Cornell Breaks Ground on New Grinspoon Hillel Center

The $54 million Harkavy Hall will provide a new home for Jewish student life on campus.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Cornell University has broken ground on a new 23,000-square-foot building that will house the Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community. The $54 million Harkavy Hall is expected to open in fall 2027 and will include a kosher café, event space, communal kitchen and lounge, study rooms, classrooms, and administrative offices.

Why it matters

The new Hillel center will provide a dedicated space for Jewish students to connect with their faith and culture, fostering a sense of community on campus. This comes at a time of rising antisemitism nationwide, making the facility an important resource for supporting and nurturing Jewish student life.

The details

The building, named Harkavy Hall, honors lead donor Harriet Harkavy '60. It will be located at 722 University Ave. and owned by Grinspoon Hillel, which will lease the land from the university. The facility will include a variety of spaces for Jewish students to gather, study, celebrate holidays, and explore their identity.

  • The groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 8, 2026.
  • Harkavy Hall is expected to open in fall 2027.

The players

Michael I. Kotlikoff

President of Cornell University.

Steven Grinspoon '83

A lead donor who, along with his wife Winifred 'Winnie' Grinspoon '83, made a significant gift to support the new Hillel facility.

Ari Weiss

CEO of Grinspoon Hillel.

Harriet Harkavy '60

A lead donor to the new Hillel facility, which is named in her honor.

Evelyn Yudowitz '56

Established the Yudowitz Center for Jewish Campus Life at Hillel in 1998 with a legacy gift.

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What they’re saying

“Today we embark on a new beginning for Grinspoon Hillel, despite the ongoing conflicts, the rising tide of worldwide antisemitism and continuing political tensions on this campus and others. This is indeed a new beginning, and one that will provide comfort, solace and community to Jewish students for decades to come.”

— Michael I. Kotlikoff, President of Cornell University (miragenews.com)

“They're leaving the house for the first time and want to be able to explore their Jewish identity in peace. This identity can be religious or cultural. It can be through prayer or doing good deeds or simply in peaceful friendships. And what better way to give back and to foster Jewish community than to support a new Hillel building.”

— Steven Grinspoon (miragenews.com)

“Harkavy Hall will be a place to connect, a place where a student who has never set foot in the Jewish community can walk through the doors and feel like they belong, and a place where meaning is not handed to our students, but where they come to discover it for themselves, actively, willingly and from the heart.”

— Ari Weiss, CEO of Grinspoon Hillel (miragenews.com)

What’s next

The university expects Harkavy Hall to open in fall 2027, providing a new home for Grinspoon Hillel and Jewish student life on campus.

The takeaway

The construction of Harkavy Hall represents Cornell's commitment to supporting and nurturing its Jewish student community, especially in the face of rising antisemitism nationwide. The new facility will serve as a hub for Jewish identity, community, and exploration for generations of Cornellians to come.