Jewish Student Union endorses Leah Abrams for Young Trustee

It is with great excitement that the Jewish Student Union has chosen to endorse Leah Abrams for Young Trustee. Her commitment to hearing the voices of undergraduate students, passion for building relationships and activism in supporting a stronger relationship between Duke and its neighbors have led us to our enthusiastic endorsement. We believe Leah’s vision is well suited for both the Jewish community and the Duke community at large.

We appreciate Leah’s commitment to lifting up the voices of others, especially in spaces where those voices struggle to find a platform to speak. Her experience as Opinion Editor of The Chronicle has given her insight and perspective on topics that Duke students care about. Her impressive work with the Duke Community Empowerment Fund, Legal Aid of Durham and leadership in student activist spaces on-campus show her understanding that actions speak louder than words. Leah’s commitment to staying engaged in campus affairs, personal connection to the Triangle and involvement throughout organizations on campus make us confident that she will do her best to represent student voices to the Board, even after her time as a student has concluded.

We were impressed by all four candidates and the genuine love for Duke each demonstrated through their experiences and visions. We were inspired by Maryam’s dedication to promoting inclusivity on campus, grateful for Ibby’s significant work advocating for the needs of low-income students and by Tim’s honest candor about the need to reimagine the role of the Young Trustee position. Still, as an organization that believes that building community is grounded in building strong and meaningful relationships, we believe Leah Abrams best exemplifies our mission and vision for making Duke a better place and will serve our community well on the Board of Trustees.

Signed,

Kenny Green, T’20, JSU President, on behalf of the 2019-2020 JSU Exec Board

Editor's note: Abrams is the opinion editor for The Chronicle. The Opinion section played no role in the Young Trustee endorsement process, as outlined in this year's endorsement policy. If your organization would like to submit an endorsement to The Chronicle, please read the policy.