New School Year, Growing Student Communities — and New Hillel Buildings to Match!
Hillels have been a home away from home for Jewish students for more than a century, and since October 7, those spaces have become even more important. As Jewish students head back to school for the fall semester, they’re looking forward to reconnecting with the Hillel communities that make Jewish life on campus so special.
Across the country, Hillels are outgrowing their current spaces and are breaking ground on new ones. Donors are providing unprecedented financial support for new and expanded Hillel buildings, showing a powerful commitment to Jewish life on campus.
We’re excited to see these new projects come to life. Explore some of the recent building projects at Hillels across the country:
Cornell University
Cornell University has been the only Ivy League university without a dedicated standalone Hillel building — until now! In spring 2026, the Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community at Cornell will break ground on a brand new building dedicated entirely to Hillel and the Jewish campus community.
“The new Hillel building will be a place for Jewish students to gather, celebrate, explore their identity, and connect with each other,” Rabbi Ari Weiss, CEO of Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell, told the Cornell Sun. “Most importantly, it will be a home — a place where they can find themselves, find support, and belong.”
A $54 million fundraising campaign is underway to support the project, with a goal of receiving support from 1,800 donors. The campaign will include $30 million for construction and $24 million for an endowment to support staff, programming, and building care. To date, $36 million has been raised from over 1,200 donors.
Maya Weisberg ’26, President of Hillel, told the Cornell Sun, “Cornell’s campus is vibrant, but it’s also big — for many Jewish students, something is missing: a true home. This new Hillel building is designed to be just that.”
University of Maryland
Maryland Hillel has been supporting University of Maryland’s Jewish students for 85 years. One of the largest Jewish campus communities in North America, Maryland Hillel has been making the most of a building that the community has long since outgrown. Last fall, they broke ground on a new home that will see them through many more years to come — with a goal of opening in 2026.
The new Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Hillel Center For Jewish Life at University of Maryland (RHC) will be a 40,000 square-foot building in College Park. In addition to spaces for gathering, programming, prayer, and study, the RHC will include a kosher dining area, café, rental catering spaces, and classrooms.
“As someone who has had the privilege of leading Maryland Hillel for over 20 years, I am deeply moved by this milestone,” said Rabbi Ari Israel, executive director of Maryland Hillel, in a press release.” “This groundbreaking is not just about building a new physical space; it’s about expanding our home and sense of community.”
American University
This May, American University Hillel launched a $7 million campaign to fund a permanent space for their community. They’ve already raised over $4 million toward their goal, including a leadership gift from the David and June Trone Family Foundation. AU Hillel’s new home, the Trone Family Center for Jewish Life, will allow the organization to meet the evolving needs of their 1500 Jewish students as never before.
“Campus spaces are central to fostering student well-being and a shared sense of belonging,” the Trones said in a press release announcing the campaign. “In supporting this new initiative, it is our hope that the Trone Family Center for Jewish Life will serve as a gathering and resource home for AU Hillel and its campus programs and partnerships.”
Jason Benkendorf, Executive Director of AU Hillel, noted that this effort comes as student involvement has more than tripled over the past several years. “Jewish students are flocking to our Hillel in unprecedented numbers, and we’re so excited to establish a new center in which students can experience vibrant Jewish community and enriching programs,” he said.
Brandeis University
This year, Brandeis Hillel announced a $20 million project to renovate Kutz Hall, a former administrative building, into a new, 28,000-square-foot center for Jewish life on campus.
“Brandeis was founded as a university where Jewish students and scholars could thrive,” said Brandeis University Interim President Arthur Levine. “This is a milestone moment for us. The new Hillel building is critical to our advancement as a university rooted in Jewish values and committed to community and excellence.”
In addition to gathering and event spaces, the new space will include student lounges, a Beit Midrash, a rooftop deck, and offices for Hillel staff and educators.
“This is a statement about who we are and where Brandeis is going,” Rabbi Seth Winberg, executive director of Hillel at Brandeis, said in the press release announcing the project. “Students today need more than programming — they need community, mentorship and a place to call home. This renovation will give them more of that.”
University of Delaware
This October, Hillel at the University of Delaware will break ground on a new state-of-the-art Jewish student center this October, after raising $8.5 million toward their $12 million goal — a development that can’t come soon enough for a Jewish student population stretching the seams of their current program space.
“[Our building] is lovely, comfy, and cozy, but we outgrew it probably 25 years ago,” said Donna Schwartz, executive director of Hillel at UD. “It was built for a school of 5% Jewish population, and now, being at 13%, it just doesn’t hold us any longer.”
Schwartz credits the school’s blossoming Jewish population in part to the rising profile of its academic programs, but ultimately, it’s Hillel’s impact that has made it such a home away from home for Jewish students. Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, reinforced that point when he joined Hillel at UD at the campaign kickoff event for the project.
“We know from our work at the University of Delaware and campuses across the country just how important it is for Jewish students to have dedicated, welcoming spaces where they can fully express their identities, engage in Jewish life and find community,” Lehman said. “This new facility will ensure that Jewish Blue Hens have an amazing place to call home for decades to come.”
Oklahoma University
Oklahoma Hillels has been without a dedicated space since 2023, when their previous building was closed due to safety issues. However, there was no question about whether they would rebuild. “We’ve been on campus since 1943, and suddenly we weren’t,” Kasi Shelton, executive director of Oklahoma Hillels, told OU Daily. “It was important for us to continue to support Jewish students on campus while nurturing student leaders and community.” With that in mind, Oklahoma Hillels has raised $6.4 million to date for capital costs and to enhance its endowment.
Scheduled to open in time for the fall 2025 semester, the new 6,000 square foot building will feature multi-use and flexible spaces designed for gatherings, religious celebrations, community programming, providing study spaces, and offering a safe and warm place for students to simply hang out. Built with environmental sensitivity, the new facility will have a near-zero carbon footprint.