Civil Rights: The Current Plight of LGBTQ+ Children and Youth
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Harvard Law School
Join us for a talk with Samantha Bartosz, Deputy Litigation Director at Children's Rights. Samantha will address the current state of case law, regulations, and legislation concerning LGBTQ+ children interacting with government systems, both state and federal. Her presentation will focus on the recent onslaught of federal action impacting the rights of transgender children and youth, including the pending United States Supreme Court case regarding gender affirming care, U.S. v. Skrmetti, and the Biden Administration’s Designated Placement rule promulgated in relation to LGBTQ+ children and youth in foster care. Samantha will be joined by Senior Staff Attorney Daniele Girard. Sponsored by Y-Lab and Lambda.
A Collaborative In-person and Online Gathering by Kavod v’Nichum and Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network
Date: Monday, April 7, 2025
Location: Newton Shared Campus, MA with optional Online Participation Track
Cost: Sliding scale $54-$180 (in person) $18-$72 (online)
For the first time, two deeply connected movements — the Chevra Kadisha and Mikveh communities — are coming together for a day of learning, connection, and collaboration. Water has always been a conduit for transformation in Jewish ritual — it cleanses, connects, and sanctifies. Both taharah (ritual preparation for burial) and mikveh (ritual immersion) are deeply centered on water and care, offering moments of profound connection in times of transition.
While often practiced in parallel, they share profound commonalities: reverence for sacred moments, connection to life transitions, commitment to community, and the power of collective care.
At the heart of both movements are you — the individuals who show up with dedication, care, and quiet strength. Your presence ensures these sacred rituals remain accessible, meaningful, and vibrant. You are the foundation of these networks, carrying forward traditions of healing, honor, and communal care. This gathering is for you – to learn, connect, and be nourished in the work you so generously give to others.
What to Expect
💧 An engaging keynote with Anita Diament, founder of Mayyim Hayyim and author of Saying Kaddish
💧 Inspiring workshops with leading educators
💧 Hands-on exploration of ritual and embodied practice
💧 A space to build relationships, share experiences, and spark new ideas
💧 Opportunities for in-person and hybrid participation
This event was created by the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network and Kavod v’Nichum in collaboration with Mayyim Hayyim, the Greater Boston Community Hevra Kadisha, and the Community Hevra Kadisha North Shore Boston.
Join Us & Register
In Person at the Newton Shared Campus
Online from Anywhere
We are excited to announce the Azerbaijan Trek 2025! This is your chance to explore the Energy Hub of the South Caucasus! Want to join? Follow the instructions below.
Relevant Links:
📋 Apply here: https://forms.gle/rM9SnGm6h1ouM8He6
🖥️ Small Presentation: https://shorturl.at/aycCC
📽️ Video: https://shorturl.at/Y7bW6
📅 When?
May 18-25, 2025
Arrive in Baku by May 18, and departures begin any time on May 25.
📍 Where?
6 prominent ancient and modern cities of Azerbaijan
💰 How much?
$1,600/person for single occupancy
$1,400/person for double occupancy
📦 What's included?
Hotel accommodations, breakfasts, and all meals (lunches and dinners)
Gala dinner at the Nobel Brothers House Museum
All guided tours and city visits
All transportation within Azerbaijan
Local guide and a local mobile SIM card with 6 GB of data
Museum and cultural sight entrance fees
Round-trip airport transfer
Travel insurance
Note: Personal expenses, visa fees (if any), alcohol, and international airfare are not included.
🟢 How to join?
Submit the form here: https://forms.gle/rM9SnGm6h1ouM8He6 (the form is open until March 8, 2025, EOD. If you have already submitted the form, no need to submit it again).
Make the first deposit of $600 by March 22, 2025, to confirm your spot. The remaining balance is due by April 20, 2025. Payment details will be sent to the email address provided in your application form.
👥 Who can join?
