but I think that they feel it."

The group also is concerned about their reputation on campus and current politically-charged associations of fundamental conservatism with some sects of Protestantism. Cole, addressing the negative connotations associated with Christian Fundamentalists, states, "It is one of the biggest issues of being a Christian in college. I am really uncomfortable with the labels associated with us; it's hard to deal with these preconceived notions. I think what I've struggled with on this campus is feeling like I need to fit into someone's image of what I'm supposed to be...As soon as a label is put on you there are expectations that come along with it."

In response, the Fellowship attempts to dissolve these preconceived labels by crafting their own definitions-- such as the one taken from Acts. An emphasis on prayer, community, and discussion encourages each participant to construct a personal vision of Christianity in his or her own life.

Bridging the Gaps: Jewish Life at Haverford

Standing at a lectern on the porch of Founders, Oliver Gottfried `99 solemnly recites a list of names into a microphone. "Jacob Weiss, December, 1944; Unknown, June, 1943," the names ring out across Founders Green. People passing by occasionally stop to listen for a brief while, then move on. Gottfried is taking part in the reading of the names, a part of the annual Holocaust Awareness week. Student volunteers read off names of those who perished in the Holocaust, a recital that goes on unbroken for twenty-four hours. Holocaust Awareness Week is a five-day period full of activities including films, survivor testimony, talks, and, this year, a trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Although the majority of the planning is done by students, financial and administrative support is provided by Haverford's Hillel Office. Holocaust Awareness Week constitutes only a fraction of the wide variety of services and events that Hillel helps to organize and sponsor. Their monthly calendar is filled with activities ranging from film festivals to weekly Shabbat services.

The Haverford Hillel Office is part of a four-college chapter that includes Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and Villanova. Hillel is an international collegiate organization, whose straightforward mission is "to promote and encourage Jewish life on campus," according to Associate Director Cheryl Cook.

Oliver Gottfried '98 and Ada Hogan take part in Holocaust Awareness Week

Jewish students make up a large portion of the student body. Religious preference is not tracked by the College, but estimates indicate that between 20-30% of the students at Haverford are Jewish. Many students do not participate in Hillel-sponsored events, while others attend either a few or most activities and services. Cook stresses that Hillel does not try to pressure Jewish students into attending everything; rather they try to provide a spectrum of activities from which students can pick and choose the aspects of campus Jewish life in which they would like to be involved.

Addie Lewis `00 has worked to provide one such option. After her senior year of high school, Lewis spent a year in Israel living on a kibbutz, working on an archaeological dig, and hiking. She even changed brake pads on trucks during a stint in the Israeli army. When she arrived at Haverford, Addie set out to start programs related to her experiences in Israel. She organized an Israeli culture week that included Israeli dancing, food, and a discussion with an Israeli soldier.

Hillel is not the only representative of Jewish life on campus. The Jewish Student Union (JSU) is a bi-college, entirely student-run and staffed group that often coordinates its activities with Hillel, but also plans its own events and activities. JSU organizes Shabbat services, weekly movie nights, trips into Philadelphia, and other social events. Although separate entities, the Jewish Student Union and Hillel are in close contact with each other, organizing events such as High Holiday services. Sayres explains the relationship, saying, "We (JSU) do our own programming, but we also share a lot of things; we get money from Hillel, coordinate services with them, and try not to create scheduling conflicts."

Religious services present a difficult dilemma for Hillel and the JSU. The broad spectrum of practices and traditions within Judaism is perhaps best illustrated by how each branch conducts services. Orthodox and Conservative Jews adhere to the traditional liturgy and conduct services in Hebrew while Reform Jews use more English, egalitarian language and ideas, and gear the liturgy toward social action. Services at Haverford tend to lean to the Reform style, mostly because the students who volunteer to lead are usually from a Reform background. Hillel and the JSU are left with the quandary of trying to provide religious accommodations for as many students as possible without alienating anyone, which is a difficult task

An increased interest in Conservative services led Ari Wassner `00 to come up with the idea of a Conservative Shabbat service. "Hillel was very supportive of this idea," he says, "they gave us names of people to contact, they have been very active in encouraging us to come up with our own ideas and get as many people involved as we can." Ari also organized a Saturday night Havdollah service, which separates the Sabbath from the rest of the week. It was held in the new Jewish lounge and attracted about 25 students, a good turnout according to Wassner.

