Whereas, the Sephardi & Mizrahi Student Council (SMSC) is a registered student organization that shares the traditions of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, whose communities originate from Spain, the Middle East, and North Africa, with the broader Cornell community,
Whereas, SMSC receives its primary byline funding through the Interfaith Council at Cornell (ICC) and has a pending 2026–2027 ICC allocation of $1,250 for non-event expenses,
Whereas, SMSC seeks funding for the Sephardi-Mizrahi Shabbat, a dinner to be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, with an expected attendance of 500 students,
Whereas, SMSC’s four previous Shabbat dinners each drew more than 400 students, and SMSC is conducting outreach beyond the Jewish community, including to Muslim and Christian students through partnerships with religious organizations and community leaders,
Whereas, the total cost of the event is $11,350, consisting of $8,920 for CU Dining Shabbat dinner catering, $1,650 for Kiddush food, $660 for utensils, and $120 for promotional materials,
Whereas, SMSC has also requested $2,500 from CU Tonight for this event, which is pending,
Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, Section 1, of the Standing Rules reads:
The Student Assembly may choose to fund any project, program or service through the Assembly Special Projects that it deems to improve the quality of undergraduate student life. Special Projects funding is a type of category spending.
Whereas, SMSC complies with Part B: Special Projects Funding, Section 2, subsection a, of the Standing Rules as a Cornell registered student organization,
Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, Section 8, of the Standing Rules reads:
Organizations without open membership are not eligible for Special Projects Funding, except in cases where the applicant is hosting an event open to all Cornell undergraduate students.
Whereas, the Sephardi-Mizrahi Shabbat is open to all Cornell undergraduate students,
Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, Section 5, of the Standing Rules reads:
Requests $2,500 and over shall be decided upon by a majority vote of the Executive Board and confirmed by a majority vote of the Student Assembly, at large. … The request should be presented to the Student Assembly in the form of a resolution.
Be it therefore resolved, the Student Assembly approves the transfer of $1,655.32 from the Student Assembly Reserves Account (G943602) to the Student Assembly Special Projects Funding Account (30001).
Be it finally resolved, the Student Assembly approves the $4,000 disbursement from the Student Assembly Special Projects Funding Account (30001) into the account of the Sephardi & Mizrahi Student Council to fund the November 6, 2026 Shabbat dinner open to all undergraduate students.
Respectfully Submitted,
Christian Tarala ’27
Vice President for Finance, Student Assembly