All current Harvard and MIT graduate students, postdocs, and alumni are welcome!
Partners of Harvard students can also apply.
🎉 Program Highlights
Explore Baku, a city full of history and modernity
Visit iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Shusha
Meet local leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers
Visit the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape and the famous Mud Volcanoes
Experience authentic Azerbaijani cuisine, music, and culture
Visit demining machinery production factories and explore Azerbaijan's post-war economy
Networking event with Harvard University Alumni from Azerbaijan
If you have any questions, refer to the FAQs below, or feel free to reach out to us! We are here to help!
We look forward to exploring Azerbaijan with you!
Best regards,
Azerbaijan Trek 2025 Team
Eldayag Mustafayev and Turan Karimli
FAQ
What is not included in the cost? The cost does NOT include:
· Visa fee and visa support (if required)
· International flights
· Alcohol
· Any other costs not explicitly mentioned in the program or “cost includes” section
Can partners join the trek?
· Yes! Partners are welcome to apply.
· However, space is limited, and priority will be given to student applicants.
What are the selection criteria for the trek?
Selection will be based on:
· Interest in Azerbaijan and Caucasus region
· Alignment with professional experience or personal goals
· Commitment to making the most of the trek
Students graduating in May 2025 will be given priority to help them make the most of this opportunity before they complete their studies.
Is there a refund if I decide to withdraw?
· No, refunds are not provided once the first deposit is made due to administrative and pre-booking commitments. However, you may transfer your spot and the first deposit to another person, subject to approval by the organizers.
Do I need a visa to travel to Azerbaijan?
· Visa requirements vary by nationality.
· Citizens of 96 countries either benefit from visa-free access or can apply under the simplified visa procedure for an Electronic visa/visa on arrival.
· For the official website of E-visa to Azerbaijan, kindly visit: https://evisa.gov.az/en
· List of Eligible countries: https://evisa.gov.az/en/countries
What is the payment schedule?
600 USD of initial deposit payment after selection by March 22. The remaining balance should be closed before 20 April 2025.
Are international flights included?
· No, international flights are not included in the trek cost. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own tickets.
· Recommended flight is via Turkish Airlines: Boston → Istanbul → Baku on May 17 (departure date Boston time), and Baku → Istanbul → Boston on May 25 (departure date Baku time). We highly recommend purchasing your tickets as early as possible to secure the best prices and ensure availability. You can contact the organizing team for special rates on tickets.
· Arrival Details: Please ensure you arrive in Baku no later than May 18th local time. Hotel check-in begins at 3 PM Baku time on May 18th. Free early check-ins are available after 10 AM. Additional payment may be charged for arrivals before 10 AM.
Who are the organizers, and who do I contact if I have questions?
The trek is organized by:
· Eldayag Mustafayev, MPAD 2026 Candidate at HKS – eldayagmustafayev@hks.harvard.edu
· Turan Karimli, www.travelinbaku.com – office@travelinbaku.com
Location: The Studio & Online
Time: 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
Presented jointly with the Center for Health Communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
How can storytelling raise awareness of urgent public health issues — and begin to shape a meaningful response? This panel of skilled storytellers will share insights from their own experience and offer ideas about how journalists, authors, and community organizers can leverage personal narratives to powerful effect.
Register for free to submit your questions.
An on-demand video will be posted after the event.
