How Lux Et Shabbat came to life at Yale

Daniela Czerwinski

On September 5, 2025, more than 520 students, alumni, faculty, and guests gathered on Yale’s Old Campus for the Lux Et Shabbat dinner, hosted by Chabad at Yale. Inspired by Yale’s motto lux et veritas (“light and truth”), the evening celebrated the Jewish day of rest with prayer, community, and a shared meal.

The event drew distinguished guests including University President Maurie McInnis, President Emeritus Peter Salovey, and Kimberly Goff-Crews, secretary and vice president for university life. Attendees enjoyed a three-course kosher dinner, thoughtful programming, and speeches from Rabbi Meir Posner and Devorah Leah Posner of Chabad at Yale, along with Rabbi Alex Ozar from Yale’s Slifka Center. With demand far exceeding available seating, organizers plan to nearly double capacity for next year’s celebration.

From Vision to Reality

When Chabad at Yale envisioned Lux Et Shabbat, they knew it would take a trusted partner to bring their ambitious event to life. Working with Yale Conferences & Events (YC&E), Rabbi Meir Chaim Posner and her team found exactly that: support from the earliest planning conversations through the very last guest departure.

Rabbi Posner shared:

“YC&E enabled us to bring our vision to life from start to finish. From the earliest meetings on venues and budgets to navigating Yale’s approvals, recommending vendors, and keeping us on track, the team guided us every step of the way. On the night of the event, their professionalism allowed us to focus entirely on our attendees and program.”

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Rabbi Meir Chaim Posner

Comprehensive Support

YC&E managed a wide array of details, including:

  • Securing Old Campus and working with multiple Yale departments (Facilities, YPD, Emergency Management, Student Life, and more)
  • Coordinating rentals, catering, portable restrooms, and kosher menu planning
  • Designing and producing graphics, signage, merchandise, and printed materials
  • Partnering with vendors for florals, linens, photography, videography, and live media coverage
  • Staffing registration, stage management, and onsite support alongside Chabad volunteers

What Stood Out Most

Rabbi Posner emphasized the value of YC&E’s deep institutional knowledge:

“Joseph’s relationships with Yale departments and his understanding of how to navigate the administration enabled everything to move smoothly. He stayed calm and solution-focused, whether reworking seating layouts to meet fire marshal guidelines or making last-minute changes with the videographer.”

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Rabbi Posner

Gratitude and Partnership

Reflecting on the evening, Rabbi Posner expressed deep appreciation:

“We are extremely grateful for the professionalism, experience, and most of all, the passion and enthusiasm that Joseph DiMaggio and the YC&E team brought to the table.”

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Rabbi Posner

Lux Et Shabbat was more than a dinner. It was a vibrant expression of tradition, community, and belonging at Yale. And with plans already underway for an even larger event in the future, its light will only continue to grow.