Background Statement
Hillel of Colorado Organizational History
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader and one of the most important figures in Jewish History he is associated with the development of the Mishnah and theTalmud. Renowned within Judaism as a sage and scholar, he was the founder of the House of Hillel, a school for Tannaim. When naming the organization, Hillel was chosen because it is a symbol of the quest for higher learning. It is a beautiful name, too. It appealed to the Christian fellowship that pioneered the foundation, since Hillel was virtually a contemporary of Jesus. In the early days the Jewish community still felt the need for the Christian imprimatur.
Hillel of Colorado is part of the International organization Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life (created as such in 1994.) Hillel actually began in 1923 with humble means, noble mission and a breathtaking vision. Through the dedication of students, lay leaders and professionals, Hillel has grown from a handful of students in a rented room above a barbershop in Champaign, Illinois, to a worldwide movement with a gleaming home in the U.S. capital.
However, due to societal changes, the Hillel movement was in need of revitalization by the late 80s. Richard M. Joel (1988-2002) was hired to direct the national organization. He set Hillel on a path of renaissance. The mission became focused on "maximizing the number of Jews doing Jewish with other Jews", creative "engagement" programming and breaking out of the Hillel building to utilize the whole campus
Hillel came to Colorado (this region) in the late 1950s originally sharing staff and resources with Wyoming. The perception of Hillel in the early days was that it was more of a "synagogue" on campus. Hillel went through many evolutions. Staff alternated sites, in Boulder, Denver, CSU and the Air Force Academy. One of the first directors for Hillel was Max Frankel, a beloved local Denver persona who's been part of nearly every Jewish educational institution..
In the mid-late 90s, Hillel (which was then known then as the Hillel Council of Colorado) was going through rough times with focus and staffing. The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado asked Henny Kaufmann and Irit Waldbaum to co-chair the Board and supported them in rebuilding the board from scratch. There was a great deal of trial and error with the hiring of an executive director.
Pat Blumenthal started in January, 1997 as the Executive Director. At that time, the only person on staff was a ¾ time statewide administrator. Over the next year the board formulated a vision of building Hillel's from the ground up focusing on CSU, CU and DU. These campuses were selected because they encompass around 4000 Jewish students, over 90% of all Jewish students in Colorado attend one of these three schools.
After launching a vigorous capital campaign, the new 8,000 square foot Merage & Allon Hillel Center opened its doors on the DU campus on September 26, 2006 and the David & Laura Merage Hillel Center, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins opened on January 21, 2008.
Hillel's growth over the past decade has been accomplished due to tremendous Board leadership, professional talent and commitment, student leadership, community support and major contributions from key partners: Jewish Colorado, Rose Community Foundation, and Hillel International.