Blue Devil Days Events with Jewish Life at Duke

Jewish students make up 12-13% of the undergraduate student body at Duke, which translates to 800+ Jewish undergraduate students. 

Yes, we (Jewish Life at Duke) are the Duke Hillel! The Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, the programs that make up Jewish Life at Duke (JLD), is accredited by Hillel International and has even been selected for several prestigious Hillel International initiatives. One thing that makes us unique is that in addition to being a fully accredited Hillel, Jewish Life at Duke is also a department within Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs. This means we benefit from the best of both worlds—simultaneous support from two major institutions committed to JLD’s future and success.

Yes. Kosher food is included on the Duke meal plan through the Freeman Center Café, our kosher facility under rabbinical supervision, operated in partnership with Duke Dining. Students can purchase a-la-carte, made-to-order options for lunch and dinner on Mondays-Thursdays from 12:00pm-7:30pm and lunch on Fridays from 12:00pm – 2:00pm. Orders can be placed in-person at the Freeman Center Café or on Duke Dine-Out the mobile ordering app.

We also offer kosher, sealed Grab & Go meals at dining locations across East and West Campus. 

Weekly Friday night Shabbat and holiday meals are served at the Freeman Center free of charge for students.

Duke's Campus Rabbi and Jewish Chaplain, Elana Friedman, is a full-time staff member of Jewish Life at Duke. Rabbi Elana was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has a diverse rabbinic background, which she relies on to serve a variety of student needs. Rabbi Elana serves as chief Jewish educator and spiritual leader of the campus Jewish community. In her role as Campus Rabbi, she provides counseling for students, offers opportunities for Jewish learning, and serves as liaison for Religious Life. She also facilitates the observance of Jewish holidays, supervises the kashrut of the kitchen, and holds duties related to educating the greater campus community about Judaism and Jewish observances.

We offer a robust range of programming, from community service projects, to Jewish educational programs, cultural Israel programs, social gatherings, holiday celebrations, and much more. We host guest speakers and film screenings, facilitate discussion, and partner with campus-wide programming as well. On average, we host between two to five events per week, though schedules vary throughout the semester. Additionally, we encourage student-initiated programs and are always receptive to students suggesting and developing new programs and events.

Duke is home to a vibrant, close-knit Jewish community of more than 740 undergraduates with a diverse array of backgrounds and interests. We make it a priority to welcome all Jewish first-year students into the community. The Jewish First-Year Advisory Mentorship (JFAM) program, organized by the Jewish Student Union, pairs first-year students with upperclass students who provide insider insights about campus life and Jewish life, along with guidance, friendship, and support. Through various JFAM social gatherings – a traditional Welcome Back BBQ, JFAM Shabbat, and an Ice Cream Social, to name just a few – new students connect with each other and begin to develop their own niche on campus. Various programs and involvement with student groups throughout the year keep students connected and engaged.

During the High Holidays, we hold Conservative, Reform, and community-wide services at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life. All services are free of charge and no registration is required. We also offer a variety of holiday meals including Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner, Rosh Hashanah lunches and dinner, second day Rosh Hashanah lunch, Erev Yom Kippur pre-fast dinner, and Yom Kippur Break-Fast. Holiday meals are always free of charge for students. While Duke classes are typically held during the holidays, Duke's religious observance policy permits students to be excused from academic obligations on these days.

We host a Friday night Shabbat experience at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life every week during the academic year. Core Shabbat programming begins at 6:00pm with a communal candle lighting and pluralistic Kabbalat Shabbat service. Shabbat services are held together as one Duke community, incorporating a variety of traditions. Shabbat services are followed by a delicious free kosher Shabbat dinner. Special Friday night programming occurs periodically throughout the academic year, which may include a theme, educational program, or special meal. Attendance at Shabbat services ranges between 40 - 75 people and attendance at Shabbat dinner ranges between 60 - 100 people.

The Orthodox student community at Duke is small. At the same time, our team at Jewish Life at Duke is committed to helping Orthodox students thrive at Duke. Our cultural, social, and educational programming is geared toward all Jewish students of all backgrounds, regardless of denomination. Additionally, there are resources on campus and in Durham to support Orthodox students. 

