New home for Hillel completed

Reflecting 'kehillat Yisrael' -- the Jewish community -- the new Hillel center is open and awaiting the return of students to campus.

At roughly 36,000 square feet, the new $12 million Steinhardt Hall facility nearly doubles the space that the former Hillel location and Irv's Place, a kosher dining facility, had combined.

"The old building felt a little like a fortress.... The new building is open to the community," Executive Director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia Rabbi Howard Alpert said.

"It'll be convenient and it's gorgeous," College senior David Shyovitz said. "It takes your breath away just walking in."

Also on site is a rotating gallery of art, currently featuring a variety of mosaic pieces.

Praising the entire building for its artistic merit, Penn Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin attributed the building's appeal to "lots of light, lots of open spaces."

"Aesthetically, it's really quite wonderful," Brochin said. "I think it's been a hit with students."

Adding that furniture will be added to the terrace and a Hillel-run coffee bar will be opened, Brochin said the facility is meant to cater to those both inside and outside the Jewish community. The building has already been used in general resident adviser training and will hold several sessions of the Penn Reading Project.

"We really see Steinhardt Hall as a resource for the entire University," Brochin said.

Although the building is already in use, fundraising efforts have yet to match construction costs.

"It's not fully paid off," Alpert said, placing the remaining cost at over $1 million.

"It has important dedication opportunities within the building," he added, noting that funds will likely be generated in part through plaques and dedications inside the building.

A large portion of the funds used to construct the facility was a donation from Penn alumnus and financier Michael Steinhardt, who put up $2.5 million as a naming gift in May 2001. The gift helped move construction on the project forward after it had remained in the planning and fundraising stages for several years.

Jacobs/Wyper Architects of Philadelphia provided the designs for Steinhardt, while R.M. Shoemaker Co. and the Staubach Company have overseen the construction. The project was financed by Commonwealth Bank.

An official dedication ceremony for Steinhardt Hall is scheduled for late October.

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