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Uruguay Hillel Opens Its Doors
August 16, 2001Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friendAfter a summer of renovations, La Fundacin Para La Vida Universitaria Judia (The Foundation for Jewish University Life) has opened its doors in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Hillel Board of Governors Co-Chair Michael Steinhardt and Hillel Executive Vice-President Jay Rubin were in attendance, Co-chair Lynn Schusterman addressed the opening event by phone.
Just blocks from the beach and next door to a fashionable shopping mall, Uruguay Hillel is well situated to provide for the social and cultural needs of the 2,000 Jewish students in the capital city's three universities.
"Since most Jewish students live at home and commute to school, they do not have a place to explore their Jewish interests," explains Jay Rubin, executive vice-president of Hillel, who has spearheaded the project in the United States. "Uruguay Hillel will provide these students with the same opportunity to create a thriving Jewish student community enjoyed by students wherever Hillel Foundations are found."
The creation of Uruguay Hillel is remarkable both for its speed and for the partners it brings together. The idea to create the Foundation was first broached in Israel a year ago during a chance meeting between Uruguayan Jewish leader Marcelo Cynovich and Hillel International Board of Governors Co-Chair Michael Steinhardt during the inaugural birthright israel trip. Cynovich said that he wished to bring Hillel programs to the Jewish students of Montevideo. Hillel helped put together a partnership to fund Uruguay Hillel that includes Schusterman, Steinhardt, Hillel International Board of Governors Chairman Edgar Bronfman, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish community of Uruguay, and prominent South American Jewish philanthropists.
"It's pretty amazing," explained Rubin. "It's a testament to the hard work of a core group of dedicated Uruguayan Jewish leaders."
The building includes a caf, computer center, library, meeting rooms and a fitness center. The 4000-square-foot facility will host a variety of programming, from English language classes to Jewish learning, to social and community service programs.
Uruguay Hillel has hired Enrique Dreisis, a Uruguayan and Israeli Jewish activist and educator, to serve as the first director. Other staff includes a Spanish-speaking Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow and an Israeli shaliach. Student and lay leadership boards are in formation. Students, staff and lay leaders are learning Hillel's approach to creating a strong Jewish campus community through participation in Hillel's three conferences in the United States. Representatives of Uruguay Hillel were on hand when the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life Board of Directors granted their organization provisional Foundation status for two years at the March 2001 Board meeting.
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