For a first hand account, read below about the experience of Nancy and David Lerner, parents of Elissa. 

(You may also click here view in pdf form.)

Our friends, our family, even perfect strangers harangued us: Don’t send your child to Duke. It's in
the South! For a Jewish student, it's a wasteland! Elissa (T' 08) attended Duke. They all were wrong.

In considering Duke, we hoped that Jewishly Elissa would find an environment that was at once
familiar and comforting yet challenging and new.

We have come to realize over the years that among the reasons Duke is so remarkable -- particularly
for Jews -- is that within the uniform excellence of its student body, there is amazing diversity.
Elissa instinctively understood that from her very first visit, and it energized her. She found Jewish
students that had a similar background as hers (Jewish day school, summer camp and synagogue
life), to be sure, but she also found Jewish students from places she had never heard of who brought
a completely different Jewish experience with them. Duke nourishes an environment that offers its
Jewish students the freedom, the resources, and the sanctuary for this diverse group to build a
community together. The quite beautiful Freeman Center is that sanctuary, both literally and
figuratively. It is the place where Jewish students come to "do Jewish" with the same enthusiasm
they bring to their studies, their parties, and to their extracurriculars.

For her part, Elissa wanted to escape the insular Northeast Jewish scene, and consequently having
an active Jewish life was simply not on her radar. Initially, she made very sure that Freeman was
never on her way to or from anything. Slowly, gradually, she explored Freeman like she explored
everything. The lure of Freeman became evident as her involvement grew. (By the way, she
graduated as the Hillel president.)

So to help you with your own "advisors" at home, let's focus on the particulars:

Yes, Jewish Life at Duke is a "real" Hillel -- technically its name is the "Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel at Duke."

Yes, it has a full-time rabbi, a young and gifted leader with a surplus of ideas and the energy to match. 

Yes, there is kosher dining that is part of the regular student meal plan (indeed, many non-Jews come to the Freeman Center for the food (because, kosher food, as we all know, is just better and that in turn creates an even larger community).

Yes, there are Shabbat services (and students are encouraged to, and do, lead them) and services for the holidays that punctuate the Jewish calendar.

Yes, Jewish Life at Duke hosts seders during Passover and has kosher-for-Passover food. It also helps ensure that kosher alternatives are available to Jewish students at many University-wide
activities.

Yes, there are active Jewish and Israel-focused programs throughout the year, including some spent overseas.

Most importantly, Jewish parents need to know that the Duke University that accepts their child
academically when he or she applies, is the same Duke University that accepts their child Jewishly
once he or she arrives. It is a place where your student will find herself comfortable living, and
being, as Jewish as she wants to be, without judgment or coercion from her Jewish, or non-Jewish,
peers. It turned out that Duke was exactly what we hoped for, from a Jewish perspective, for Elissa.
And that is exactly what she got.

If you would like to speak to the parent of a current student, contact jewishlife@duke.edu