As a Bene Israel Jewish woman from India now living in the United States, Siona Benjamin is a Jewish artist creating cross-cultural and transcultural art. Her perspective bridges the traditional and the modern and sparks discourse across cultures. Having grown up in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim society in India, where she was educated in Catholic and Zoroastrian schools and raised Jewish, Benjamin always has been reflecting on cultural boundary zones.

Her perspective remains transcultural and multicultural at heart, combining the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today. Her art is a kaleidoscope of images inspired by illuminated manuscripts and multicultural mythology. The blue-skinned characters are a signature feature of Benjamin’s paintings. She sees them as self-portraits of sorts through which she explores ancient and contemporary dilemmas. These characters become symbols of a timeless global identity free of prejudices and boundaries.

Benjamin is originally from Mumbai and currently lives and works in Montclair, New Jersey. Her work reflects her background of being brought up Jewish in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim India. In her paintings, she combines the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today, making a mosaic inspired by both Indian miniature paintings and Jewish and Christian illuminated manuscripts.

The art is on view at the Henry S. Miller Judaica Research Room at the Walsh Family Library on the Rose Hill campus and at Quinn Library on the Lincoln Center campus.

The exhibit was curated by Wes Alcenat, Corinne Gibson, FCRH ’24, and Magda Teter.

The exhibit was curated by Gabriella DiMeglio, Miriam Krakowski, FCRH ’27, and Magda Teter.

​Donate today through the end of the November at fordham.edu/givethanks.

Please note: This is not a donation to Fordham University. Your donation will support these partner organizations:

Rose Hill: The Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Part of the Solution, Creston Avenue Baptist Soup Kitchen (Bronx, NY)
Lincoln Center: The Church of St. Paul the Apostle Food Pantry and Xavier Mission (New York, NY)
Westchester: Carver Center (Port Chester, NY)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The organizations are specifically looking for new socks, new underwear, clean shoes, and coats for women, men, or both.

Donation bin locations:
1. IPED Commons, Dealy Hall, floor 5
2. Walsh Library, entrance area

All toys must be new and unwrapped. Children greatly benefit from gift cards at stores where staff members can purchase individualized gifts for each child’s unique needs including:
-Amazon
-Target
-Old Navy
-iTunes

Please consider donating one or more of the following items:
-CD music players
-Handheld body massagers
-Head massagers
-Projectors
-Sound machines
-Soft hair scrunchies
-Hair ties
-Nail polish
-Long socks
-Nightgowns (particularly for teenagers)
-Other clothing (all sizes welcome)
-Fabric storage bins

Drop off donations at the following locations by December 20:
-Fordham’s Westchester campus
-PKF O’Connor Davies in Harrison
-Solar Electric Systems Inc. in White Plains
-Antonucci & Associates, Architects & Engineers in Pelham
-Hart Vida & Partners in Valhalla
-Club Pilates in Mount Kisco
-Roosters Market in White Plains

How AI can positively impact so many aspects of our daily lives, from health and wellness to work, education, and home life.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful general-purpose technology that is reshaping the modern economy, but misperceptions about AI stand in the way of harnessing it for the betterment of humanity. In Thrive, Ravi Bapna and Anindya Ghose counter the backlash by showcasing how AI is positively influencing the aspects of our daily lives that we care about most: our health and wellness, relationships, education, the workplace, and domestic life. In the process, the authors help explain the underlying technology and give people the agency they need to shape the debate around how we should regulate AI to maximize its benefits and minimize its risks.

Ochs, an ethnographer of Jewish practice who focuses on material culture and takes a lived-religion approach, will be discussing what these newest Jewish ritual practices have in common, including spontaneity, resilience, and collectivity.

Rabbi Vanessa Ochs, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita in the UVA Department of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies Program. In 2023–2024, she was the Rabbi Sally Priesand Visiting Professor at the HUC/JIR Rabbinical Schools. Her books include The Passover Haggadah: A Biography (Princeton University Press) and Inventing Jewish Ritual (JPS).

Enjoy the chance to reconnect, meet new people, and get in the holiday spirit together! The event costs $5 per person and includes a selection of small bites courtesy of the Office of Alumni Relations. There will be a cash bar.

Please note: There is free on-site parking.

Space is limited, and registrations will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to register early.

The class is a critical learning opportunity to professionalize the social work discipline in complex, health care structures. The class supports social workers in the assessment, understanding, and intervention of the multifaceted social and environmental factors that contribute to patient health outcomes and acute care utilization. These activities are impactful in improving and addressing social needs within patient care and further demonstrate the value of social workers in a variety of clinical healthcare settings.