Opening Weekend at New Hillel House
The new Hillel House, Muhlenberg’s most recent campus renovation, is complete, and the community celebrates its opening this weekend.Thursday, February 24, 2011 11:45 AM
Hillel, which is the largest student organization on campus, will now be situated in a building that has more than doubled in size.
Shortly after Commencement 2010, construction began on the new Hillel House due to the overwhelming number of students who were attending events. The new house includes a Shabbat Dinner Hall with seating for over 300 people, a dedicated sanctuary, an institutional kitchen, a student-designed lounge and additional student and staff office space. The new space also includes a smart classroom with computer and laboratory facilities as well as an updated resource room for small conferences and meetings.
Schedule of events:
Saturday, February 26
- Seudat Shilishit - “the third meal” – Seegers Union’s Event Space, 3 p.m..
The service will be led by Jason Bonder ’07. Since leaving Muhlenberg, Bonder has completed his master’s degree in Jewish Studies at The Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently a rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pa.
- Havdalah service and dedication ceremony – Hillel House, 7:30 p.m.
The house will be dedicated during a Havdalah service – a tradition which marks the end of the sacred time of Shabbat. The ceremony is short, using all the senses (taste, smell, speech, hearing, and sight) to define the boundaries between Shabbat and the other days of the week. Assisting with Havdalah will be Dr. Ira Stanley Porter '71 and his son Andrew '12, whose presences are symbolic of the theme of the new house: L'Dor V'Dor – “from generation to generation.” Joining them will be Wayne Firestone, president of Hillel International, and Alex (Frommer) Schnitzer '02, who was the Hillel president when the original 2238 Chew Street house was dedicated.
Sunday, February 27
- Bagel Brunch – Hillel House, 11 a.m.
