Our History
A Hillel Timeline
2023 - Present Day
Cornell Hillel was reincorporated and renamed as the Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community at Cornell as we embark on a historic $54 million capital campaign to build the first stand-alone Hillel building at Cornell and to strengthen Hillel's program for the next century of Jewish Cornellians.
Today, Grinspoon Hillel engages over 2,000 Cornell students a year in Jewish campus life and is staffed by a dozen Jewish professionals, rabbis, and educators.
1998
The Yudowitz Center for Jewish Campus Life inside Anabel Taylor Hall is launched. The Yudowitz Center empowers Jewish life at Cornell and was dedicated in recognition of Bernard (z"l) and Evelyn Yudowitz's transformative investment in Jewish campus life.
1952
On October 26, 1952, Anabel Taylor Hall was dedicated as the new center for Cornell United Religious Works, with a chapel designed to be religious, but nondenominational.
Rabbi Morris Goldfarb in front of the revolving altar in the Anabel Taylor Hall Chapel, that included a Jewish side, a Christian side, and a nondenominational side purposely devoid of symbolism.
Rabbi Goldfarb served as Cornell Hillel Director from 1948-1980.
Cover of Cornell Alumni News
(May 1, 1952)
1941
"The Hillel Handbook"
published by the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation
1930 - 1933
1930
This clipping from a historical student scrapbook announces the first entire religious service given by students at Cornell planned for Friday, April 18th 1930.
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It mentions that the sermon would be delivered by Saul R. Kelson '30, President of the Hillel Foundation, and a recently-organized Hillel Chorus would lead the congregation in responses and hymns.
1931
1933
Cornell Daily Sun (March 3, 1933)
This clipping from historical student scrapbooks gives a glimpse of Jewish life on campus in 1931.
An article with a heading, "Fraternities To Conduct Friday Evening Services" details six fraternities that desired to take part in a series of fraternity-conducted Shabbat services.
Another, titled, "Wise Praises Zionists In Open Forum Address," discusses Doctor Wise's visit to campus where over 1,300 people heard him speak on the history of Zionism.
1929
The first Hillel was founded in 1924 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Five years later, the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Cornell University was established and became one of the first Hillels in the nation.
Temple Beth-El on the intersection of Toga and Court Streets in Ithaca, NY, ca. 1930s.
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Cornell Alumni News Vol. 31, No. 23
(March 7, 1929)
It would be another ten years before Hillel would expand beyond an initial 12 universities. Today, over 550 campuses in 17 countries are served by a Hillel.