Speakers
Annie Brewster
Founder of the Health Story Collaborative
Vidya Krishnan
Journalist and author of "The Phantom Plague"
Predrag Stojicic
Adjunct Lecturer on Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Moderator
Emily Ann Harrison
Instructor in Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Event date March 10, 2025
Event time 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Sever Hall, Room 103, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
A PURIM MASQUERADE: Trans Hasidic Edition | Lili Rosen
Lili Rosen (she/her) is a trans actress, writer, producer and cultural consultant raised in a Yiddish-speaking home in Hasidic Brooklyn. Dubbed by Airmail Magazine “Hollywood’s Yiddish Consultant,” her TV/film credits include the Emmy-winning Unorthodox (Netflix), Amazon’s Undone, Apple’s Little America, and the Ukrainian Yiddish film “SHTTL”, winner of the Rome Film Fest audience award. Her short film The Binding of Itzik (2020), is a 2024 recipient of the Rainin Foundation grant from SFFILM for development as a feature film. Lili was an NYTW artist in residence at Dartmouth (2023) and an artist- and scholar-in residence at LABA NY (2021-2022). More recently, she premiered her solo show, The Second Circumcision of Lili Rosen, at the 14StY Theater.
This event is co-sponsored by the CJS, Theater, Dance and Media, and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University.
In recognition of International Women's Day, this important conversation will be focused on the #StandWithHer movement, a global campaign inspired by the Oscar-nominated film "To Kill a Tiger." #StandWithHer invites us to reflect on the policies dismantling women's rights and security, while highlighting the pivotal role that men and boys can play in championing equality for all.
Featuring:
Nisha Pahuja
Director, "To Kill a Tiger"Amita Vyas
Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Public HealthZiauddin Yousafzai
Co-Founder and Board Member, The Malala FundAtul Gawande (moderator)
Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Author of "Being Mortal"Saara Chaudry (Moderator)
Harvard Undergraduate Student
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
Join fellow Harvard students in a Harvard-wide Speed Friending Event!
Facilitated by the local company Skip the Small Talk, this event allows students to meet, enjoy dinner, and get a chance to share their perspectives and feelings and connect with others at Harvard.
"Skip the Small Talk" utilizes techniques based on psychological research to provide individuals with tools for more genuine interactions, fostering a deeper sense of connection. Each event typically lasts two hours, during which conversations last 8 to 10 minutes, with guests switching partners between rounds.
No prior experience is needed - all Harvard students are welcome to join!
RSVP to attend. We hope to see you there!
Logistics
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: The Commons at Lehman Hall, dining room, room 103, Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS
Address: Lehman Hall, 8 Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA, 02138
Food: Taco Dinner, dessert, and drinks will be provided
https://engage.gsas.harvard.edu/event/10981944
Testimonials
"Skip the Small Talk was in some ways a transformative experience. Being in a situation where people were actively encouraged to talk to each other meant that it was trivially easy to have the kind of deep conversations I would normally never build up to in a strange setting. It felt fantastic.”
"Easily one of the best social nights I've had in recent memory. Definitely great if you consider yourself an introvert. Great way to meet new people and explore the dynamics of genuine conversations."
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant joins us for a discussion on rethinking assumptions; the science behind motivation; discovering hidden potential; and savoring the joy of being wrong. Grant is the author of 6 bestselling books, the host of the popular "Re-Thinking" podcast, and the Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management and Professor of Psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Featuring:
Adam Grant
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of "Think Again" and "Hidden Potential"Hannah Riley-Bowles (Moderator)
Co-Director, Women and Public Policy Program
Roy E. Larsen Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) will discuss the state of the Democratic Party, and where the progressive movement goes from here. Jayapal currently serves as Chair-Emerita of the Progressive Caucus, having previously served both as Chair and Co-Chair. In addition to the priorities, goals and vision of the Progressive Caucus, she will discuss important policy issues and legislation within the committees she serves on, including House Judiciary and House Foreign Affairs.
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
Just weeks removed from his tenure as the 7th Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas will join us for a timely discussion on the state of immigration policy in the United States, and lessons learned from his time at DHS.
Moderating this discussion will be Juliette Kayyem, who served as Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security in President Obama's Administration, as well as Homeland Security Advisor to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
Featuring:
Alejandro Mayorkas
United States Secretary of Homeland Security (2021-2025)Juliette Kayyem (Moderator)
Belfer Senior Lecturer in International Security
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
Join us for an important and timely conversation about the state of education in America and across the globe. A panel of experts will take a deep dive into how students are actually doing; President Trump's stated intention to eliminate the Department of Education; the potential impact of Secretary Nominee Linda McMahon; and the politicization of education policy.
