Does anyone know what Jewish life is like as a student at Elon?

[rockvillemom]

<p>[E-net</a>! - Elon hosts conversation on growth of campus Jewish life](<a href=“http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=949053]E-net”>Elon University / Today at Elon / Elon hosts conversation on growth of campus Jewish life)</p>

<p>Parents, students, community leaders and Elon University administrators gathered Tuesday for a half-day conversation on the future of Jewish culture on campus as the number of Jewish students continues to grow and as the university embarks on a commitment to global engagement and diversity in its newest strategic plan.</p>

<p>Envisioning the Future of Jewish Life at Elon University II” follows a January 2008 gathering of the same name, a meeting nearly three years ago that resulted in the creation of a director of Hillel through the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, Elon University President Leo M. Lambert charged the students, parents, alumni and community leaders in attendance with planning for a Hillel House at Elon similar to the Newman Center occupied by Catholic students on South Campus.</p>

<p>Participants also discussed Hillel staffing and programming, recruitment and climate, and the impending campus multi-faith center. Some of the guests included Randall Kaplan, chair of the International Hillel Board of Governors; Glenn Drew, executive director of the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, N.C.; and Marilyn Chandler, executive director of the Greensboro Jewish Federation.</p>

[rodney]

<p>tx for posting rm…</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>[The</a> Pendulum - Elon Hillel sends messages of support to peers at Harvard](<a href=“Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan”>Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan)</p>

<p>On Friday, Dec. 3, a group of protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, an organization famous for its anti-gay, anti-Semitic protests at locations like schools and the funerals of US soldiers, held a demonstration outside the Hillel House at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Also present at this rally were signs and banners from the Hillel of Elon University.</p>

<p>When student leaders at Harvard found out about WBC’s planned protest, they reached out to other colleges and universities.</p>

<p>Last Monday, members of Elon’s Hillel gathered to answer the call, creating signs and banners, one of which was 15 feet long, to ship overnight to Harvard, The costs were underwritten by the Truitt Center for Spiritual and Religious Life.</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>[The</a> Pendulum - Various religious groups growing in number on campus](<a href=“http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=5006]The”>http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=5006)</p>

<p>

“Hillel at Elon is extraordinarily active given it is only made up of 100 students, currently,” she said.</p>

<p>Despite the small size of Hillel, an increased number of Jewish students are enrolling at Elon.</p>

<p>“The Jewish demographic is one of the fastest growing on campus,” Luberoff said. “The current freshman class is 8 percent Jewish.”

</p>

[Rex212]

<p>some guys are trying to get AEPi started</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>Hi Rex - yes - I have heard that. Very exciting news. We are bringing our son down to visit again very shortly - hoping to meet with some Hillel members at the same time.</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>[The</a> Pendulum - Students take steps toward establishing Jewish fraternity on campus](<a href=“http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=4989]The”>http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=4989)</p>

<p>

As the number of Jewish students attending Elon University grows, two freshmen are determined to play a role in the expansion of Jewish life on campus.</p>

<p>Mason Sklut and Garret Mann, from Charlotte, N.C., are in the beginning stages of establishing a Jewish fraternity on Elon’s campus.</p>

<p>“We figured if Elon is going to have a Hillel House in the next year and a Jewish studies minor, why not have a Jewish fraternity?” Sklut said.

</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>[The</a> Pendulum - Lack of funding creates uncertainty about completion of Multi-Faith Center](<a href=“Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan”>Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan)</p>

<p>Looks like the new multi-faith building may be delayed due to funding issues. My understanding is that the Truitt center will become exclusively for Hillel once this new building is complete. So - I guess this means the Hillel House is also on hold?</p>

<p>Anyone on campus have more info?</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>Back from Elon’s Junior Open House and a few tidbits for the Jewish community. First, the Multi Faith Center is still being built - big signs promoting it all over campus. Once it is complete - the Truitt building will become a dedicated Hillel House. Looks like maybr Fall 2013.</p>

