$0
$12,000,000
Mar. 2020
Progress to Date
A New Home for Maryland Hillel
Maryland Hillel is renowned for the vibrancy of its Jewish life, with students and staff developing initiatives and events. The new center will be a critical tool to both create community and enhance the student experience and strong culture of entrepreneurship.”
The BEN AND ESTHER ROSENBLOOM MARYLAND HILLEL CENTER will be a space for students to deepen their personal connection to Judaism and the Jewish community, receive leadership training, participate in social justice initiatives, eat, socialize and study. The center will transform the student experience at the intersection of the classroom and the dorm room. It will be a vibrant and dynamic space that reflects the entrepreneurial students who come here, the traditions they value and their aspirations for the future.
A NEARLY 40,000-SQUARE-FOOT CENTER will include a mix of dedicated and flexible spaces for uses big and small, casual and curated. The design acknowledges the many ways culture, leadership and civic engagement nurture our students during a pivotal time in their lives. Students turn to us for social justice initiatives, leadership training, and meaningful spring break and summer travel. Hillel also provides a critical link to Israeli culture and society through Birthright Israel trips, Israel groups and more. These opportunities require dynamic spaces that can serve a crowd or a small study group.
A MULTIFUNCTIONAL FIRST-FLOOR SPACE in the heart of the center will allow students to rearrange seating for a game night, snag a booth for a study group or settle in for impromptu entertainment on the performance stage. Hillel will continue to serve as a base for extracurricular activities ranging from a cappella concert—student groups will have access to a PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY REHEARSAL SPACE—to the Jewish Hackathon, a 24-hour technology competition that Hillel hosts each year.
Our new facility will offer a CAFÉ, OUTDOOR SEATING AND A FOOD HALL with three kosher dining options. A larger, efficient kitchen will expand our food-based outreach, including initiatives like the Gorlin Family Foundation Shabbat Across Maryland, in which 1,500 students participate in 75 Shabbat meals all on one night.
FOUR MULTIPURPOSE ROOMS on the second floor, with the largest seating up to 470 guests, offer a perfect location for the next discussion on Jewish ethics or communal prayer space. It is here that diverse Jewish students will come together around their shared values. SEVEN HUDDLE ROOMS can be used for studying or socializing, while a large LOUNGE AND GAME ROOM will be a common space for students to relax, watch a basketball game or play a game of ping-pong.
Hillel’s JEWISH LEARNING CENTER will get an upgrade with a beautiful, contemplative area for students to deepen their understanding of Judaism. The learning center will include new furnishings and an expanded reading collection. Our community also needs support when pursuing new endeavors. ADDITIONAL OFFICES will give staff members the space they need to mentor students and keep them working toward their goals.
Set to break ground in 2022, the center more than doubles Maryland Hillel's footprint and returns Hillel to its roots near Fraternity Row. Located in the heart of downtown College Park, the bright and contemporary center will accommodate a growing roster of activities with spaces designed to meet changing student and community demands.
As one of the nation’s most vibrant organizations serving some 5,800 Jewish college students, Maryland Hillel is creating a cultural, social and spiritual hub that will serve the next generation of Jewish students and leaders.
On this campus, in particular, Hillel’s educational and spiritual support of our students could not be more important. We have one of the largest populations of Jewish students among U.S. public universities. Hillel gives them a nourishing home away from home.”
Featured
Alumni Recognition Wall
Read More →Rabbinic and Cantorial Group
Read More →Fast Facts
- Nearly 40,000 square feet
- 4 multipurpose rooms
- 7 huddle rooms
- Jewish Learning Center
- Staff offices
- Café with accompanying outdoor terrace
- Kosher dining hall
- Professional rehearsal space
- Lounge/Game room
-
Architect:
- Hord Coplan Macht expected opening:
- 2022
Floor Plans

First Floor
Cafe
An external facing café will serve the broader public and will also allow students a place to study, meet and socialize. The venue will also provide a great resource to neighboring Greek houses, who at present do not have food service in the immediate area.
