New York Construction Report staff writer
The Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community at Cornell has broken ground on a new Jewish student centre, a 24,000-sq. ft. building that supporters say will strengthen Jewish life at Cornell University for generations.
The building, known as Harkavy Hall, will become the Ivy League university’s first dedicated Hillel facility. Although Jewish student programming has been active at Cornell since 1929, it is currently the only Ivy League school without a designated Hillel building.
“This building is decades in the making, but what it represents goes far beyond bricks and mortar,” said Rabbi Ari Weiss, chief executive officer of the Cornell Hillel center. “At a moment when Jewish students across the country are looking for places to belong, we’re building a home that will stand for generations.”
The project is part of a $54-million capital campaign led by the center. The project team includes:
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Architect: Goody Clancy (Boston)
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Civil engineer: Fagan Engineers (Elmira, N.Y.)
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Landscape architect: Whitham Planning and Design (Ithaca, N.Y.)
“This new centre will ensure that tradition continues for generations to come,” said Michael Kotlikoff, president of Cornell University, describing the campus as home to a long-standing and engaged Jewish community.
Plans for Harkavy Hall include a Beit Midrash for Torah study, classrooms, a lounge and communal kosher kitchen, as well as Herb’s, a kosher café. The facility will also feature study rooms, a rooftop deck and a large multipurpose hall capable of hosting Shabbat dinners for about 230 students.
Student leaders said the building will create a permanent home for a community that has grown steadily despite lacking dedicated space.
“I’ve seen how much our community can accomplish even without a standalone space,” said Noah Bodner, the centre’s student president. “Breaking ground on a building that future Cornell students will call home is a testament that Jewish life at Cornell matters.”
The fundraising campaign also aims to reach about 1,800 donors and establish an endowment to support programming and staffing.
“We’re honored to support this campaign and even prouder of what this building will mean for every Jewish student who walks through its doors,” said Steven K. Grinspoon, whose family name is attached to the centre.
Each year the Cornell Hillel organization brings together more than 3,000 Jewish and non-Jewish students for educational programs, Shabbat and holiday events, and community activities. Leaders say the new building will allow the organization to expand offerings such as cooking classes, larger Shabbat dinners and additional cultural programming.
“This amazing new center will give Jewish Cornellians a special place to gather, grow and build relationships that last long after graduation,” said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International.
