IMAGE COURTESY OF HILLEL JEWISH STUDENT CENTER This fall, Hillel will break ground for its 11,000-square-foot house at the corner of Summit and South Lincoln Street. The $3.5 million project should be completed by Fall 2008. This is a rendering of the pro

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A cozy little house sits on North Lincoln Street where students have gathered to celebrate their faith for he last 30 years.

But the house has become just a tad too cozy for its occupants – the members of Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus, which serves about 1,000 students.

“Our current house does not accommodate our growing needs,” said Jennifer Chestnut, the director of Hillel at Kent State.

This fall, Hillel will break ground for its 11,000-square-foot house located at the corner of Summit and South Lincoln streets.

The $3.5 million project should be completed by Fall 2008, Chestnut said. Money for the house was raised through private donations and included funding from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.

Unlike the 80-year-old off-campus house Hillel currently occupies, the new house will provide ample space for members of Hillel to use.

The house will feature a large dining facility that can hold 120 people, programming areas, meeting rooms and student work areas.

“It’s a great central location, so it will be a lot more accessible to students,” said Rivkah Rosenberg, a Jewish student life coordinator for Hillel. “We will have a lot more space for programs.”

Hillel members are not the only students who will benefit from this new house. The university and other organizations on campus will be able to use and rent out space.

“It’s going to be a great facility for all students – a place where students can go to relax and study,” said Tom Euclide, director of the Office of the University Architect.

Rosenberg agrees.

“The house has given us a great opportunity to expand our horizons,” she said. “The possibilities are endless.”

Contact news correspondent Sarah McGrath at [email protected].