Dining Hall / Recreational Space
The heart of the new Maryland Hillel is a large multifaceted hall. The hall will showcase and accommodate Hillel’s new and innovative dining program – featuring three restaurant store fronts. Part of this hall will be dedicated to recreation. The recreational space will be a significant area where students can lounge on a sofa, chat with a friend, or do some work in a comfy chair. The recreational space will incorporate mixed-use seating, perfect for the varied needs of students.
Huddle Rooms
A variety of glass meeting rooms will be provisioned throughout the new Maryland Hillel building. Students will be able to reserve these for meetings, study or for a private meal with friends. The rooms will all be equipped with comprehensive audio-visual equipment. Hillel will utilize these spaces for classes and study groups.
Private Offices
Senior members of Maryland Hillel's team require private space with which to meet with students, communal leaders, and conduct the critical business of the organization. Donors are sought to assist in creating these private offices.
Kitchen
Colleges around the world are migrating from buffet style food offerings to al la carte. Hillel will provision three restaurant fronts in its kosher food hall - meat, milk and parev. Each space will enjoy its own branding and store name. Each store front is available for sponsorship.
Welcome Foyer
The new Maryland Hillel facility features huge glass windows, allowing sunlight to bathe the interior. Among the most prominent spaces is the large welcome area. This space offers direct access to the coffee shop, program staff offices, the massive teaching staircase (a central feature), and the food hall. As Hillel seeks to create a welcoming and inviting facility, this focal area will be alive with activity and is an important part of our vision.
Classroom
Integrated into the design are some huddle and meeting rooms. The largest of these is a space that will serve as a formal educational space to accommodate Hillel's workshops, leadership training and discussions. The space will seat roughly 60. Additionally, on Shabbat, the educational space might be utilized for a niche Shabbat dinner.
Outdoor Pavilion
A beautiful and landscaped outdoor pavilion will adjoin Hillel’s main dining space. This will allow students to enjoy nicer weather by sitting outside in a beautiful and tranquil space.
Second Floor
Counseling and Wellness Room
Students are at a transitional moment in their lives, between childhood and adulthood. Hillel is blessed to employ several professionals with pastoral counseling training. The Wellness and Counseling Room will serve as a discrete space where students can receive the guidance and support they may require. The room will double to fulfill the requirement to provide a wellness room.
Study Pod
Maryland Hillel occupies the liminal space between the lecture hall and the dorm room. Hundreds of students visit Hillel every day to socialize, meet, learn, eat and grow. The new Maryland Hillel will usher in a series of Student Study Pods, where students can find quiet from the bustle of the Hillel building to write a paper or prepare for an upcoming test or examination.
The Studio
Hillel boasts three acclaimed A Cappella groups. A new space will serve as a rehearsal and recording space for these groups, while also doubling as a yoga studio for fitness related programming.
Multipurpose Rooms
A guest lecture, concert, movie screening or prayer service? Hillel’s new and varied multipurpose rooms are at the core of accommodating Hillel’s diverse student programming needs. It is not uncommon for Hillel’s current building to host a meal for some 200 students, an Israeli dance workshop, a guest lecture and challah baking all at the same time. The new space will ensure Hillel can facilitate these experiences, without it impeding their quality.
Huddle Rooms
A variety of glass meeting rooms will be provisioned throughout the new Maryland Hillel building. Students will be able to reserve these for meetings, study or for a private meal with friends. The rooms will all be equipped with comprehensive audio-visual equipment. Hillel will utilize these spaces for classes and study groups.
Jewish Learning Center
A beautiful Beit Midrash / Center for Jewish Learning will be the locus of Hillel's formal Jewish educational programs. Shiurim, guest lectures and chevrutot will all occur within this space.
Offices
Senior members of Maryland Hillel's team require private space with which to meet with students, communal leaders, and conduct the critical business of the organization. Donors are sought to assist in creating these private offices.
Learning Staircase
The Learning Staircase is the central feature of the new Maryland Hillel building. The entire staircase is visible from the street and will offer students both seating space for lectures and movie screenings, and informal space to sit and chat with friends. Consider this space a mix between an open classroom and a social convening area.
Commons
A large open space on the second floor will allow students to mingle and socialize. Parties, concerts and presentations will also take place in this area. The social area is the area into which all of the multi-purpose rooms exit. It is a high-profile meeting space.
