Hillel Breaks Ground on First Jewish Student Center at University of Rochester
For more than 70 years, students at the University of Rochester have built a thriving Jewish community at Hillel without a dedicated space to call their own. Last week, they began a new chapter as URochester Hillel broke ground on the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life, made possible by a landmark pledge of $3.5 million from alum David Greenbaum, class of ’73, and his wife, Laureine. Their generous investment will create a space for students to celebrate their identity, make lasting friends, find belonging, and learn how to shape Jewish life on campus and beyond.
“Some 10 years ago, I embarked on a dream to establish a dedicated space for Hillel on the University’s River Campus. As Theodore Herzl once said, ‘If you will it, it is no dream; and if you do not will it, a dream it is and a dream it will stay,’” said David Greenbaum. “To turn my dream into a groundbreaking today took an enormous amount of tenacity, perseverance, and willpower. My hope is that this dedicated center for Jewish life will be a beacon for peace, kindness, tolerance, and equality on the River Campus for generations of URochester students.”
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from University President Sarah Mangelsdorf, Board of Trustees Chair Chris Boehning, Hillel International President and CEO Adam Lehman, University of Rochester Hillel Executive Director Joy Getnick, and Greenbaum, who each spoke about the impact and joy this new building will bring for decades to come.
“Jewish life at Rochester is already vibrant, and the Greenbaum Center will empower students to create an even stronger community,” said Getnick. “Having this beautiful designated space will be transformational for Jewish campus life, ensuring students have a true Jewish home away from home to gather, learn, celebrate, and grow together.”
The center, which is expected to be completed next fall, will be housed on the second floor of a new 15,000-square-foot building for campus programs. Inside, students will have access to a Beit Midrash for Jewish learning, a kitchen for preparing and sharing meals, and space for Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, bagel brunches, cooking classes, game nights, and guest speakers.
It also will welcome the broader community to learn about Jewish culture and traditions, and serve as a resource for the nearly 16,000 Jewish residents of the greater Rochester area – creating a stronger bridge between Jewish life on campus and the community that surrounds it.
URochester is among several Hillels, including the Kristol Center for Jewish Life at University of Delaware, University of Maryland Hillel, Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell University, and San Francisco Hillel, focused on building or opening a new space or renovating an existing one this year. While each project is shaped by different needs and communities, they share a common purpose: investing in growing Jewish communities.
“Jewish students are turning to Hillel in record numbers,” said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International. “And what they are looking for is a place where they belong.”
Having a new, permanent home at Hillel will ensure more students build relationships, engage in Jewish studies and tradition, develop as leaders, and strengthen a connection to Judaism that can continue to grow after they leave campus. After all, a learning session can spark a life-changing conversation about Jewish identity. A student who walks through the doors looking for community can eventually become a leader who creates it. All of this is possible in a space built to sustain and expand Jewish life in Rochester.
“The Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life gives Rochester students that place, with room for Shabbat and holidays, learning, and the everyday gathering that turns a Jewish community into a home,” Lehman said. “David and Laureine have given Rochester students the welcoming space to shape Jewish life and to grow into the next generation of Jewish leaders and community builders.”