The University’s new campus rabbi has wide-ranging work experience: everything from banking to grassroots lobbying, database development and management and, of course, Jewish leadership.
Senior Deena Cowans, president of Duke Hillel, knew Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz long before he arrived to Duke—the rabbi was once a counselor at her summer camp. Now, as the leader of the Jewish campus organization, Cowans will work closely with Yoskowitz.
“I’ve known him for years,” Cowans said.
The University’s new campus rabbi has wide-ranging work experience: everything from banking to grassroots lobbying, database development and management and, of course, Jewish leadership.
Senior Deena Cowans, president of Duke Hillel, knew Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz long before he arrived to Duke—the rabbi was once a counselor at her summer camp. Now, as the leader of the Jewish campus organization, Cowans will work closely with Yoskowitz.
“I’ve known him for years,” Cowans said. “I think he’ll bring his experience working as a camp counselor and working at a day school to be more personable when working with students.”
Senior Aaron Dmiszewicki, executive vice president of Duke Hillel, said Yoskowitz reminds him of former Campus Rabbi Michael Goldman, especially for his open-mindedness and willingness to pursue interfaith work. Yoskowitz officially took over for Goldman on Aug. 2 after Goldman left to become assistant rabbi at the Temple Israel Center in White Plains, N.Y.
For Yoskowtiz, programming is not just limited to Jewish students—he said he hopes to work with several other religious and nonreligious groups on various projects.
A few weeks ago, Yoskowitz met with Abdullah Antepli, Duke’s Muslim chaplain. In the long-term, Yoskowitz said he and Antepli hope to lead a Jewish-Muslim trip to Israel and Turkey in order to facilitate interfaith engagement and demonstrate similarities between the two groups.
“[Antepli and I] have the opportunity to literally engage students... where they live,” Yoskowitz said. “The faiths on campus have so much more in common than different, and sharing that respect is a lot of fun.”
Before coming to Duke, Yoskowitz served as campus rabbi at the Solomon Schechter Academy in Dallas, Texas. There, he mentored elementary and middle school students and was responsible for much of the school’s programming.
“I’ve spent a tremendous amount of my life working with college-aged students,” Yoskowitz said. “It’s always exciting working with people who are in a place working on exciting new things and becoming more than who they already are.”
Yoskowitz, 34, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1997 with degrees in psychology and Jewish and near eastern studies. In 2008, Yoskowitz was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theology Seminary in New York where he also received a master’s degree in Jewish Education.
“I think he’ll be a great campus-wide spokesperson for Jewish life, a terrific counselor and chaplain to individual students, a strong administrator in support of the broader [Jewish life] needs and just a person to friend, know and engage,” Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta wrote in an e-mail Tuesday.
Director for Jewish Life Rebecca Simons said Yoskowtiz brings a unique skill set to Duke given his past experience in various occupations.
“Rabbi Yoskowtiz brought with him a variety of experience that we thought was incredibly important for Duke students and the Duke community,” Simons said.
Yoskwitz said he looks forward to building on a “home away from home” environment at Duke by getting to know students on campus and sponsoring and attending events.
This week, Yoskowitz said he is focusing on the High Holy Days—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—adding that he hopes to attract Jewish students from all religious denominations and teach them more about leading Jewish lifestyles.
“I’m trying to engage students at all levels,” he said. “One of my main roles and goals is the facilitation of student empowerment. While I’m happy to lead services, I’m happy when students come in and take charge.”
Yoskowitz also feels he will have several opportunities to bring various faiths together and demonstrate the importance of religious groups on campus.
“I’d heard about things going on here—how the [Jewish] campus continued to expand... with a Hillel only 11 years old,” Yoskwotiz said. “Part of the joy is that working at a college campus is an amazing, energetic environment. People want to explore things…. To develop that and having to be a part of that is exciting.”
Taylor Doherty contributed reporting.
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