When Hillel at Syracuse University came to campus 60 years ago, it called the basement of Hendricks Chapel home.

It wasn’t until 2003 that the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life, the organization’s current building, opened after an alumni donation.

The Winnick Center is only one of the most recent changes for Hillel, the central organization for Jewish students at SU. The group began celebrating its 60th anniversary on campus earlier this month, and on Tuesday will host the Eternal Light Gala Award Dinner, a formal gathering in New York City. The event will include a performance by College of Visual and Performing Arts students and presentations commemorating Hillel’s anniversary.

‘Being a part of Hillel is not just a Jewish experience, it’s a human experience,’ said Lowell Lustig, the executive director of SU’s Hillel who headed a campaign to build the new center. ‘We want this to be a place where all students can feel free to come and spend time with friends.’

Hillel first came to SU in response to the university’s growing Jewish student population, said Brian Small, Hillel coordinator of programming. SU was one of the few universities at the time that had a welcoming attitude toward Jewish students. Due to this welcoming attitude, in addition to the support of two nearby synagogues, Hillel was formalized at SU.

Throughout the rest of the 20th century, the organization grew in size, at one point becoming the largest Hillel chapter in the nation. Small said he believes Hillel will continue to bring quality programs to campus and, by doing this, increase student involvement.

The first Hillel center in the nation was established in 1923 at the University of Illinois, according to Hillel’s national website. Today, Hillel is the largest collegiate organization for Jewish students in the world, with more than 500 chapters internationally, from South America to Syracuse, according to the website.

Hillel’s purpose on the SU campus is to provide a nurturing community for Jewish students, Small said. It also looks to provide engaging programming that will attract students — both Jewish and non-Jewish.

In addition to offering an annual summer Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel, SU’s chapter is working with a consultant from national Hillel headquarters on a five-year strategic plan to expand and connect with more students on campus, Lustig said. Hillel just received a grant from the Hillel national office to hire student interns next year to help carry out this five-year plan.

In the past, Hillel has struggled with issues such as space and involvement. But with the creation of the Winnick Center, the campus group has come a long way since its days in the basement of Hendricks.

‘When the building opened, we saw the true potential for Hillel,’ Small said.

For many students who have been involved in their synagogues or Jewish life at home, they want the opportunity to maintain this involvement in college, which is what Hillel provides, Small said. Hillel acts as a second home for many of the students involved, he said.

Michael Weiss, student president of Hillel, said it has become the place he views as home at SU.

‘Some students find their home in their fraternity or sorority, some in their sports teams,’ Weiss said. ‘For me, Hillel has become my place at SU.’

Chelsea Wagner, former social action vice president for Hillel, has been involved with Hillel since attending FreshFest, the Hillel pre-orientation program, before her freshman year.

‘I met many of my closest friends through Hillel, and even more friendly faces to smile at around campus,’ Wagner said.

Wagner also credits her former position on the Hillel student board with offering her the ability to give back to Hillel. It is worth the responsibility of serving on the board to give back to an organization that has given her so much, she said.

For the future, Weiss said he would like to see Hillel connect with all the Jewish students on campus.

‘We know that there are almost 3,000 Jewish students on this campus,’ Weiss said. ‘And there’s no reason that we shouldn’t be reaching all of these students.’

dspearl@syr.edu

Published on April 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Diana: dspearl@syr.edu | @dianapearl_