Featuring:
Thomas Kane
Walter H. Gale Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Faculty Director of the Center for Education Policy ResearchAaliyah Samuel
President and CEO of the Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Local, State, and National Engagement at the U.S. Department of EducationMartin West
Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic ResearchTassy Warren (Moderator)
Co-Executive Director & Chief Strategy Officer
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
Former White House Press Secretary and Senior Advisor Karine Jean-Pierre will join us for a candid discussion on her tenure in the Biden Administration, the relationship between government and media, and the critical role that journalism plays in a democracy.
Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
March 24, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST
How can AI accelerate social impact? Ted Ladd, Instructor at Harvard’s DCE and Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Hult International Business School, and Milind Tambe, Harvard’s Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science and Director of Center for Research on Computation and Society (SEAS), will discuss how can - and cannot - address some of society's most pressing challenges. Join us for this opportunity to explore the future of technology-driven change and gain insights about where technology meets humanity.
Join Harvard University Counseling and Mental Health Service clinicians Doris Iarovici, MD, and Tara Cousineau, PhD, for an engaging discussion on the mental health challenges university students face today. Moderated by Harvard College students, this conversation will explore key issues affecting student well-being, share insights from their new books—Coping on Campus and The Perfectionist’s Dilemma—and offer practical strategies for navigating college life with resilience and self-compassion.
Doris Iarovici, MD, a writer and psychiatrist at Harvard University (CAMHS), is the author of Coping on Campus: Mental Health and the University Student, and two short fiction collections. She has been a subject matter expert for a national organization focused on student suicide prevention and wellbeing, and cared for students at Duke University, in private practice, and in a residential eating disorder treatment program. Her essays on college mental health have been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Psychiatric Times, and more.
Tara Cousineau, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at Harvard University (CAMHS) and the author of The Perfectionist’s Dilemma: Learn the Art of Self-Compassion and Become a Happy Achiever. She specializes in mind-body medicine, energy psychology, and mindfulness-based approaches, helping students and high achievers navigate self-criticism and perfectionism with greater ease and self-compassion.
This student-led discussion will provide valuable insights for students, educators, and mental health professionals seeking to support well-being in the college experience.
Lovestruck Books has 3 exciting events coming up that we wanted to share with you:
Single Player: on Wednesday, February 12, Lovestruck Books is hosting Tara Tai to celebrate the recent release of Single Player—A Delightful Queer Enemies-to-Lovers Workplace Romance. Throughout this conversation with author Kim Swizz, Tara will dive into gamer Easter eggs, razor-sharp wit, and heartfelt storytelling. Get ready for an evening of passion, rivalry, romance, and gaming! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-single-player-a-night-with-tara-tai-tickets-1207566787769
Rainbow Romance: Join us on Friday, February 21, at Lovestruck Books for Rainbow Romance: Writing Steamy Scenes in LGBTQ+ Love Stories. Anna Burke will lead a discussion with authors M.A. Wardell, who will share insights on writing spicy queer rom-coms with adult gay love stories and Xio Axelrod, who will discuss queer love stories including the editing and publishing of the Love is All books, an annual anthology that celebrates diverse love stories and happily-ever-afters for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rainbow-romance-writing-steamy-scenes-in-lgbtq-love-stories-tickets-1218393009289?aff=oddtdtcreator
Love and Literature: We’re hosting author and veteran journalist Judith Rosen on Thursday, February 27, to celebrate her newly released book, Bookstore Romance: Love Speaks Volumes. In conversation with novelist Laura Zigman, Judith will share the heartwarming stories behind the real-life fairy tales of 24 couples who found their happily-ever-afters in bookstores and made bookstores the backdrop to their most unforgettable moments.