About Us

Thank you for your interest in Wake Forest's Hillel, our Jewish Student Organization. The purposes of the Hillel are to serve the social, cultural, and religious needs of the Jewish students at Wake Forest University and to improve the understanding of Jewish culture and Judaism among the students, faculty, and staff of the university.

Currently the JSO/Hillel has approximately 125 student members and roughly 40 faculty members. In the last few years, the number of Jewish students attending Wake has grown rapidly. The fall semester is packed with Holidays, and the spring semester is usually spent on charity, fundraisers, Holocaust Memorial Day / Israeli Independence Day, and Passover. It ends up averaging to at least a couple events per month.

International Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life provides opportunities for Jewish students to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of over 500 regional centers, campus Foundations and Hillel student organizations. Hillel is working to provoke a renaissance of Jewish life.

History

Wake Forest began a Jewish Student Organization in 1997 with a handful student members. Over the years, Wake Forest University Hillel has flourished into a functional part of Wake Forest’s religious life. Faculty, staff, and students are all an integral part of our organization.

Wake Forest University Hillel is affiliated with the NC Hillel regional organization. North Carolina Hillel is based at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and serves Jewish students at campuses across the state. North Carolina Hillel forms the foundation for Jewish campus life and supports a variety of events and activities that Wake frequently participates in. Such events include Statewide Shabbat services, meeting with Jewish artists and Israeli political figures, charity work, trips to national Jewish museums, and many events.

Students in our organization are empowered to take responsibility for their Jewish identity, whether they wish to participate in a community service project, express themselves artistically, participate in a social event, engage in informal Jewish learning or attend religious services. Any student may participate in Hillel, as no membership is required. Hillel is committed to a pluralistic vision of Judaism that embraces all movements.