SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– Hillel of San Diego, a local non-profit organization that provides opportunities for college students to participate in Jewish community, dedicated the Melvin Garb Hillel Center on Sunday, Oct. 12. The new LEED Gold certified building serves as the center for Jewish life at San Diego State University (SDSU) and is the first modern Hillel facility in San Diego.
The dedication ceremony honored Herbert J. Solomon, an alumnus of SDSU, past president and longtime member of the board of directors of Hillel of San Diego, as the inaugural recipient of the Hillel of San Diego Luminary Award. The award recognizes outstanding Jewish individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to Hillel of San Diego and to Jewish and civic organizations in San Diego.
The lead gift of $2.5 million was generously donated by the Melvin Garb Foundation, which supports Jewish causes throughout San Diego County. The Garb Foundation along with 50 other individuals and foundations have contributed more than $7.4 million toward the $9 million campaign so far. Opportunities are still available to dedicate spaces in the building.
“This project is an important investment in the community,” said Stephen Cohen, President of the Melvin Garb Foundation. “It will ensure that Jewish students at SDSU will have a place to thrive and connect with their Jewish heritage for decades to come.”
“This is an exciting moment for the San Diego Jewish community,” said Herb Solomon. Solomon has led the effort to raise the funds to build the new center. “It is a testament to the strength of Hillel’s lay leadership, professional staff, students and the San Diego Jewish community that Hillel at SDSU has thrived during the past 30 years despite its inadequate facilities. The new center will provide a permanent space and a vital hub for Jewish students at SDSU – a place in which they can take enormous pride.”
“It has been a long-held dream for many SDSU alumni and community leaders to build a new home for Hillel,” said Jackie Tolley, Hillel’s Campus Director at SDSU. Tolley has spent the past 36 years in her role leading the transformation of Hillel at SDSU into a vibrant organization. “A modern facility has been our missing piece. It’s going to make an enormous difference in programming and activities for the students.”
Hillel opened the new facility in April in time for the Passover holiday. Located just a short walk from the center of campus in the redeveloped Lindo Paseo corridor, the Melvin Garb Hillel Center is quickly becoming a popular spot for student activities. It offers plenty of flexible space to accommodate a wide variety of activities.
The prominent architectural firm, MW Steele Group Inc. designed the 10,500 square-foot, state-of-the-art building with large modern meeting rooms, coffee bar, game area, upscale outdoor space, and a banquet room for special events served by a full kosher kitchen.
The project’s environmental design complies with the City’s Sustainable Building policy and has achieved LEED Gold certification. The project incorporates renewable energy in the form of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, which will supply more than thirty percent of the on-site energy demands.
Hillel of San Diego, accredited by Hillel International, serves Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at institutions of higher education across San Diego County. Students from all backgrounds are invited to participate in Jewish life on campus. Social, cultural, educational, and community service programs provide opportunities for students to build relationships with each other and develop Jewish community. Hillel’s mission is to be a vibrant Jewish campus presence and to involve the maximum number of university-age Jews in ways that foster a lasting commitment to Jewish life.
*
Preceding provided by Hillel of San Diego, www.hillelsd.org.