Historic Endowment for Jewish Life

The gift secures a full-time campus rabbi for generations

Duke Rabbi Elana Friedman pictured with student and the Torah
Rabbi Elana Friedman is Duke University’s longest‑tenured full‑time campus rabbi and Jewish chaplain. (Photo courtesy of Jewish Life at Duke.)

This is a summary of a story that originally appeared on MADE FOR THIS.

Duke University has received a financial gift from six donor families that will be used to establish the Jewish Life Rabbinic Fund.

The historic endowment from the donor families totaled $2.5 million, enabling the university to secure a full-time rabbi on campus for generations into the future.

“We were inspired to make this gift because Jewish Life at Duke helped shape our own Duke experience, and we believe deeply in its importance for future students,” said an anonymous alumni couple whose $1.25 million gift galvanized the initiative.

“At a time when Jewish students need both belonging and understanding, permanently endowing the rabbi position is one of the most meaningful investments we could make,” the couple added.

Rabbinic leadership at Duke began in 1941, when Rabbi Samuel Sandmel visited the campus eight hours each week to serve Jewish students. After Rabbi Sandmel’s service that year, the university was without a consistent rabbinic presence on campus until Rabbi Frank Fischer’s arrival in the 1980s, on a part-time basis.

Rabbi Fischer was instrumental in the expansion of programming for a vibrant and growing Jewish student community.

Duke did not have a full-time campus rabbi until 2000, and in 2015 heralded a new era of rabbinic leadership and stability with the arrival of Rabbi Elana Friedman, the university’s longest‑tenured full‑time campus rabbi and Jewish chaplain.

“Having a permanently endowed rabbi ensures that Jewish life at Duke will always have the spiritual and communal foundation it deserves,” said Tali Sigal, president of the Jewish Student Union, who will graduate in May. “The Jewish Student Union is deeply grateful to these families for making this commitment, especially at a moment when it matters most.”

To learn more about the historic endowment visit MADE FOR THIS.