Hillel is a welcoming place for all Jewish students

Jewish Life at Duke (JLD; Duke University’s Hillel) has been foundational to my past two years at this University. I have come to love Jewish Life at Duke for its commitment to supporting all students in developing their Jewish identity as well as creating an environment for open discourse on all things Jewish. 

Last year, I served on the Hillel International Student Cabinet; this year, I am its co-chair, and in that role, serve on the Hillel International Board of Directors. As a student heavily involved in American Jewish life, I have both a local and national perspective about how the Jewish community has been working to support Jewish students since October 7th. In this article, I share my perspective in a personal capacity.

This past year, the Jewish community at Duke has faced unprecedented challenges in exploring thoughtful dialogue around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The massacre of 1,200 Israelis committed by Hamas — a U.S. and E.U.-designated terrorist organization — on Oct. 7, 2023, and a subsequent intensive Israeli military response that has left thousands dead in the Gaza Strip, have understandably inflamed the Duke community on all sides. Throughout an ugly year of discourse, I have seen both Hillel International and Jewish Life at Duke maintain their commitment to serving all Jewish students while simultaneously remaining proudly Zionist organizations.

While some may say it is not possible to serve all Jewish students and be a Zionist organization, it is essential to understand why Hillels function with these guidelines and how they manage to achieve both of these goals.

First and foremost, the word “Zionist” has become a flashpoint, with people on our campus defining the word in many different ways. For the majority of American Jews, "Zionism" is the belief that the Jewish people have the right to a free and democratic state in Israel, the homeland and spiritual center of the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. This means that anti-Zionism is the movement against granting Jewish people statehood. While there have been many different discussions on what form Zionism would take over the past millennia, there is one glaring reality that must be addressed.

Since Zionism became a reality with the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948, the dichotomy of Zionism vs. Anti-Zionism is misleading today. Israel is no longer an abstract concept, but rather a modern nation.

An anti-Zionist Jew who feels that Hillels should disregard or reject Israel’s legitimacy in the world fails to understand the current state of Israel. Contrary to questions like Catalonian independence from Spain, or Kurdish nationalism, Israel’s existence is not an open question for critical discourse in academic spaces. Rather, Israel is a highly functional country in the Middle East that, since its rebirth as a modern nation 76 years ago, has existed as a conventionally and internationally recognized state. Israel is home to almost half of the world’s Jewish population who live and thrive in the region. Israel is also home to a 20% Arab population that, while facing relevant discrimination, receives the same rights as all other Israeli citizens. Like other countries, Israel provides schooling, health care, and social services. Israel has democratically elected mayors and Knesset (parliament) members who are accountable to their citizens. 

Most importantly, the citizens of Israel, Arab and Jewish, live established lives finding meaning in the place they are from. Israelis share an identity, a nationality, and a sense of self. Israel exists today and is a Jewish majority nation within its internationally recognized borders. Israel is a home to the many people that live there. Israel is not an idea, but a nation with real responsibilities that would be expected from any democratic government. It is entitled to the same legitimacy as any other country. 

Does Israel’s legitimacy invalidate Palestinian efforts for sovereignty — of course not. Does Israel face serious problems that should be discussed and debated — absolutely it does.Thus, when people and political leaders have serious disagreements with Israeli policy, their dialogue should be focused on addressing these serious issues, rather than dubious claims that the country simply should not exist. 

Hillels across the country recognize that their job is not to be a forum on which to discuss the destruction of nation states. Rather, Hillel’s mandate is to promote open discourse on Israeli politics, culture, and the foundational problems that Israel faces. All of these topics have been and continue to be discussed in the more than 20+ events Jewish Life at Duke has hosted or sponsored in the past year on the topic of Israel. 

Yet, even while Hillel International cannot platform an advocate for the destruction of Israel, they still will open their doors to every Jewish student — no matter their opinions. Hillel’s policy on student participation within the Israel guidelines states, "We encourage students’ inquiry as they explore their relationship with Israel. We object to labeling, excluding, or harassing any students for their beliefs and expressions thereof."

Thus, if an anti-Zionist Jew personally feels no connection to Israel, that is their prerogative. They can still attend any Jewish event they please. A beautiful part of the diversity of Jewish life on campus is that there are many events to choose from, created for people with all different opinions, religious, and cultural backgrounds. I attend many events hosted by JLD (or by JLD sponsored clubs) where the speaker does not match my ideologies. This programming is a part of functional, but respectful discourse. 

There is still a key difference between events that platform a diversity of opinions about Israel versus events that legitimize discourse on the destruction of Israel. With the former, I will likely walk out of it saying, "Oh, I disagree with that stance." With the latter, I will likely walk out thinking, "Oh, that person thinks the culture and life of the one Jewish state should be destroyed."

It has been my experience that Jewish Life at Duke is committed to supporting each student in their Jewish journey. From diverse, wide-ranging, and challenging conversations about the current war and the Israel-Palestine conflict, to the many programs that shine a light on the diversity of the Jewish community, I see JLD - and Hillels - opening their doors to all Jewish students. If you are a Jewish student who feels that you do not have a home at Duke, I encourage you to visit Jewish Life at Duke and see all that it has to offer. 

Zachary Patterson is a Trinity junior and a Robertson Scholar. He is also the co-chair of the 2024-25 Hillel International Student Cabinet. 

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