Hillel Global Giving Week 2024
Help Jewish Life at Duke reach our goal of raising $36,000 to support the Israel Program Fund!
Support Israel Programs at Duke
This Hillel Global Giving Week, from May 13-17, support Israel engagement, education, and experiences for Duke's Jewish students by making a gift to Jewish Life at Duke's Israel Program Fund!
About the Campaign
Wow! You helped us exceed our goal by raising $36,990 during the 2024 Hillel Global Giving Week! THANK YOU!
From May 13-17, Jewish Life at Duke joins more than 150 Hillels around the world in participating in the fourth annual Hillel Global Giving Week. During this time, gifts made to Jewish Life at Duke will be matched, dollar-for-dollar for a total match opportunity of $5,000! (up to $2,000 per gift)
This school year was especially challenging for our Jewish students, and for Jewish students around the world. Antisemitic incidents continue to rise worldwide, but our students are resilient, strong, and proud — especially with Jewish Life at Duke behind them.
Help us reach our goal of raising $36,000 for our Israel Program Fund. Read on to see the impact Israel programs have had on the Duke Jewish community this year!
Supporters like you ensure that Jewish Life at Duke can help our Jewish college students to proudly celebrate their Jewish values, no matter the circumstances. 100% of JLD's operating budget comes from individual donations from alumni, parents, and friends. It wouldn't be possible without you. Make your end-of-year gift during Hillel Global Giving Week today!
Make an Impact
Cultural Connection
Provide opportunities for students to make meaningful lifelong connections with Israel's people, culture, and language.
Educational Experiences
Provide meaningful learning opportunities and collaborations with speakers and student groups about current events.
Student Support & Wellbeing
Support staff in providing essential one-on-one and small group care for students.
Your Support in Action
Over this past year, we have hosted the following programs, activities, and events for our students:
- The Kol Yisrael Jewish Learning Fellowship: a six-week, cohort-based, conversational seminar exploring Israel's ethnic diversity and questions of identity.
- Our Birthright Israel trip, a free 10-day trip to Israel in Summer 2023.
- A conversation and with The Atlantic's Yair Rosenberg, discussing current events in a lecture and Q&A entitled "Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, The Media, The War."
- A Duke community vigil following the October 7th Hamas terror attacks, to pray for the victims, their families, and for peace.
- A virtual gathering with past and current Israel Fellows to share updates on the current state of Israel, in the days following the terrorist attack on October 7th.
- Opportunities for students to travel to and attend national Israel policy and advocacy conferences such as the Hillel International Israel Summit.
- Students have written op-eds for the student newspaper, attended events that taught skills on how to be an advocate for Israel, educated peers about the issues, and much more.
- A Bring Them Home Empty Shabbat Table display on Duke's Bryan Center Plaza as a way to remember the hostages of the October 7th attack.
- A conversation with IDF veteran, cybersecurity expert, and entrepreneur Alon Arvatz, addressing Israel's impact on the global cyber industry and his book "The Battle for Your Computer" which tells the story of the Israeli cybersecurity ecosystem and its influence around the globe.
- Let's Talk about Israel series, which took place every Monday in November, offering students a space to learn about Israel, hear from various leaders and experts, and enjoy a free kosher dinner. Speakers included Duke professors, a local rabbi, and a screening of the film Golda.
- A conversation with author Jonathan Schanzer about the context behind the terrorist attack in Israel, how Israel is responding, and how the war will shape Israel's future.
- An evening with writer and former political advisor, Dan Senor, interviewed by Frank Bruni, sharing a talk "Six Months Later: What Have We Learned, Where Are We Heading?"
- The opportunity to attend The March for Israel in Washington D.C. Jewish Life at Duke staff chaperoned the event, providing transportation and support for students desiring to be involved.
- A conversation with Nova Music Festival Survivor Rom El-Hai who shared a Shabbat dinner with students at the Freeman Center.
