Construction is about to begin on the University of Illinois Hillel’s brand new $8.6 million building. There’s a brief piece on it in The Daily Illini.

Joel Schwitzer is the Executive Director of the Hillel Foundation at the University and says that the old building wasn’t functioning the way it should for today’s students.
“It felt very much when you went in like a synagog. You walk in and you’ve got the sanctuary on the left and the social hall on your right, administrative offices here and there, and for many students it felt like the synagog they grew up in, which in 1950 was a great thing to be. In 2007, not so wonderful.”
The new building will feature a large student lounge, an upper-level barbecue deck, wireless internet access, dairy and meat kosher kitchens, a coffee bar, and much more space for programs than before.