Demonstration Kitchen
Hillel is proud to serve as the convener of Jewish life on campus for students from a diversity of Jewish backgrounds and experiences. The organization strives to foster a sense of Jewish communal unity and family. Food is an incredible device to promote a shared experience and allow for the formation of a joint narrative. The new Maryland Hillel will usher food-related programming to the heart of Maryland Hillel's work with the development of a teaching/demonstration kitchen. Students might partake in a challah baking workshop or Israeli cooking evening.

Naming Opportunities
All gifts are payable of a 5 year period.
Giving Level: $5-8 Million
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Hillel Foundation Name | $7,500,000 |
2 | Building Name | $5,000,000 (sponsored) |
Giving Level: $1-3 Million
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Dining Hall | $2,500,000 |
2 | Programmatic Wing (Where Multi-Purpose Room are) | $1,750,000 |
3 | Administrative Wing (Where Offices are located) | $1,500,000 |
4 | Large Multipurpose Rooms | $1,500,000 |
5 | Medium Multipurpose Rooms | $1,250,000 |
6 | Small Multipurpose Rooms | $1,000,000 |
7 | Beit Midrash/Library | $1,750,000 |
8 | Café | $1,000,000 (sponsored) |
9 | Main Kitchen | $1,000,000 |
10 | Outdoor Pavillion | $1,000,000 |
Giving Level: $500-800K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | A Cappella Suite | $750,000 |
2 | Student Demonstration Kitchen | $750,000 |
3 | Welcome Foyer | $500,000 (sponsored) |
4 | Learning Staircase | $500,000 |
5 | Shmooze Space on Second Floor | $500,000 |
Giving Level: $100-350K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Café Kitchen | $350,000 (sponsored) |
2 | Classroom | $300,000 |
3 | Co-Name Student Lounge | $250,000 (sponsored) |
4 | Co-Name Student Lounge | $250,000 |
5 | Executive Director Office | $250,000 |
6 | Huddle Room | $250,000 |
7 | Named Building Art Fund | $250,000 |
8 | Reception | $250,000 (sponsored) |
9 | Restaurant Store Fronts | $250,000 |
10 | Jewish Learning Center Furnishings | $200,000 |
11 | Security Systems | $200,000 |
12 | Dining Hall Furnishings | $150,000 |
13 | Beit Midrash Ark | $100,000 (sponsored) |
14 | Computer Equipment | $100,000 |
15 | Guest Suite | $100,000 |
16 | Private Office for Senior Staff | $100,000 |
17 | Stage in dining hall | $100,000 (sponsored) |
Giving Level: $50-75K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Ark | $75,000 |
2 | Collection of Books | $75,000 |
3 | Exterior Landscaping / Garden | $75,000 |
4 | Staff Kitchen | $75,000 |
5 | Student Lounge Furnishings | $72,000 |
6 | Elevator | $72,000 |
7 | Café Exterior Seating Area | $54,000 |
8 | Coat Room | $54,000 |
9 | Distinguished Service Recognition Wall | $54,000 |
10 | Downstairs Hallway | $54,000 |
11 | Open Lounge Furnishings | $54,000 |
12 | Professional Development Library | $54,000 |
13 | Reflective / Memorial Garden | $54,000 |
14 | Room scheduling and display system | $54,000 |
15 | Shabbat Candle Lighting Station | $54,000 |
16 | Student Organic Garden | $54,000 |
17 | Sukkah | $54,000 (sponsored) |
18 | Terp-Couple Recognition Wall | $54,000 |
19 | Upstairs Hallway | $54,000 |
20 | Website Redesign | $54,000 |
21 | Coffeeshop furnishings | $54,000 |
22 | Demonstration Kitchen Equipment and Supplies | $54,000 |
23 | Wellness Room | $54,000 |
24 | Outer Door Mezuzot | $54,000 (sponsored) |
Giving Level: $25-45K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Informational Display Screens throught building | $36,000 |
2 | Interactive Spotlight Displays | $36,000 |
3 | Reception Bar | $36,000 |
4 | Retractable Screen and Projector for Grand Staircase | $36,000 |
5 | Beverage stations | $36,000 |
6 | Coffeeshop equipment | $36,000 |
7 | Furniture for Program Staff | $36,000 |
8 | Board Room Table | $25,000 |
9 | Welcome area seating | $25,000 |
10 | Storage Space | $25,000 |
11 | Sukkah area furniture and benches | $25,000 (sponsored) |
