Texas Hillel

Texas Hillel is a local branch of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life at the University of Texas at Austin.

Texas Hillel serves the greater Austin Jewish student community from campuses including, but not limited to St. Edward's University, Austin Community College, University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas State University. Some student groups under the Texas Hillel umbrella include the Latino-Jewish Student Coalition (LJSC), Texans For Israel, FYSH (First Year Students at Hillel), JiGLO (Jews in Greek Life Org), Tzedek (Social Justice and Community Service), The White Rose Society (Genocide Awareness), KESHER (Reform), KOACH (Conservative), JOG (Jewish Outdoor Group), JQTexans, and Jewish Graduate Students.

Facilities

Texas Hillel's new home is the result of a statewide (and beyond) capital campaign. The Topfer Center for Jewish Life at the Abe and Annie Seibel Building is named in honor of Mort and Bobbi Topfer of Austin and the late Abe and Annie Seibel from Galveston.

The two-story facility includes flexible multi-purpose spaces for meals and presentations, two upstairs meeting rooms and two libraries. With movable walls and furnishings the rooms are able to transition quickly from the look and feel of three small synagogues into space for movies, receptions and formal affairs. Texas Hillel has a loft between the first and second stories, with a 32-inch (0.81 m) television screen and tiered seating. The first floor game room is a comfortable place for students to hang out and play video games or watch Israeli satellite TV.

The facility was designed in a collaboration of Alterstudio with Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design, and to develop the facility, this team worked with the Texas Hillel Building Committee, which was chaired by Bradley Schlosser of Schlosser Development and consisted of employees and volunteers, including then Texas Hillel Executive Director Rabbi David Kessel, Texas Hillel Director of Jewish Student Life Margo Sack, and University of Texas School of Architecture student Bryan Pravda.

Rabbi Daniel Septimus is the current executive director (since August 2014).

Notable Alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cunningham, William. "In Memoriam" (PDF). Faculty Committee. Retrieved 28 September 2015.

External links

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