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Thank you to the alumni who have shared their memories with us.  We invite you to do the same here.

 

 

I was President of HIllel at Duke, 1955-56. We had Shabbos services in the Divinity School Chapel. I would get there early and put a folding screen in front of the cross. We never had an Oneg. Every few months, we had a lox and bagel brunch on a Sunday, and I would order the food from a Deli in Raleigh and pick it up at the Trailways Bus Station downtown. We have visited the Freeman Center and I got pleasure seeing my name on the Donor Board in the entrance. Today's students are so much more fortunate than we were.

 

Charles Becker ‘56

 

 

 

In the 1950's though there was no dedicated center such as the Freeman Center, Jewish life at Duke was active and vibrant. The Hillel organization worked with the Jewish students on Shabbat services, Sunday lox and bagel brunches and other activities.  Since there was no kosher deli in Durham during most of the 1950's food for the brunches was ordered from Baltimore.  The Conservative synagogue in Durham welcomed students for High Holiday services and many Durham Jewish families were very hospitable. I remember going to break-fast meals at the rabbi's home.

One facet of Duke Jewish life and Jewish population during the 1950's is that Jewish women were one of the minority populations at Duke. The Duke female population was about 25% of the Duke male population, so the Jewish women were absolutely in the minority. Any Jewish student who wanted to have a meaningful Jewish experience at Duke in the 1950's could do so and as I recall most of us did.

 

Charlene Nachman Waldman ‘58           

 

 

 

A FEW WEEKS AFTER I ENTERED DUKE I RAN FOR VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS. ON ROSH HASHONAH I RETURNED FROM SERVICES TO FIND OUT THAT SPEECHES AND ELECTIONS HAD BEEN HELD THAT DAY,VERY UNEXPECTANTLY.  NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS VERY UPSET, BUT AS A 17 YEAR OLD FROM A SMALL TOWN IN FLORIDA I WAS A LITTLE FEARFUL OF THOSE WHO HAD MADE THAT DECISION.  THEY APOLOGIZED, BUT THAT WAS IT. I NEVER RAN FOR ANYTHING AGAIN EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN THE FIRST FEMALE TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL IN OCALA AND THE FIRST JEWISH GIRL TO BE ELECTED AS GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA'S GIRL STATE.  I KNOW THAT TODAY I WOULD CERTAINLY SPEAK UP, BUT JUST THINK IF THERE HAD BEEN A FREEMAN CENTER - HOW DIFFERENT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN. AND YOU CAN TELL THT 50 YEARS LATER IT STILL BOTHERS ME!!!!

 

ROSLYN LEIBOWITZ WEINSTEIN   (BUNNY) ‘58

 

 

 

The Hillel office and the DIPEC group that we formed in 1984 were housed in the Chapel basement.  To think what a difference the Freeman Center has made gives hope to the future of a Jewish presence on the incredible Duke campus!  Keep up the great work...

 

Andrew Banoff ‘85

 

 

 

 

When I was a Duke undergraduate there was no Freeman Center.  There really wasn't even a Hillel.  So, my Duke friends and I walked to a temple just off East Campus for high holiday servies.  That's where we "scoped" other Jewish Duke students.  We used to return to our dorms and ask,"Did you know so and so was Jewish?"  I don't know if students today use the expression scoped.  But, back in the day it meant to check someone out.  While I am confident that checking fellow classmates out is still common practice, you all now have a much easier time of it with Freeman Center where you can also enjoy yourselves.  I suppose this is just one of many examples how Duke continues to evolve positively.

 

Jennifer Shore Fertig ‘85

 

 

I remember being invited, during my 1st year at Duke, as one of the two student representatives on the Building Commmittee for a new Center for Jewish Life.  The thought was that I would certainly see the fruits of my efforts by my senior year - 1991.  Clearly the estimates were a little off!  We worked with Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects. They had a gorgeous design, but the focus of hours of debate was whether or not to include a mikvah.  I learned a great deal about the inner workings of campus politics, about fund raising -- traveling to New York on one occasion on behalf of the Center, and about the joyful debates within Judaism about culture and religion.  Though the Freeman Center wasn't there during my years at Duke, I have great memories of Jewish life.  Perhaps most meaningfully, I was able to return to Duke in 1993 to lead the first Reform High Holy Day services. 

 

Mazal tov to all at the Freeman Center on this milestone anniversary.  From strength to strength.

 

Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker ‘91

 

 

 

 

As the High Holy Days approach, I find myself thinking about the Freeman Center and what a great place it was to celebrate the holidays. It's funny because before going my freshman year, I wished I could go home and celebrate with my family and felt like I would be going to services by myself by going to the Freeman Center. As soon as I got to the Freeman Center, though, I felt beyond comfortable and was amazed at how many people I knew there. I found the service to be so comforting, and I unexpectedly missed my classes the following day to stay for the entirety of the service! It's funny to think about that experience being four years ago now, and how much I grew to appreciate the Freeman Center.

 

Harley Gould ‘09