Blog

What started as a whisper in February, quickly became our new reality by March. 

Now, with only finals left in the fall semester, we can all reflect on the decisions and actions of students, faculty, staff, and the entire Duke community and know that we came together and made it work. It was not easy, and it certainly wasn’t without issue. Will everything go back to normal this spring? No. However, with impossible odds and improbable measures, we completed an in-person semester during a Global pandemic.

It would be irresponsible of me to not acknowledge the loss and heavy burden that has befallen so many because of COVID-19, and this reflection is by no means suggesting that this fight is over or that we have somehow succeeded.  

As families know, Parent and Family Programs hosted our first-ever virtual Family Weekend October 16-18 complete with 25 synchronous and 3 asynchronous events for guests to join. Overall, Family Weekend was a great success with over 2,300 attendees across these programs which focused on institutional priorities, signature programs, and current happenings. Also as part of Family Weekend, the Division of Student Affairs hosted its annual Duke Parents Advisory Council (DPAC) fall meeting.  

Jewish Life at Duke welcomed our students to the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year on August 14, 2020 with our first virtual Shabbat of the semester during Weeks of Welcome.

August 6, 2020

Recording: https://duke.zoom.us/rec/play/uZUsI-v5-Gg3G4eX5QSDBacqW46-Jqis0Ckfq_NcmEy1VnEHZgCvZORGZ7dRC5Y7iEgJ9agR5g6D5i-J

When Covid-19 presented us with the challenge of how to bring our programming to our students, the JLD team came up with JLD@Home to enable us to connect with our community no matter where they might be. See the offerings delivered via JLD@Home below:

At Jewish Life at Duke, one of our guiding principles is to meet students where they are and provide them a space to explore their Jewish identity. For some, Jewish Life at Duke is the place where they returned to, strengthened, or even discovered their connection to Judaism. Ben Thier '20 shares his (touching and funny!) story of finding that connection below:

A Blessing for the Class of 2020 by Kenny Green ’20, JSU President (2019-2020)

Felicia Lim is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Duke’s Molecular Cancer Biology program. She also participates in the Global Health Doctoral Certificate Program as she is interested in using her expertise in research to enter science diplomacy and global health fields.

Tell me a little about your journey and how you ended up at Duke!

Australia is the world's sixth-largest country by area and lies between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is made up of the Australian mainland, the island of Tasmania, and several smaller islands. The capital is Canberra, but the cities of Sydney and Melbourne are the economic and cultural centers.

Portugal lies on the Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. In the north, it is sparsely settled yet scenic, with wild and mountainous terrain. The south, on the other hand, is warm and fertile.