12 | Reader's Stand | $25,000 (sponsored) |
13 | Telephone Booths (for individual study) | $25,000 |
Giving Level: $10-20K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Student Wall Nook (2 - each) | $18,000 |
2 | Anonymous | $18,000 |
3 | Golfcart (used for engagement) | $18,000(sponsored) |
4 | Student Activity Storage | $18,000 |
5 | Beit Midrash Mezuzah | $15,000 (sponsored) |
6 | Dining Hall Condiment Station | $15,000 |
7 | Furnishings for Rabbis' Office | $15,000 |
8 | Water station | $12,500 |
9 | Ark Coverings (4 - each) | $10,000 (sponsored) |
10 | Torah Stand | $15,000 |
11 | Beit Midrash Bookshelves | $10,000 |
12 | Beit Midrash Study Table | $10,000 |
13 | Conference Table | $10,000 |
14 | Dining Room Hand Washing Stations | $10,000 (sponsored) |
15 | Electronic Equipment for a Single Room | $10,000 |
16 | Handicap Accessible Outdoor Ramp | $10,000 |
17 | Lecturn for Use on Stage / Multi-Purpose Rooms | $10,000 |
18 | Office Storage | $10,000 |
19 | Outdoor Benches / Seating | $10,000 |
20 | Large Garden Planters | $10,000 |
Giving Level: $5-8K
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Amplification for Each Multipurpose Room | $7,500 |
2 | Huddle Room Audiovisual Equiment | $7,500 |
3 | Staff Kitchen Equipment | $7,500 |
4 | Furnishing for Senior Employee Office | $5,400 |
5 | Furnishings and Technology per Employee | $5,400 |
6 | Furnishings for Wellness Room | $5,400 |
7 | Inner Door Mezuzot | $5,000 (sponsored) |
8 | Smaller Outdoor Planters | $5,000(sponsored) |
Other Naming Opportunities
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Maryland Hillel Ambassadors | $54,000 |
2 | Maryland Hillel Visionaries | $36,000 |
3 | Maryland Hillel Builders | $18,000 |
4 | Maryland Hillel Friends | $5,000 |
Staff Positions
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Executive Director | $5,000,000 |
2 | Associate Director | $2,200,000 |
3 | Senior Jewish Educator | $2,200,000 |
4 | Jewish Learning Initiative Couple | $3,000,000 |
5 | Director of Jewish Student Life | $1,500,000 |
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Shabbat and Dinner Programming | $1,500,000 |
2 | High Holiday Program | $500,000 |
3 | North-Campus Shabbat Programming | $500,000 |
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Fellowships | $250,000 |
2 | Leadership Retreat | $250,000 |
3 | Jewish Women's Leadership Conference | $250,000 |
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | Alternative Break | $175,000 |
2 | Year-Round Service Learning Program | $250,000 (sponsored) |
# | Naming Opportunities | Prices |
---|---|---|
1 | National Hillel Basketball Tournament | $150,000 |
2 | Security Endowment | $1,000,000 |
Alumni Brick Campaign
Pave the way towards a strong Jewish future.
Engrave.
Commemorate. Build YOUR Terp Legacy.
Purchase your brick today and be a part of laying the foundation
for Hillel’s new home. These bricks will be placed in the
entrance walkway to the building. All gifts are payable over a 5
year period.
Choose from the following brick options:
Support
Maryland Hillel
Phone: 301.422.6200
Email: Elan Burman, Capital Campaign
Director
eburman@marylandhillel.org
The new Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Maryland Hillel Center will be the heart of Jewish life at the University of Maryland, a physical promise to foster innovation as we serve and empower thousands of students each year. Through these new doors, you’ll find a hub of student activity, collaboration and creativity.
Your gift to the new Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Maryland Hillel Center will ensure Maryland Hillel can:
- Prepare students for leadership
- Cultivate and strengthen Jewish identity
- Create personal growth through Jewish tradition
- Build a robust and supportive community
- Inspire Jewish religious expression
- Foster affinity for Israel
- Celebrate Jewish life
- Inspire all students to reach their potential