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Students

Jewish Life at Duke engages, advocates for, and supports all Jewish students at Duke.

Students smile at a student eventOur goal is to provide you with opportunities to connect, get involved, explore your roots and enrich your experience at Duke. No matter how you want to engage, we've got you covered!

Shabbat at the Freeman Center

Jewish Life at Duke celebrates Shabbat each Friday night that classes are in session and welcomes all members of the Duke community to join us!

Every Friday, Rabbi Elana and student leaders lead the community in candle lighting and a non-denominational, pluralistic Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6:00pm. After we share our Good Thing of the Week (a Duke favorite tradition!), we join together for a free, kosher communal Shabbat dinner around 7:00pm. Join us at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life for any or all of the evening. 

Jewish students eating a meal together

Shabbat dinner is always free for students thanks to the support of our donors!

RSVP for dinner each week by texting "Shabbat" to 984-333-5603 by Friday at noon or emailing jewishlife@duke.edu so we can prepare dinner and take meal preferences/allergies into account. Forgot to RSVP? Come anyway!

Follow @JewishLifeatDuke on Instagram for weekly menus and up-to-date information regarding weekly Shabbat. 

Holidays at Jewish Life

Each year, the Duke community celebrates the High Holidays with Jewish Life at Duke. For Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, both Reform and Conservative-Style services are offered at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life.

We also offer Tashlich at Duke Gardens. Additionally, we offer free holiday meals for students including Rosh Hashanah dinner, pre-fast dinner, and Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast at the Freeman Center. Registration is required, but all holiday meals are free for students.

Check out the 2024 schedule of services and meals, and register in advance here

Jewish Holiday Calendar

Looking for a calendar list of all the Jewish holiday dates this year? Click here for the full calendar.

We encourage our Duke colleagues and student groups of all identities and faith traditions to reference this resource when scheduling programs and events in order to avoid planning events on major Jewish holidays. Taking into account these dates helps create an inclusive climate for the Duke Jewish community. Questions? Contact us at jewishlife@duke.edu.


Upcoming Events

Programs and Initiatives



Israel Engagement

Israel programs and initiatives connect Duke students with Israel both on campus and abroad.


Travel Opportunities

Experience new places with Jewish Life at Duke

A partnership between Jewish Life at Duke and the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, Roots to Rights is an experiential education program exploring the South's major historic Civil Rights sites.

The program explores the shared beliefs that brought these seemingly disparate communities together during this pivotal period in American history.


Student Groups

Students can get involved in these incredible student-led campus groups which offer leadership, education, and service opportunities. Jewish Life at Duke staff serve as official advisors to the following student groups:

Graduate & Professional Student Groups

Graduate and professional students can get involved in many ways, including through these organized student groups housed in their respective schools, who often partner with us at Jewish Life at Duke: