The Chronicle

Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: News
Last update: 3/22/07 at 5:35 AM EST

With students noshing on Kosher Pauly Dogs on the West Campus Plaza and kicking off their Friday nights with some Manischewitz at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life, Jewish culture is infused into a typical day for many Duke students-and not just Jewish ones.

Although the 650 undergraduates at the University who identify themselves as Jewish may make up only 10 percent of the overall student body-a much smaller fraction than at some of Duke's peer institutions-the vibrant and active Jewish community has cemented Judaism's place among the most prominent religious groups on campus.

Opened in 1999 to house religious services and serve Shabbat dinners, the Freeman Center has given Jewish life a home base.

The newly dedicated Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel-an organization that plans activities and programming-has also encouraged Jews and non-Jews alike to familiarize themselves with the religion.

Several peer universities have far higher numbers of Jewish undergraduates-3,000 at the University of Pennsylvania, 2,000 at Harvard University and 2,000 at Columbia University, making up a third, a third and a quarter of those institutions' overall undergraduate student bodies, respectively.

But even with relatively low numbers, Jewish students at Duke have succeeded in creating a vibrant community on campus, senior Adam Laker, president of the Hillel Student Board, wrote in an e-mail.

"Duke has traditionally had lower numbers than peer institutions for a multitude of reasons, both historical and geographic," Laker said. "It is important to recognize that the number of Jewish students is exactly that, just a number, and does not speak to how active or involved in the community a student may be. [The Office of Undergraduate Admissions] has done a fantastic job in accepting diverse students who embrace their identity while matriculating at Duke."

Because a department for Jewish life exists within the Division of Student Affairs, frequent interaction between Jewish students and other campus groups is common, said Rebecca Levenson, assistant director for Jewish life.

"We're viewed as a peer by other departments on campus, and it gives us access to university resources in a way that most Hillels don't have," she said.

Henry's Place, located in the Heyman Dining Hall in the Freeman Center, serves free Kosher dinners to students with a freshman meal plan Monday through Thursday, and a free Shabbat dinner to all students on Friday.

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools