Following 20 years of legal challenges, Hillel of San Diego opened the $18.7 million Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center for Jewish students and the entire community adjacent to the UC San Diego campus at 9009 La Jolla Scenic Drive North on Jan. 15.
The 6,500-square-foot state-of-the-art facility has been designed to meld with the surrounding community. The site encompasses two single-story buildings and one two-story structure, all clustered around a central courtyard.
“This was a momentous day for us,” said David Michan, a past president of Hillel of San Diego who chaired the building committee which oversaw the project. “After 20 long years, we are thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of this vital and dynamic hub of student life, an important testament to the Jewish community’s resilience and perseverance.”
Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA 50th District) who was a San Diego City Councilmember when the Hillel center was initiated, described the project as “a UC San Diego facility that could not be built on public land,” which was located on “an orphan piece of City property that wasn’t being used.”
Peters attempted to broker a negotiated settlement between Hillel and some people in the nearby single-family neighborhood opposed to the project.
“No matter what we did (to compromise), some neighbors were never able to accept the project,” he said adding, “I think they (Hillel) have built a really beautiful building that is a nice buffer between the busy street (La Jolla Village Drive) and the neighborhood. It is not a frat house, but a place for people to have dinner and get-togethers with a religious theme that is a credit to the neighborhood. I consider it an accomplishment.”
Attorney Julie Hamilton representing a citizen’s group, Taxpayers For Responsible Land Use, which opposed the Hillel project said, “We hope Hillel can follow all the conditions of the approval and that they don’t forget they have an obligation to work with the community and need to continue to do that.”
Mayor Todd Gloria noted the new center is an important symbol of justice and connectivity for the community. “With antisemitism on the rise nationwide, the Hillel Center is a crucial connector to UC San Diego and the region overall, building bridges and fostering a sense of community while enabling students of all backgrounds to connect on multiple levels,” he said.
On just under one acre, the Hillel facility will serve as a foothold for UC San Diego students, hosting Jewish holiday experiences and Jewish learning and community activities with flexible spaces designed for student programs, meetings, one-on-one mentorship, and religious services.
Primary components of the new center include a large multipurpose room for dining, social events, and performances; a lounge that transitions into a sanctuary; study rooms; and outdoor activity terraces, which provide more space for socializing and connecting.
Interactive highlights include the wisdom wall, an art display featuring student faces and stories; a kosher kitchen where students participate in hands-on programs; and an expansive space housing the headquarters for over a dozen campus Jewish student organizations as well as staff offices.
Karen Parry, executive director of Hillel of San Diego, said the Glickman Hillel Center will also supply basic resources, including food access and showers for students in need as well as provide an important gathering place for the entire community, with other organizations utilizing the space for Jewish cultural programming.
Parry said the new Hillel Center will be a community crossroads having bike and walking paths, a bench, a trash can, and bike storage in a publicly accessible area.
“It is really beautiful with Torrey pines and other landscaping,” Parry said adding, “It is a special place for young people to come in and feel special, It will help build coalitions among diverse communities on-campus, and within the larger San Diego community as well.”
PROJECT DONORS
In addition to Beverly and Joseph Glickman, major donors to the facility include Joan and Irwin Jacobs, The Melvin Garb Foundation, Jerri-Ann and Gary Jacobs and family, Sandy and Arthur Levinson, Julie and Lowell Potiker, Elaine Galinson and Herb Solomon, Karen and Jeff Silberman, Andrew Viterbi, Phyllis and Dan Epstein, Lee and Frank Goldberg, Wayne and Naomi Harris, the Shekhter family, Carole and Jerry Turk, the Wax family, the Chortek Weisman family, Hanna and Mark Gleiberman, Amy and Adam Jacobs, David and Rashel Michan, Carlos and Esther Michan, Ernest and Evelyn Rady and many others. The building team included M.W. Steele Group, Pacific Building Group, Hughes Marino, and Helix Electric.
PROJECT HISTORY
The facility’s genesis dates back to 2000 when Hillel of San Diego was awarded exclusive rights to purchase the property from the City of San Diego. Since 2001, Hillel of San Diego has been working with the city and the community to develop the project, which gained unanimous approval from the San Diego City Council in 2017. The project’s groundbreaking was held in September 2021, with construction completed on time and within the budget.
Originally funded by a $5 million pledge from the late philanthropist Joseph “Chickie” Glickman and his wife Beverly, Hillel of San Diego has since raised significant contributions and pledges to further fund the project. Currently, Hillel is within $300,000 of closing its $18.7 million capital campaign. An additional $500,000 challenge match has been made by Joan and Irwin Jacobs who will match all incoming donations to help close the campaign.
ABOUT HILLEL
Hillel of San Diego encourages students of all backgrounds to form deep, personal connections to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. Hillel enriches the lives of students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. To learn more about Hillel of San Diego, go to hillelsd.org.
