Jewish Students At Duke University: What's The Number?

Duke University is home to a thriving Jewish community, with a strong population of driven and devoted students. The Jewish Life at Duke, comprising the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, serves as a home away from home for Jewish students. It offers a welcoming and inclusive community, empowering students to explore their identity, celebrate their culture, and engage with Judaism. While exact numbers may vary, estimates suggest that around 12% of Duke University's undergraduate students identify as Jewish, translating to several hundred individuals. This makes Duke one of the top universities in terms of Jewish student population, fostering a diverse and vibrant Jewish presence on campus.

Duke University has a Jewish student population of 12.7%

The university is ranked in the top 60 colleges by Jewish population and has a Hillel Rabbi/Senior Jewish Educator on campus. The Jewish Life at Duke organisation provides a home away from home for students, offering a welcoming community for students to explore their identity, celebrate their culture, and engage with Judaism. The organisation is guided by a mission to empower Jewish students to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually, inspire and nurture personal paths to Jewish identity, and cultivate community and friendship.

The Jewish Life at Duke organisation comprises the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, and takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and included. The organisation provides kosher dining, religious services, Birthright Israel Participation, Alt Break Participation, and Jewish Studies.

The Jewish student population at Duke University has grown from 10% to 12% of undergraduates over the last five years.

Jewish Life at Duke offers kosher dining and religious services

Jewish Life at Duke offers kosher dining options and religious services to its students. Around 12-13% of the undergraduate student body at Duke University identify as Jewish, which is around 800 students. The Freeman Center for Jewish Life is the home of Jewish Life at Duke and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, and is open for tours during the academic year. The Freeman Center Cafe is a kosher establishment located in the Freeman Center and is under the supervision of Duke's Campus Rabbi, Rabbi Elana Friedman. It serves kosher deli classics, Mediterranean-inspired meals, and more, catering to various dietary restrictions. The cafe operates on a separate meat and dairy kitchen system and is open Monday to Friday, with Wednesday being dairy day.

Students can purchase meals at the Freeman Center Cafe using their Duke meal plans for weekday dining, and Shabbat and holiday meals are provided free of charge. The cafe also provides kosher catering for events. Duke's Campus Rabbi, Rabbi Elana Friedman, is a full-time staff member of Jewish Life at Duke and serves as the chief Jewish educator and spiritual leader of the campus Jewish community. She also supervises the kashrut of the kitchen and holds duties related to educating the campus community about Judaism and Jewish observances.

Jewish Life at Duke offers a range of programming, including community service projects, Jewish educational programs, cultural Israel programs, social gatherings, and holiday celebrations. They also offer support for Orthodox students, including ensuring they can move into their residence early so as not to move in on Shabbat, and providing resources for checking out keys for room/dorm access so they don't need to rely on electronic access during Shabbat and holidays.

Duke University has a Hillel Rabbi/Senior Jewish Educator

Jewish Life at Duke (JLD) is an accredited Hillel and a department within Duke University's Division of Student Affairs. JLD is guided by a mission to empower Jewish students to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually, inspire and nurture personal paths to Jewish identity, and cultivate community and friendship. JLD comprises the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel. It takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and included.

Rabbi Elana provides counselling for students, offers opportunities for Jewish learning, and serves as a liaison for Religious Life. She facilitates the observance of Jewish holidays, supervises the kashrut of the Freeman Center Cafe's kosher kitchen, and educates the campus community about Judaism, Jewish observances, and challenges facing the Jewish community, including antisemitism.

In addition to her duties as a rabbi, Rabbi Elana also holds leadership roles within the Duke Provost's Initiative on the Middle East, where she helps build bridges of understanding and constructive dialogue across campus. She has been recognised for her outstanding leadership and devotion to the Jewish campus community, receiving the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award from Hillel International in 2024.

Hillel International is the largest Jewish campus organisation in the world, and it serves Duke University. Hillel at Duke provides a welcoming community for students to explore their identity, celebrate their culture, and engage with Judaism. The organisation offers kosher dining options, religious services, Birthright Israel participation, alternative break participation, and Jewish studies courses.

Jewish students at Duke can participate in Birthright Israel

Duke University is home to a vibrant Jewish community, with a strong population of driven and devoted students. Jewish Life at Duke offers a diverse range of opportunities for students to explore their Jewish identity, celebrate their culture, and actively engage with Judaism. One notable initiative is the Birthright Israel program, which Jewish students at Duke can participate in.

Birthright Israel is an international program that offers young Jews between the ages of 18 to 26 (or 32, according to another source) a free 10-day peer group trip to Israel. The trip is geared towards Jewish students of all backgrounds, regardless of their upbringing, level of religious observance, or political leanings. It provides a unique opportunity to explore the historic, cultural, and religious landmarks of Israel, connect with other Jewish students, and create lasting friendships.

The trip is led by staff members from Jewish Life at Duke, ensuring a safe and educational experience. Participants get to hike mountains, taste new foods, and engage with Israeli culture and society. It is a chance to connect with Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and deepen one's Jewish identity. The trip also includes tours, hikes, and unique activities led by Jewish professionals, allowing students to experience Jewish history and Israeli culture firsthand.

To participate in the Birthright Israel trip, Jewish students at Duke must register with Birthright Israel and select the Jewish Life at Duke trip. They are required to submit a $250 refundable deposit to secure their spot. Additionally, they need to book a one-on-one interview with Jewish Life at Duke's Israel Fellow and accept the trip offer to finalize their participation. The trip usually takes place shortly after graduation, allowing students to return home by Memorial Day and start their summer plans.

Duke University's Jewish Life awarded the 2024 Meaningful Inclusion Award

Duke University's Jewish Life and the Center for Muslim Life have been awarded the 2024 Meaningful Inclusion Award by Duke Student Affairs. The award was presented at the annual Student Affairs award ceremony.

Jewish Life at Duke is an accredited Hillel and a department within Duke University's Division of Student Affairs. It 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. The Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel are both part of Jewish Life at Duke, which takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students are welcome and included.

Duke University has a strong population of driven and devoted Jewish students, with an estimated 810 Jewish undergraduates (12.7% of the student population). The university offers a range of services and resources for Jewish students, including religious services, a Hillel Rabbi/Senior Jewish Educator, kosher dining, and Birthright Israel Participation.

The award recognises the exceptional efforts of Jewish Life at Duke in supporting Jewish students and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish exploration and learning. The university's first female rabbi, Rabbi Elana Friedman, who joined the Jewish Life team in 2015, was also honoured with the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award by Hillel International in 2024. This award acknowledges her remarkable passion and dedication to the Jewish campus community.

The awards highlight Duke University's commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for Jewish students, where they can thrive and enrich both the Jewish community and the world.

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