Jewish life at Haverford is experiencing a resurgence, one that will be evident in the coming years. The majority of students involved in the JSU and Hillel are underclassmen with definite plans and ideas. Wassner explains that, "Right now we are at a transition point in Jewish life on campus because there are few upperclassmen who are active in the JSU and Hillel. Basically the sophomores and freshmen are forming a new Jewish community at Haverford. I think that if we play our cards right, we could build a very active Jewish community here."

Quaker Action and Activities Committee: Carrying on the Tradition

The silence rings loudly in the room as attendants of the small gathering bow their heads for a minute before the start of the meeting. The moment of silence, which oftentimes seems more like a reflex reaction to the start of any gathering at Haverford than a religious ritual, carries more weight with this group. They are the members of QuAAC, short for Quaker Action and Activities Committee, the student-run Quaker group on campus. They meet weekly to plan activities, discuss issues, and just spend time with each other. "I come for the common experience," says Ada Hogan `99. "I wanted to find people who knew what Quakerism was all about and didn't ask us whether or not we had electricity."

Perhaps it is this perceived ignorance of the student body that is one of the factors driving QuAAC. Many students are aware of some of Haverford's Quaker values, but have a limited knowledge of Quakerism itself. This is where QuAAC feels it can help fill the gaps. Noah Skocilich `99 feels it is the group's responsibility to educate the campus about Quakerism. "It's our duty to keep the Quaker tradition alive here; that is part of the reason that many people decided to come here."QuAAC carries out their self-imposed mandate in a variety of ways. Quaker Awareness Week is one stratagem: seven days in November during which the group exposes the rest of campus to Quakerism through panel discussions, postings, and speakers. Last year's Awareness Week included a community discussion in the Dining Center about the Quaker influence at Haverford, a talk by Haverford History Professor and Curator of the Quaker Collection Emma Lapsansky titled, "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Quakerism, but Were Afraid to Ask," along with postings such as a Quaker Quiz and a map of the United States detailing the number of Friends Meetings and schools in each state. There was also a Quaker Opportunities fair, where students could get information on employment and internships with Friends organizations.

Katie Schutz '99 and Erica Bailey '97 clean up a Quaker cemetery in Philadelphia

The other major QuAAC activity is its annual Spring Break trip. While many of their fellow students seek warmer climes, the group's members travel annually to a different part of the country, usually engaging in community service. In the spring of 1996, they spent a week at Dunmire Hollow, an intentional community in Tennessee. An intentional community is a group of people that emphasize communal living; for example, they eat their meals together, grow their own food, and generate their own electricity. The QuAAC members pitched in on outdoor projects, all the while learning about community life.

While it is apparent that they are a busy organization, QuAAC is frustrated by a lack of attention from the student body. Quaker Awareness Week events were marked by small turnouts, despite a large effort that was put into publicity. This indifference perhaps correlates with the small amount of free time students have, or might be the result of a secular tendency on campus. Alisa Beiber `97 remarks that, "I was surprised at how non-religious the campus was when I got here. I came to Haverford from a high school where most of my friends were Christian, so it was strange at first. People saw me as being religious simply because I believed in God."

The rest of the QuAAC organizational meeting was devoted to more planning on a range of subjects, from selling t-shirts in the Dining Center to raising money for the spring trip to the upcoming Love Feast, a simple meal that included group members engaging in a ritual washing of each other's feet. The small gathering was low-key and it was apparent that the members enjoyed each other's company. It is this fellowship that binds QuAAC together tightly, both in prayer and socially. Alisa explained why she is involved, "I had grown up Quaker. Being involved with QuAAC fit in with my heritage. I didn't go to QuAAC meetings during my first semester of college, but once I started going, it was the people that kept me coming back." Ben Blain, `98, remarked that "I usually leave meetings with more energy than I came with."

With the agenda finished and the library calling, the members of QuAAC bowed their heads for a moment of silence.

Muslim Students Association: Discovering Faith

Muslims mark Ramadan, the sacred ninth month of the Islamic calendar, by fasting from sunrise until sunset each day. Members of the Bi-College Muslim Students Association (MSA) gather during Ramadan for evening ifthars (breaking of the fast), spending time to share a meal and prayers. The support network of this tight-knit group also includes a pre-dawn phone tree to make sure that the students eat before sunrise to carry them through the daily fast. Not many phones ring on those early mornings because there is only a handful of Muslim students at Haverford. MSA head Wasif Ali `00 estimates that there are only about five or six members at Haverford, while the majority of MSA participants are Bryn Mawr students.

