Despite plans, Hillel remains unchanged

More than a year ago the Hillel Foundation announced plans to tear down its current facility on 36th Street and erect an elaborate new building in its place. But though the demolition process was expected to begin this past summer, no physical work has been done to date. And it could be months more before anything happens with the project, according to officials, who would not specify what is delaying the process. Hillel has been battling space problems for quite sometime -- the organization renovated its current 11,000-square-foot structure in 1984, and created a Jewish Activities Center in the Quadrangle four years ago. When the rebuilding project was first announced in July 1999, the new structure was expected to more than double the size of the current building. The project's architectural firm, Jacobs/Wyper Architects, declined to comment on the current state of the plans, other than to say that a final decision on the building's design is expected by mid-October. Building plans are currently hanging in the Hillel entrance, but according to the architect these plans are out of date. Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Howard Alpert declined to comment other than to say that an announcement will probably be made within the next two months. Kosher Dining was moved two years ago to 4040 Locust Street, after its former location, which had also been home to the faculty club, was selected to house the Graduate School of Fine Arts. The rest of Hillel was expected to be moving to the 4040 Locust Street area as well during the period of demolition and construction. The new building, when it was announced a year ago, was supposed to include a 350-seat dining room, two auditoriums and student lounges, a larger library, a game room and two seminar rooms. A rooftop patio, space for small performances and more student and administrative offices were also being considered in the original discussions. The current Hillel building was built in 1930. Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin commented last year on the need for a new structure. "I think we're already a community that's busting out of the building," he said at the time. Hillel officials also said last year that they wanted the new facility to promote harmony and interaction between Jewish students of differing backgrounds. "[The new facility] will facilitate the blending of different communities," Alpert said last year. Brochin and Alpert both made visits to Hillel facilities at Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Tufts universities last year in order to gather ideas for the planning of Penn's new facility.