Supports at Duke include:

• Residential: JLD works with the department of Housing and Residence Life (HRL) to ensure that traditionally-observant students are able to move in early, so as not to move in on Shabbat. HRL is committed to making good faith efforts to accommodate a student's sincerely held religious practices or beliefs that may conflict with HRL policies, procedures, or other requirements. Students requesting an alternative or early move-in day due to religious obligations should fill out the Early Arrival Request Form in their Housing Portal. As a part of this process, students may be asked to provide documentation supporting their need. Jewish Life at Duke staff can provide this via email correspondence; please email jewishlife@duke.edu to request supporting documentation. JLD also works with HRL to help students check out keys for room/dorm access, so they won't need to rely on electronic access during Shabbat and yom tov; students requesting items inside a residence hall be modified for religious observance (motion sensors, manual Shabbat entry vs. electronic key fob) are asked to submit a Maintenance Request.  Additionally, JLD is available to help students kasher their private kitchens in the 300 Swift residence hall.
• Kashrut: The Freeman Center Cafe, on the Duke meal plan, operates under rabbinical supervision by Duke's Campus Rabbi Elana Friedman, who serves as the Rav HaMachshir and mashgicha. The rabbi’s office is located in the same building as the dining facility. Click here for the kashrut standards of the cafe. 
• Academic: Duke has a religious observance policy that permits students to miss class when it conflicts with a holiday. JLD not only promotes the use of this policy, but we coach individual students on its use, and help advocate for students' religious observance with faculty.
• Passover Kashrut: Before Pesach, Jewish Life at Duke and Duke Dining distribute boxes of sealed kosher-for-Passover matzah on West and East Campuses, to ensure that students have access to this necessity. The Freeman Center Cafe serves strictly kosher for Passover meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the holiday. 

Local community resources include:

• Durham Orthodox Kehillah: The Durham Orthodox Kehillah meets at Beth El Synagogue. Members of the Orthodox Union, this congregation welcomes students and members of the community to Shabbat morning minyan, which begins at 9 am, followed by a light kiddush. 
• Durham Eruv: The Durham Eruv is approved by Orthodox Rabbi Love from Berkeley, CA, and Conservative Rabbi Heller, from Atlanta, GA. The eruv encompasses East Campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. 
• Kosher food/grocery shopping: area grocery stores, such as Harris Teeter, Wegman’s, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, stock hekshered ingredients and products. In addition to the Freeman Center Cafe, the Yalla Food Truck also offers kosher food options.
• Chabad: Chabad is a recognized Duke student group, and is not directly affiliated with Jewish Life at Duke. There are two Chabad organizations in the area (in Durham and in Chapel Hill), both of which welcome Duke students for Shabbat and holidays.

Students often find themselves locked into the “college bubble,” but for those looking to engage with the larger Jewish community at hand, there are a multitude of organizations to get involved with. The Durham and Triangle area is fortunate to have a large, supportive, and active Jewish community for students to participate in, from working as Hebrew/Religious School teachers to participating in holidays and events.

Jews have a long and rich history of life in the South. For a comprehensive history we highly recommend Leonard Rogoff’s book, Homelands: Southern Jewish Identity in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. An excellent abridgment of his book can be found here.

Local Synagogues

• Beth El Congregation
• Durham Orthodox Kehillah
• Congregation Etz Chayim
• Judea Reform Congregation
• Kehillah Synagogue
• Kol Haskalah
• Triangle Family Shule

Community Organizations

• Durham Eruv
• Durhamish
• Levin JCC
• Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill
• Chabad at Duke Undergraduates
• Triangle Jewish Chorale
• Triangle Moishe House
• Sicha
• Jewish Sparks

Duke University

• Center for Jewish Studies
• Hebrew Language and Culture

In a virtual conversation for 2020 New Student Orientation, student leaders answered questions about Religious Life at Duke, including how to get connected with a campus religious group, finding time to reflect, and integrating your faith and classroom learning. Sarah Jacobs, T'21, President of the Jewish Student Union at the time, served as panelist. Watch the discussion here.

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