Israel Engagement
Israel programs and initiatives connect Duke students with Israel both on campus and abroad. All students are welcome to participate. Our approach to Israel is framed through the following three Es:
- Education: Programs that focus on teaching students about the diverse aspects of Israel — not just the geopolitical conflict, but also its people, culture, society, and language.
- Experience: Travel to Israel for firsthand experience of the country.
- Engagement: One-on-one coffee conversations and meetings with the Israel Fellow to explore personal connection to and views on Israel in order to help students articulate their Israel story.
Heyman Winter Israel Fellow
A partnership program between Hillel International and The Jewish Agency for Israel, the Heyman Winter Israel Fellow is the crux of and catalyst for Israel engagement for Duke students. This full-time Jewish Life at Duke staff member, an Israeli young professional who has served in the Israeli Defense Forces and earned a college degree, spends one to three years serving Duke’s Jewish students. He/she/they inspires Duke students to develop meaningful and enduring relationships to the land, people, culture, and society of Israel.
The Heyman Winter Israel Fellow advises our Israel-focused student groups, accompanies students to Israel advocacy conferences, plans Israel programs, and connects with students one-on-one to explore their personal relationship to Israel.
On Campus Israel Programs
On-campus Israel programs are spearheaded by the Heyman Winter Israel Fellow and vary each year based on student interest and current events. Past Israel programming has included:
- Jewish Learning Fellowship: Israel: Seminar-style discussion exploring topics central to Israel’s history, people, and society; seeking to better understand how Israel as a country and concept fits into the identity of Jews living in the diaspora; and examining our own relationships to it.
- Speakers about Israel: Speakers brought to campus have included former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Yair Rosenberg, Yossi Klein Halevi, Dan Senor, Robert Satloff, Bari Weiss, Nachman Shai, David Makovsky, David Blu, Erin Schrode, Ari Shavit, Dara Horn.
- Café Ivrit: conversational Hebrew groups for students interested in practicing Hebrew outside of the classroom.
Israel Focused Student Groups
Students are involved in a variety of Israel focused student groups advised by our Heyman Winter Israel Fellow and other Jewish Life at Duke staff. Student groups are open to all students. Students groups include:
Duke Friends of Israel (DFI)
For more information find us on DukeGroups.
Duke Israel Public Affairs Committee (DIPAC)
For more information find us on DukeGroups.
Duke J Street U
For more information find us on DukeGroups.
Duke Students Supporting Israel (SSI)
For more information find us on DukeGroups.
Support Our Israel Programs
We rely on donations from alumni, parents, and friends to make our Israel Programs possible at Duke.
Your donation to the Jewish Life at Duke's Israel Programming Fund supports Israel-themed lectures, guest speakers, seminars, conversational groups, and events; student travel for Israel policy conferences; Israel-focused student groups; and programs related to our full-time Heyman Winter Israel Fellow.
"The Israel Jewish Learning Felllowship completely changed the way that I thought about not only my relationship with Israel but also my relationship with Judaism. I came in expecting to just learn factual knowledge about Israel, the conflict, etc., which I did, but my biggest takeaways came from reflecting both on what Israel means to me and how we as Jews are all actually connected."
– Genna Wolinsky ‘23