RG 48/I2

Inventory to the Records of the B'Nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Rutgers University

By Melinda Zack, Meghan Serrano and Alexandra Rimer-Stokar

May 2001

Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

Finding aid encoded in EAD, version 2002 by Meghan Rinn, February 2016

Administrative History

Background to the National B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation

The Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation (as of 1994, referred to as Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life) was accepted under the umbrella of Bnai Brith organizations in 1925, two years after the Hillel Foundation was originally established by Rabbi Benjamin Frankel at the University of Illinois in 1923. The student-run organization had as its initial mission a desire to be a non-sectarian, pluralistic, student self-governed, community campus organization that would symbolize learning, tolerance, dignity and courage (characteristics of the Foundations namesake, Rabbi Hillel the Elder, a 1st-century rabbi and sage) in its development of young Jewish community leaders. It was intended to meet the religious, social, political, educational and cultural needs of the Jewish student community, their individual religious beliefs notwithstanding. To this day, the Foundations mission has remained the same. It is considered a home away from home for Jewish students on both national and international university and college campuses. Today, the organization states that it is the largest Jewish organization in the world, with a network of over 500 regional centers, campus-based foundations and affiliates, serving as a catalyst for creating a celebratory community and a rich, diverse Jewish life on campus. In New Jersey alone, there are twenty-four Hillel Foundation and association chapters, including the Rutgers Hillel Foundation.

The B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Rutgers University

The Rutgers Hillel Foundation was, and still is, a non-profit organization, with a non-sectarian membership policy, and is affiliated with the national B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the Rutgers Hillel Foundation is to meet the Jewish cultural, educational, social, religious, and counseling needs of the University community, regardless of their individual Jewish beliefs (e.g., Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox), while promoting interaction in these areas with the University’s neighbors in Central New Jersey.

The B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation at Rutgers University (referred to as the Rutgers Hillel Foundation or Hillel) began in 1943 as a student-run organization, originally called the Hillel Council. It was headed by Rabbi Nathaniel Keller of New Brunswick until the organization became Rutgers University B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation in 1943. When that happened, Rabbi Julius J. Funk was appointed Director of the student organization, and he continued in this capacity until 1982.

In its early days, the Rutgers Hillel Foundation maintained offices at the home of Rabbi Funk and his wife, Pearl, and a budget of $70 per month from B’nai B’rith (the parent organization of the Hillel Foundations). Hillel-sponsored events originally took place in rented facilities like the Jewish Community Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey or the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City, New York. The student organization struggled to emerge as a strong Jewish presence on campus, although that changed after January 17, 1944, when Eleanor Roosevelt attended a Hillel-sponsored rally to promote the sale of War Bonds.

This marked a number of changes for the organization. Later on in 1944, a loft located at 76 Church Street in New Brunswick, New Jersey was rented to house the organization in order to better serve the Jewish students on both the Rutgers and Douglass campuses. Transportation proved to be an issue as it was not closed to the dormitories, but that did not stop the development of social, cultural, and religious programs. These included Sabbath and holiday celebrations; kosher food and holiday meals brought in or cooked by the local B’nai B’rith women; discussion groups; speakers; dances; choral groups and dance groups formed; studies in Zionism, as well as many other community events.

1946 and 1947 brought about increased Zionist-oriented Hillel programming, and students began to contribute funds to the United Jewish Appeal and attend rallies for helping Jews in Palestine. However, in 1948 and just before the birth of Israel, Hillel toned down some of its Zionist orientation due to some student concerns. While student interest declined around this time, Rabbi Funk was still able to approach the University administration in 1948 about teaching a credit class in Hebrew due to a strong interest in by students, and was given approval that same year. A year later, an intermediate Hebrew class was introduced into the curriculum and Rabbi Funk continued to teach the classes until the University opened its Department of Hebraic Studies in 1963.

Throughout the 1950’s Rutgers Hillel continued to grow and offer a wider variety of programs for Jewish students. As the 1950s became the 1960s, the Rutgers Hillel Foundation encouraged a Judaic response to the turbulent civil situation. The concerns of the students, Jewish or otherwise, —the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the peace movement, continued tensions in the Middle East, the increased use of recreational drugs, etc.—were taken into account in Hillel programming, as were the Jewish students’ desire for increased responsibility and power.

