Duke Students Mark a Personal Milestone with their Duke Community
Every year, students participate in Jewish Life at Duke’s B’nai Mitzvah program, which offers students who did not become b’nai mitzvah as pre-teens to take part in this milestone as part of their Duke experience.
This year, we celebrated the B’nai Mitzvah of Duke students Matthew Rodriguez, Egor Sergeev, Sam Berlan and Lucan Franzblau, marking the 14th year of this special program, which has included 25 students since its inception in 2011. Matthew, Egor, Sam and Lucan studied with guidance from Duke’s Campus Rabbi and Jewish Chaplain Elana Friedman, some learning to read Hebrew for the first time. They each explored their Torah portion and shared a reflection of their insights through a d’var Torah, an interpretation of the weekly Torah portion, delivered during prayer services. The celebratory weekend began with the students leading a Saturday afternoon Shabbat service at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life, where they became B’nai Mitzvah. The Jewish Student Union, Duke’s undergraduate Jewish organization, then hosted a celebratory 80s-themed party for the whole Duke community, with activities and décor reminiscent of the typical teen celebrations. The program is generously made possible by the Freeman Family Program Fund.
For many students, the decision to participate in the B’nai Mitzvah program is a deeply personal one. Some may have grown up in families where Jewish traditions were not emphasized, while others may have discovered their Jewish identity later in life. It’s a moment of pride and joy, not just for the students, but for everyone who has supported them along their journey. Regardless of their backgrounds, all participants shared a common desire—to explore their Jewish heritage, connect with their roots, and mark this important milestone in a meaningful way.
Matthew Rodriguez ’25 is a senior studying mechanical engineering from Los Angeles, CA. He chose to participate in the Bnai Mitzvah Program as a way to further explore what Judaism means to him and also share the beautiful experience with his friends and family.
His d’var Torah discussed the story of Nachshon, the first man to enter the Red Sea before Moses split it. His takeaway message to the congregation was to seek out opportunities and not just wait for them to come to you, or as he phrased it, “I am not afraid of drowning in the open ocean. I am afraid of aimlessly wandering the desert for 40 years. I fear not the risks we take but the ones that were never offered.”
The b’nai mitzvah program was a particularly meaningful one for Matthew. “I was able to fulfill a personal goal of mine of having a Bar Mitzvah and dive deep into the traditions of Judaism,” he said. The presence of my friends and family made me extremely grateful for the community that I am a part of. I will forever look back on February 8th, 2025 with the best of memories.”
Egor Sergeev ’26 is a junior studying cultural anthropology from Novosibirsk, Russia. He grew up in a secular community in Russia, and never had a Bar Mitzvah. Coming from this background, he said “being able to become a Bar Mitzvah in college was very meaningful, because going through this process was a personal choice I made, making me very appreciative of all the learning I had to do. I also loved being surrounded by Sam, Matthew, and Lucan. We were all very supportive of each other and they helped me think about my Judaism on a deeper level.”
Egor’s d’var Torah focused on the Jewish experiences that resonate with the story of Exodus today. He took it as an opportunity to remember all the wandering Jews, but especially to highlight Russian Jewry over the past 150 years, drawing on his personal background. He said, “It was very important to me to recognize exile as an all-too-common component of living in diaspora. I also wanted to tell the stories of and commemorate all those finding the strength to build the cities from the ground up after all the hardship.”
Sam Berlan ’25 is a senior from Miami, Florida studying Earth and Climate Sciences and Environmental Sciences and Policy. Despite growing up in a predominately Jewish community in Miami, she wasn’t particularly connected to her Judaism before coming to Duke.
“It wasn’t until I started going to Shabbat at Duke that sparked the flame inside of me and inspired me to find a deeper connection to my Judaism,” Sam shared. “I started learning more, engaging more, and taking every opportunity to immerse myself in the Jewish community here as much as I possibly could.” For this reason, her d’var Torah discussed the commandment “Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.” For Sam, Shabbat is what led her to find the missing piece in her Jewish journey, becoming a Bat Mitzvah.
In the past year and a half, Sam saw the Jewish community come together in a remarkable way and found herself in awe of the sense of strength and resilience of the Jewish people. In her d’var, she remarked “I stand here today with an overwhelming sense of pride to be even just a small part of the beautiful experience that we all share.” Sam said she was truly inspired by her B’nai Mitzvah cohort, will forever cherish the memories from the day, and ultimately the entire experience couldn’t have been possible without the guidance of Rabbi Elana.
Lucan Franzblau ’25, a senior from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, is majoring in Political Science with an International Relations concentration and also minoring in Chinese Language and Economics. After graduation, he will be working at American Express as a Business Analyst in their Enterprise China Management team.
Lucan explained how he never thought he’d partake in a Bar Mitzvah journey, but after spending a gap year in Israel and reflecting on his Jewish identity, it just felt right. Despite not having a Bar Mitzvah when he was younger, he “still always considered himself Jewish.” While Lucan was studying abroad in Europe, he visited Auschwitz and came to a realization. “Seeing firsthand the weight of our history, I realized I wanted to take a more active role in preserving Jewish traditions,” he reflected.
One of the lessons from his Torah portion that resonated most with Lucan was when G-d provided manna for the Israelites in the desert, they were told to take only what they needed and not hoard it. He explained, “To me, that’s a powerful message about fairness, generosity, and taking care of each other. Standing on the bimah, surrounded by my friends and family, I felt so supported, loved, and connected. It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped make it happen and for the B’nai Mitzvah program. I am so grateful for Rabbi Elana, JSU, and JLD for allowing this all to happen.”
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Jewish Life at Duke (JLD) is the hub for all things Jewish on Duke’s campus. An accredited Hillel as well as a department within Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs, Jewish Life at Duke is guided by a mission to empower Jewish students to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually; to inspire and nurture personal paths to Jewish identity; and to cultivate community and friendship. Comprising the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, JLD takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and included.
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