With only several months at the University under his belt, Ari Dubin has already made himself at home as the new director of the Freeman Center for Jewish Life.
Dubin assumed his post July 1, after the University decided to assume more administrative control over the center and appointed former FCJL director Jonathan Gerstl as the University's first-ever executive director for Jewish life. While Gerstl focuses on the center's financial needs, Dubin will take care of the center's day-to-day operations and programming.
"Having a full-time director for the Freeman Center will allow me, as executive director, to focus on the big-picture vision of Jewish life at Duke and cultivate relationships with donors," Gerstl said. He added that Dubin's responsibilities will include advising and planning programs with the FCJL's student board and working on cross-cultural programming with other campus-life departments.
"Ari has a proven track record in budget management, overseeing a facility and supervising staff, as well as a strong knowledge of Jewish life and Jewish culture," Gerstl said. "He also has the ability to design and implement creative and diverse programs, which is quite an essential component to how we relate to Jewish students on campus and how we interact with the greater campus as a whole."
Dubin earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and a Master of Education degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has spent the last seven years working in the Jewish community in a number of different capacities, most recently at a Jewish community center in West Orange, N.J.
Dubin said he is not planning a major overhaul of FCJL programming.
"Much of what we will be doing this year will be improving on good things in the past and tweaking things we want to make better," he said. "We have a lot of potential here, and I'm not sure there's a reason to try to throw out the baby with the bath water."
One tweak Dubin has already made to FCJL programming is the new Shabbat program, which will provide free dinners after services every Friday night.
Dubin said he is also working on how to provide for the dietary needs of students trying to keep kosher, now that the University is no longer running a kosher dining plan out of the FCJL.
Livia Fine, FCJL Student Board president, said Dubin's transition into the role has been smooth.
"Students work well with Ari because he truly gives us ownership," Fine said. "One of the other board members told me the other day that although Ari has only been here for a little while, it feels as though he already knows more than any of us do."
Allowing students a voice in the direction the FCJL will take is one of the things both Dubin and Gerstl said is very important for the health of Jewish life on campus.
"Jewish life should be for and about students," Gerstl said. "Ari will be able to give the student leadership the necessary support to be successful in reaching out with the greater Jewish population."
Dubin said he will meet regularly with Fine to talk about upcoming programs and to gauge students' reactions to past events.
"The Freeman Center is very much a student-led organization," Dubin said.
Amanda Zimmerman, FCJL Student Board vice president, said Dubin has made it a priority to get involved with students and student programming.
"[He] has spent many late nights at the FCJL working to finish things that are important to students," she said.
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