In 1961,the Rutgers Hillel foundation had to move its offices to 341 George Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey because its previous residence at 76 Church Street was being taken over by a city parking lot. The new George Street location had smaller facilities and this provided the impetus for building a new Hillel location. The demand for programs and services to meet the needs of the increasing Jewish student body also necessitated the building of new Hillel facilities. As there was no available space on Rutgers’ main campus, B’nai B’rith purchased a site on the Douglass Campus. It took five years to raise the over 1 million dollars necessary to build the new building on Douglass Campus, situated on Clifton Avenue and Ryders Lane, off Route 1 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The new building opened in 1971. Less than a year later, Hillel faced a possible building closure due to a lack of maintenance funds. In response, Rabbi Funk and his Associate Director, Rabbi Steven Shaw focused their energies on fundraising to save the building. They sent letters to Jewish publications, as well as the New York Times, in an effort to solicit support from the surrounding Jewish communities. The rabbis’ efforts were successful, and various New Jersey Jewish Federations and B’nai B’rith provided the funding necessary to maintain the Hillel facilities. The new Rutgers-Douglass Hillel facilities boasted an auditorium with proscenium stage and a five hundred person capacity, kitchen facilities, a dining area, a library, a chapel, classrooms, a lounge, offices, and a parking lot on the grounds.

Hillel’s Douglass Campus location became the site of a variety of activities and programs, and there was an overwhelming student response and participation in Hillel. Hillel enlarged the kosher eating plan to serve around 180 students. It also provided Shabbat (Sabbath) services and programs that took place from Friday night until Havdallah (a short ceremony and service signaling the end of the Sabbath on Saturday evening), and students were able to attend these services and sleep overnight in the building. Shabbat services were available for all Jewish denominations, thereby serving the entire Jewish student population at Rutgers.

In addition, Hillel expanded its Judaic Library and incorporated a Music Room, in which the choral, drama, and Israeli dance groups were able to practice and perform. Hillel also provided High Holiday services and Passover meals, as well as an annual Passover Model Seder. Inter-Hillel conclaves or Jewish Awareness Weekend Shabbatons (JAWS) were instituted twice yearly, in which Jewish students from campuses throughout New Jersey (as well as out-of-state campuses) came together to discuss and learn about Jewish issues, culture and religion. There were a variety of student sub-committees that focused on such topics as Soviet and Israeli Jewry, and participated in such social service activities as the United Jewish Appeal (U.J.A.) Campaign Drive. Annual U.J.A. auctions and Novelty Nites also contributed to the overall funds raised by the U.J.A. drives.

Rabbi Steven Shaw served as Associate Director and associate rabbi for Hillel between 1970 and 1974. He instituted Operation Outreach, which entailed the visitation of Jewish students on Livingston Campus, Piscataway, New Jersey to provide counseling and advice to them. During these years, the Hillel Free University at Rutgers University was established, offering courses in Judaic studies to students, faculty, staff and the community at-large. Stepping down from his post as Associate Director in 1974, Rabbi Steven Shaw was replaced by Rabbi Moshe A. Birnbaum, who continued in this capacity for three years, during which time he also developed the Jewish Arts Festival. In 1977, Rabbi Gerald Serrotta took over as Hillel’s Associate Director and associate rabbi, and he held this post until 1982. During this time, Rabbi Serrota expanded the Jewish Arts Festival, which in turn sponsored the performances or speeches of such notable personalities as Chaim Potak, Ida Kaminska, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Elie Wiesel, Jan Peerce, Tova Feldshuh, Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchick, Meyer Levin, Theodore Bikel, and Simon Wiesenthal.

After thirty-nine years of service as Director of the Rutgers Hillel Foundation, Rabbi Funk retired in 1982. Rabbi Norman Weitzner, who was assisted by Pamela Hoffman, a rabbinical student, and Rabbi Lauren Levy successively, succeeded Rabbi Funk. During the 1980s, Hillel continued to provide Sabbath and holiday services, as well as most of the programming previously instituted. Kosher meals saw a small decline in attendance, likely due to a combination of students keeping kosher in off-campus housing as well as the fact that Rutgers’ Chabad House began to offer free Kosher meals on Friday evenings. Rabbi Weitzner left his position as Director after twelve years of service and was succeeded by Rabbi David Gutterman in 1994. He was succeeded by Rabbi Andrew Gertraer in 2001.

Moving offices to the New Brunswick College Avenue Campus in 1996, the Rutgers Hillel Foundation is presently located at 93 College Avenue. It describes its purpose in the University community as providing focus and facilities for the Jewish students of Rutgers University, at the same time fostering Jewish social, cultural, educational, and interfaith activities at the University. Hillel’s current location serves graduate and undergraduate students, as well as other members of the University community through educational, cultural, social, and religious activities. In the building, students have access to Judaic literature, a music room, classrooms, an auditorium, a dining room, a lounge, video games, and a synagogue. The Rutgers Hillel Foundation on College Ave coordinates and runs events for all five Rutgers-New Brunswick campuses (Busch, College Avenue, Cook, Douglass, and Livingston) serving the University's 4,500 Jewish students.

