Penn State Hillel Plans Center for Downtown State College

Penn State Hillel has acquired land at the northwest corner of East Beaver Avenue and Garner Street, where it plans to build a new center for Jewish student life, the group announced Friday.

The ‘generosity of David N. Pincus and Bernard and Nancy Gutterman,’ all Penn State alumni, made the acquisition possible, according to a news release. Penn State Hillel is now launching ‘a capital and endowment campaign for the construction of the new facility,’ it reads.

Penn State Hillel, the foundation for Jewish campus life, serves an estimated 6,000 Jewish students.

‘The growth of Jewish life at Penn State highlights the need for a greatly expanded base of operations, a new hub for Jewish identity and expression,’ Penn State Hillel Executive Director Aaron Kaufman said in the release.

He said that Penn State is ‘experiencing a renaissance of Jewish life on campus as Hillel offers a wide array of innovative programs and services that have attracted some of the campus’ best and most dedicated student leaders while receiving national recognition.’

Once the campaign is complete, Hillel will ‘boast a state-of-the-art facility and enhanced financial resources, resulting in a vastly expanded program that will help Penn State become one of the nation’s premier centers for quality Jewish student life,’ the news release reads.

Hillel formerly had a home on Highland Avenue in State College. StateCollege.com will continue to follow this developing story.