URI Interfaith Friendsgiving offers community connection

KINGSTON – As over 130 people began filling a room this fall for an event that came straight from my wildest dreams, I began to reflect on where it all began.

Just 7 months earlier, I was elected student president of URI Hillel. When I got together with my freshman-year roommate, Emily, for an end of year chat on the Narragansett Sea Wall, I expressed my excitement about this leadership role. Emily is a member of the Catholic Center at URI, and that night she planted a seed in my mind.

She shared with me that in the past Hillel and the Catholic Center had collaborated on some interfaith events. With everything going on in Israel hitting close to home for me, we brainstormed ways that we could bring our communities closer together. On campuses throughout the world, there is so much division, misunderstanding, and even violence within interfaith communities. After that conversation, I felt compelled to create more meaningful connections at URI.

A vision began to take shape for an Interfaith Friendsgiving – a warm, inclusive space where people of all faiths, backgrounds and no faiths at all, could come together, learn from one another, and celebrate what unites us rather than what divides us.

At an end-of-the-year Hillel Board of Directors meeting where I was asked to share some ideas for the fall, this idea was met with great excitement. The next day, Hillel Director Amy Olson, contacted me about an interfaith programming grant from Hillel International, and the support the URI Chaplains Association would offer. Buoyed by her encouragement, I followed her lead as she continued to plan dates, location, and other potential collaborations with me. When Amy asked me how many people I expected to gather, I smiled and said, “I don’t know, maybe 100?” She looked at me like I had 12 heads.

As a student leader, I am sometimes asked how I got so involved around campus. I am an extrovert, so joining organizations and getting my hands on cool projects comes naturally. I know that I feel best when I am making a contribution or a difference. I was certain that I could get many students involved if they felt that way too. With that came the idea of making this a potluck event and having groups of students collaborate on the cooking.

The act of sharing food is a universally recognized opportunity for love and connection. The idea of everyone bringing something to the table, both literally and metaphorically had a lot to recommend it. For students to arrive feeling like they were significant participants and could invite more friends to share the experience and pride, as well as meet others in the process, felt like the perfect way to build community.

When the fall semester began, Amy connected me with the resources to flesh out my ideas and allow my creativity to flourish. As the event approached, another member of our Hillel student board, Kate Hirsch, became an indispensable partner.

On Nov. 21, 2024, I walked into the fellowship hall of the Kingston Congregational Church – our host for the evening – with a huge smile on my face and shouted, “WHO IS MORE EXCITED THAN ME?!”

Interfaith Friendsgiving came to life even beyond the ways I imagined. The room was filled with a beautifully diverse and intergenerational group of people spanning various cultural, ethnic, and faith backgrounds. Together they shared good food, laughter, meaningful conversations, and a sense of belonging that transcended their differences. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole night.

As I thought, making it a potluck was a key element to the evening’s success. Many were involved in cooking; many helped with set-up and clean up; and others were simply present in the moment. No contribution was too big or too small. Watching everyone come together in different capacities throughout the night, seeing the tables overflowing with dishes representing different cultures, traditions, and hearing everyone share stories over dinner was so wholesome, delicious, and most importantly, a tangible reminder of the beauty in diversity.

At the end of the night, we created a paper chain where everyone wrote something that they were taking away from the evening. Some wrote kind words about the event, something new they learned about someone, and other positive messages. One student wrote, “It felt like I was with family.” Another shared, “This was the most meaningful event I’ve ever been to on campus. You have to do more events like this again!” Several attendees expressed interest in helping coordinate a similar event for next year.

When I finally had the chance to connect with Emily at the event, we stared into the crowd in awe. Just a few months ago this was a small conversation on the Narragansett Sea Wall. Now it had exceeded all my expectations. It was a reminder that even in a world that sometimes feels harsh and divided, moments like these are possible. I even received an email the next day that said, “I have been driving home from work the past couple of weeks pretty discouraged, but last night driving home, I had such a different feeling. I owe that to you and the energy, joy, and people you bring to a room.”

I am beyond grateful for everyone who came together to make this event happen–from Emily, to the URI Chaplains Association, to Kate, Amy and the rest of the URI Hillel team, and to every student and campus community member who showed up with an open heart. Interfaith Friendsgiving was a testament to the power of community, gratitude, and love.

As I reflect on this experience, I can’t help but feel hopeful for the future and blessed to be a part of developing a strong campus community. If we can continue to create spaces like this one – on campus and beyond – the connections that we can build will be limitless.

LEETAL YOUNG is a senior at the University of Rhode Island majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Science