Yesterday, a small group of community leaders left their blessings on the walls of the new Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center. They left silent prayers of hope to be embedded in the walls of this new sacred space.
These walls will nurture and sustain generations of Jewish young people filled with their own hopes and dreams. The footsteps of thousands of students will move from each of the three buildings and through the courtyard as they connect to their community and learn who they want to be as Jewish adults in the world. When they face challenges, they will cling to the comfort and safety of these walls. When they celebrate, they will run to their friends on this holy ground.
And this space is a testament to our struggle through badmidbar, our wilderness, in a demonstration of true resilience. By building this Hillel, we are saying as a collective community, the future of Jewish life matters. Future generations of young Jewish community members deserve a safe space. They deserve a space that is beautiful and reflects each person’s inherent value. And that’s why we are building this new Glickman Hillel Center.
Thank you to each of you who have already left your mark. For those who haven’t yet, there is an opportunity to join this special moment by adding your name to this space for our collective Jewish future. You can get your name engraved on one of the pavers that will lead students through the center. The more people who can leave their mark, the more our young people will know that they have a network around them, supporting them, lifting them up– as they embark on fortifying their Jewish identities and building their Jewish community.
We hope you will join us in building this sacred space.