For some MSA members, the group's small size was what attracted them. "I liked that the MSA at Haverford was small, because there is more opportunity to get to know people better, there is less bureaucracy, and there is no political slant to the group," explains Ali. However, the small size can be frustrating. Asim Rehman `97 says that religious differences among members can cause problems. "Some people are very public with their religion, while for others, Islam is a very private affair. Everyone has a different space for religion in his or her own personal identity. That type of range would have been nice. I like having a club to go to, but sometimes I find that the voices in that club don't necessarily fit with my views. It is a problem of numbers here."

However the Muslim Students Association does its best with the small numbers it has. Students organize events and activities both for MSA and the campus as a whole. Along with the on-campus services during Ramadan, MSA members gather on Fridays to travel to a local mosque for prayers. They invite speakers from area mosques to discuss issues such as Muslims in society, and Islamic rules and how they fit into the lives of individuals. The close link with Bryn Mawr spawns projects that are geared towards Muslim women, such as the issue of private space for women. For example, the MSA is currently looking into setting up women's hours at the Bryn Mawr pool.

The nature of college life presents several challenges to observant members of MSA. Ali says that he tries to bring Islam into class discussions when relevant, but that it is often difficult to get his point across when few of his fellow classmates understand Islam. Rehman describes some of the challenges he faces outside of the classroom. "On the social side, there are issues: no drinking, a definition on how to have relationships between the sexes, etc. These can change your social life a lot at college. You are no longer in the safety zone of home."

However, Rehman and other MSA members do not find these challenges to be limitations. "This is something we have talked about extensively in MSA meetings," explains Rehman. "Most people find it a strengthening experience; being faced with these challenges usually helps you get a better understanding of where religion sits for you. You get a better understanding of what is important to you about Islam, what questions you ask yourself, how you would define yourself as religious, and why you follow certain rules or choose not to. Also, not having a large Muslim community has made me more conscious of my religion. It has made me re-discover my faith."

Ali has ideas about how to reshape MSA in the near future. As a freshman and president, he has the unique opportunity to take the group in a distinct direction. First on the list for him is to get MSA more involved and visible on campus. He plans to incorporate a community service aspect into MSA, an important tenet of Islamic life. Ali also has started a discussion group through email where students have informally discussed topics ranging from gender relations to the persecution of Muslims in China. And despite its small numbers, MSA has developed into a tightly-knit group, a relationship Ali characterizes saying, "I can visit someone five minutes away who is Muslim and will understand me. Having someone Muslim with whom I hang out all the time is an experience that I never had before."

The Haverford Parish

Haverford provides a unique challenge for students who are a part of or interested in religious groups. The size of the College means that group members must shoulder more organizational burden due to limited numbers, social groups centered around religion are less distinct, and the size of each organization can shift dramatically from year to year. Steve Cary sums up these problems, saying, "Religious groups wax and wane according to the interest among students. It depends entirely upon a transient population as to how organized and active religious groups are on campus." Currently, the future looks bright. Nearly all of the groups have seen an increase in numbers with the matriculation of the classes of 1999 and 2000. The new head of the Muslim Student Association is a first-year student, and the heads of the Jewish Student Union and Bi-College Christians are all sophomores. QUAAC, although small in numbers, is composed largely of underclassmen, as is the Catholic Campus Ministry. Despite the factors that limit participation, the injection of youth into campus religious groups will most likely cause a resurgence of student religious life within the next few years.

Hymns at Palm Sunday Mass

The notion of community is critical to an understanding of religious life at Haverford. Members from each of the five groups profiled stressed the importance of community, both within their group and at the College as a whole. They formed strong bonds with other members of their religious group, relationships that are based on commonalty of belief. At the same time, the majority asserted that Haverford as a whole was just as important as the religious sub-communities. Most of the students interviewed stressed they chose to attend Haverford because they did not want to attend a larger school where they could fall into a social circle defined primarily by religion. While they are an important part of the lives of many students, religious groups are not the only community religious-minded students belong to.

Father John Freeman describes the Catholic Campus Ministry with a metaphor that could be applied to all religious groups at Haverford. "The Haverford Catholic community is like a parish. A parish is composed of many different kinds of people; you have some people that just come on Sundays, then you have people who come for a while and walk away or who have walked away and are coming back. Then you have the people who do it all the time, who are involved in everything." Students come and go in campus religious groups, yet the fundamental sense of community, both within the groups and at Haverford as a whole, remains the same.