Wake Forest University

Explore Wake Forest University Hillel

Hillel is the Jewish Student Organization for Wake Forest University (WFU). The purposes of Hillel are to serve the social, cultural and religious needs of the Jewish students at WFU and to improve the understanding of Jewish culture and Judaism among the students, faculty, and staff of the university. In the last few years, the number of Jewish students attending Wake has grown rapidly, with our listserv more than doubling, and UG Jewish student enrollment increasing to totals between 300-350. With the increased enrollment, WFU has hired a Director of Jewish Life, who provides pastoral leadership to Jewish students, staff, and faculty including opportunities for worship, prayer, mentoring, and counseling. Programming includes social gatherings, such as bagel brunches or pizza socials, holiday & Shabbat dinners, On-Campus Rosh Hashanah Services, Sukkot meals, Shabbat programs for Homecoming and Parents weekend, Prospective Jewish Student weekend/Shabbaton, Judaism 101 courses, Passover Seders, Purim carnival, Israel Education Week, Israel-Birthright trips (through NC Hillel), and guest speakers. Hillel is also engaged actively in interfaith programming and is a partner in the President's Interfaith Youth Corps Challenge. Academically, WFU has an interdisciplinary Jewish Studies minor. The Divinity school offers classes in Biblical Hebrew that can be used to fulfill language requirements. On the graduate level, WFU offers Law and Medical students the opportunity to attend Hillel functions. Jewish students are involved actively in Greek life, including the Jewish fraternity AEPi. Wake Forest University is an NCAA Division 1 school, and there are several Hillel members who play in Varsity and club sports.