<p>We met with a Hillel VP and one of the young men starting the AEPi chapter. Both very nice guys and very positive about Jewish life at Elon. The AEPi chapter has 10 members at present and does seem to be getting off the ground.</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>[The</a> Pendulum - Visiting professor to help in creation of Jewish studies program](<a href=“Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan”>Informasi Seputar Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan)</p>

<p>Creation of Jewish Studies program - Pendulum article - April 26th</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>

People of the Jewish faith are a tiny minority in Alamance County’s religious community, typically traveling to Greensboro or another out-of-town destination to worship.</p>

<p>There’s an exception, though, to the overall community profile. While Jewish students are a minority at Elon University, they are a rapidly growing part of the community there.</p>

<p>Jewish students will make up about 8 percent of this fall’s freshman class at Elon, up from 4 percent a few years ago, said Nancy Luberoff. She’s the director of Hillel at Elon.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/elon-44261-jewish-students.html[/url]”>http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/elon-44261-jewish-students.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Nice article from local paper - credit to Rodney for finding this one.</p>

[Joan52]

<p>Elon seems like it might meet some of my son’s criterion. He wants a school where he can wear shorts and sneakers year round, one that is not in a city, that has a student body about the same size as his sister’s school (5 - 6K) and that offers history and physics as study options.</p>

<p>I have one question on geography - how close is Elon to water? My son mentioned a new criterion recently. He would like to be near enough to the ocean/beach to visit once in a while. He loves the water and is an excellent swimmer.</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>Hmm - depends on your definition of “near”. It is close enough to the beach to make a weekend trip feasible - but not close enough for regular visits. There is a nice indoor pool though.</p>

[rodney]

<p>Joan: there is also a water-skiing club that visits a local lake (not sure which one) to practice…</p>

<p>apparently alot of kids head to the beach on the NC shore on long weekends…I’m thinking 3 hours maybe?</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>An impressive gift to Elon:</p>

<p>

A $250,000 endowment gift to the Ever Elon Campaign from The Levine-Sklut Family Foundation will significantly expand the university’s Jewish Studies program by establishing The Lori and Eric Sklut Emerging Scholar in Jewish Studies. This gift was made possible thanks to Elon parents Eric and Lori Sklut, of Charlotte, N.C.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=953835[/url]”>http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=953835&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[vicbythesea]

<p>I just noticed that the school received a gift to establish a Jewish Studies program. Check it out here.
[E-net</a>! - Campaign gift from Elon parents advances Jewish Studies program](<a href=“http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=953835]E-net”>Elon University / Today at Elon / Campaign gift from Elon parents advances Jewish Studies program)</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>Check this out! Elon is one of 6 schools featured in this article.</p>

<p>[Reform</a> Judaism Magazine - Admissions 105: Unexpected Welcomes](<a href=“http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2865]Reform”>http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2865)</p>

<p>

Elon University (NC)</p>

<p>The growth in the Jewish population at Elon University, in the town of Elon, was featured in the RJ Insider’s Guide to College Life in 2008, when nearly 4% of the freshman class was Jewish. The surge has continued; today, entering Jewish students constitute 7%. The university has committed to turning over a house on campus to serve as the Hillel center effective 2012, has hired its first rabbinic faculty member in Religious Studies, is offering a course in Modern Hebrew, is developing a Jewish Studies minor, and has established a study abroad program at Haifa University.</p>

<p>Before last Passover, the Hillel campus director and the special assistant to the president sent out a joint “Support during Passover” memo to the predominantly non-Jewish faculty and staff explaining that no wheat or rice products would be eaten by Jewish students; that free kosher-for-Passover lunches at the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life would be available on each day of Passover; that tickets for the campus-wide seder were available for purchase (and students in Global Studies classes were encouraged to attend as a cultural event). The letter closed with, “We greatly appreciate your continued efforts to make Elon a welcoming environment for all.”

</p>