FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Jewish Students are at Drake?
There is no way to take an exact count, as Drake does not require students to report their religion when they apply to Drake. But, the Hillel estimates there are approximately 150 Jewish students at Drake, including both undergraduate and graduate. We have normally have anywhere from 25 to 50 students attend the majority of our events.
What does Hillel do for Shabbat?
Hillel strives to provide Jewish life at Drake, by upholding Jewish traditions as much as we can. Hillel offers Shabbat dinners twice a month. All food is kosher, and is catered through the local kosher deli, or made in our kitchen. Some nights are more traditional, while others involve a particular theme (after all, who says we can’t have a Hawaiian themed Shabbat in the middle of February!?). Students will often lead an optional service before dinner. During other Friday evenings through out the semester (on nights which Hillel is not sponsoring dinner), local families often invite a group of students over for Shabbat dinner, and every local synagogue loves having Drake students attend their services. Please see the links page for synagogue contact information.
What does Hillel provide for students during Holidays?
Hillel Members Celebrating Hanukkah at our Annual Party
During Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, students are welcome at all of the community’s synagogues without tickets. Hillel helps to arrange carpooling for those without cars, so everyone can attend services as they’d like. We enjoy dinner before Rosh Hashanah evening services, as well as a large feast at a local restaurant before Kol Nidre, and a break-the-fast after Yom Kippur ends.
We also celebrate other holidays, including Sukkot (in Hillel’s own sukkah), Hanukkah(complete with a party), Purim, and Passover. One of Hillel’s biggest annual events is the first night Seder, which in recent years has been held in Old Main’s Levitt Hall. Local synagogues will often host students for community second night Seders free of charge or at substantially reduced rates.
Students are also encouraged to become involved by bringing new ideas to Hillel to help celebrate Jewish holidays! Hillel works with campus dining services to offer Kosher for Passover meals each year, as part of students’ dining plans. Information about this option is usually sent out in December or January.
How will I be kept informed of upcoming events?
The best way to stay in the loop is to simply stay involved! At each event, we will be able to provide information for future events.
Students are also encouraged to sign up on our email list. Each week, an email is sent out with different events and other relevant information. We also create Facebook events for all of our events. Be sure to like our Page to stay in the loop!