- An opportunity to learn from family members of the Oct 7th hostages in Bring Them Home: An Evening with Hostages' Families.
- “Out of Crisis, Opportunity? War and Peace in Post-October 7 Middle East,” an interview with Duke Alum Robert Satloff (T '83) with Bruce Jentleson.
- Israel Gap Year Cohort, a community for our students who spent a gap year in Israel.
- Israel Gap Year Dinner, a special event creating space for students who have spent a gap year in Israel to share experiences, memories, and make new friends.
- Cafe Ivrit, where students gather to practice conversational Hebrew. This year students learned about Israel, sports, restaurants, the Hebrew calendar, and more!
- JLD staff continued to formally advise and collaborate with our Israel-focused student groups: Duke Friends of Israel, Duke Israel Public Affairs Committee, Duke J Street U, and Duke Students Supporting Israel.
- 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 on campus. 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 and inspires individual students to develop meaningful and enduring relationships to the land, people, culture, and society of Israel.
- And more!
Thank you to our donors!
- Ann Acriche
- Anne Adelson
- Jason Ader
- Micheline Anderson
- Rachel Attar
- Lynn Baklor
- Deborah Becker
- Roy & Nicole Ben-Dor
- Barbara Berger & Eli Ofek
- Gary Blake
- Steven Blaser
- Delaney Buskard
- Daniel Ellison
- Lily Farahzad
- Michael Feinstein
- David Feldman
- Nancy Fineberg
- Scott Finkelstein
- Silvana Fischman
- Peter Fishman
- Robert S Fleischer and Susan Raanan
- Eric & Sara Forman
- Dan & Lauren Furstenberg
- Jodi & Marc Ganz
- Mara Geronemus
- Zari Ginsburg
- Steve Glantz
- Reena Glazer
- Joshua Goldner
- Karen Gottlieb & Jason Rosenfeld
- Adam Gottlieb
- Richard Greenberg & Katharine Friedman
- Steven & Jody Greenberg
- Andy Halpern
- Matthew Horowitz
- Lisa Ipp
- Edward Kaufman
- Dana Klein
- Ronnie Kramer
- Michael Kuritzky & Dana Rosenberg
- Lori & Marc Lavine
- Andrew Layton
- Stephen Levin
- Jacqueline Lowey
- Keith Lublin
- Mack & Diane Mabry
- Gary Maier
- Genevieve Mallon
- Rebecca Mandel
- Lee Maschler
- David Mayman
- Michael McAuliffe
- Allison Meyer
- Stephen Miller
- Irene and Stephen Moff
- Evan & Cheryl Morgenstein
- Candice Polsky
- Romy & Adam Posner
- Eric & Debby Putterman
- The Raich Family Fund
- Sara-Jane Raines
- Ilana Ressler
- Todd & Vera Richman
- Glenn Rissman
- Amy Rose
- Suzanne Rose
- Francesca Rosenberg
- John & Jean Rosenberg
- Erika Rosenzweig
- Ron Rothblatt & Rachel Simon
- Bruce Ruzinsky
- Scott Scher
- Brian & Kathleen Schwartz
- Sam Schwartzman
- Howard Seidel
- Ety Shasha
- Rebecca & Elliot Silver
- Justin & Caroline Simons
- Sara Slatkoff
- Peter & Denise Soloff
- Elinor & Dan Stabinsky
- Peter and Ellen Stark
- Daniel & Celeste Strohl
- Michelle Talal
- Cheryl & Alan Talpalar
- Robyn Troob
- Lisa & Neil Wallack
- Loren & Diane Weil
- Lizette & Josh Weingard
- Kim Weiss
- James Weisz
- Beatrice Werden
- Bradley Winters
- Andrew Yaffe & Christen Tingley
- Amir Yariv
- Marc Yassinger
- Madelyn Zelman
- Jeremy Zuker
- Add your name to our list of supporters!
About Jewish Life at Duke
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.
100% of JLD’s operating budget comes from donations from alumni, parents, and friends.