Throughout the years at Rutgers, Hillel members continued to serve on social service committees that gave recognition to the plight of Jews both in their communities (seniors, especially) and around the world (Soviet and Ethiopian Jews, particularly). Hillel members have also acted as a strong opposition to anti-Israeli sentiments, participating in many protests and rallies against anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli speakers and groups. Other Hillel committees, councils, groups and clubs that have been active over the years have been the following: Board of Officers; Executive Council; Faculty Group; Freshman Council; Hillel Choir; Israeli Dance Group/Ensemble; Kosher Eating Club; Membership Committee; Oppressed Jewry Committee; Religious Committee; Social Committee; Social Service Committee; and, the Sophomore Council, among others.

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Scope and Content Note

The Rutgers University Hillel House Records consist of thirty manuscript boxes of historical materials including contain meeting minutes, election results, surveys, clippings, broadsides, student and faculty lists, generic mass mailings, memoranda, reports, agendas, pamphlets, receipts/invoices, constitutions, maps, photographs, press releases, and administrative, and sometimes personal, correspondence. The bulk of the material covers the years 1963-1983, with extant records dating from 1962 to 1992. The records are arranged into four series: General Subject Files, Publicity, Faculty Group Surveys, and Correspondences.

The Subject Files of the Hillel House contain a wide array of documents addressing daily administrative matters, regular services and annual events related to the Hillel House. These events and activities include the Arts Festivals (1973-1980), Installation Banquets (1964-1983), Coffee Hour Discussions (1964-1969) and various colloquia (1965-1970). Religious observances hosted by the Hillel House include the High Holidays events (1974-1981) and the Kosher Eating Club (1964-1983). It should be noted that the records contained in the Subject Files are all dated well after the founding of the Hillel House in 1943, and therefore document the continued growth and prosperity of the Hillel House largely under the guidance of Rabbi Julius Funk.

The Publicity series contains various types of publicity materials, from clippings to broadsides and mass mailings. The clippings document a variety of Hillel activities, events, and social service activities. They record many of the accomplishments of its members and the overall organization. In the earlier folders (1965-1968), there are copies of article and classified ad submissions to various Jewish and student publications in New Brunswick and New Jersey. The later folders (1970-1983) contain mainly clippings. The Publicity clippings are presently in their original state, however they will soon be photocopied. The overall arrangement of the publicity clippings is chronological, however the classified ads are kept separate from the clippings within their chronologically arranged folders. The series also contains mass mailed items, varying in size and content, that range from the following: generic annual letters to parents, students (Hillel members and non-members), faculty, and Board Members; copies of drafted, finalized, and amended versions of the Hillel Constitution; various committee and council meeting minutes; news releases; and announcements of meetings, activities and events. The mass-mailed records include most, if not all, of the items mailed to Hillel members, parents of Jewish students, and the University’s Jewish community.

The papers in the Hillel House Correspondence series, as well as those in the Faculty Group Surveys series provide a detailed description of the daily activities and overall climate of the Hillel House, between the years 1962-1991. The Correspondences series contain a large collection of Rabbi Funk’s letters, both of a personal and professional nature. Because Rabbi Funk retired as the director of the Hillel House in 1982, a portion of the letters in this series belongs to the following Director, Rabbi Norman Weitzner. Of the Faulty Group Survey series, two-thirds of the material is undated, with the remaining portion of the series dated “1991”. The Faculty Group Surveys series is interesting because this series consists entirely of returned questionnaires distributed to the members of Hillel’s Faculty Group.

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Arrangement Note

The records of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Rutgers University are arranged in the following series:

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Restrictions

Restrictions Note

The entirety of this collection is open to research; however, personal information reflected in the documents may not be published without the permission of those who are referenced.

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Name and Subject Terms

Personal Names

Corporate Names

Subjects

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Records of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Rutgers University (RG 48/I2), Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

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Bibliography

America Jewish Yearbook. (1998). Philadelphia, PA: American Jewish Committee.

Grusd, E.E. (1966). HB'nai B'rith: The story of a covenant. New York: Appleton-Century.

Moore, D.D. (1981). B'nai B'rith and the challenge of ethnic leadership Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Pratt, R. M. (1987). The Jewish experience at Rutgers. East Brunswick, NJ: Jewish Historical Society.

Rutgers University B'nai B'rith Hillel Board, Inc. (1978).Rutgers University B'nai B'rith Hillel brochure. New Brunswick, NJ: Oscar Lax and Associates.

Yaffe, J. (1968). The American Jews. New York: Random House.

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Detailed Description of the Records/Container List

This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the "containers" (for example, folders, volumes, or cassettes) and their locations in the numbered boxes that comprise the collection. The availability of any digital items from a container is indicated with a hyperlink.