On May 1, the Hillel Foundation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison hosted a meeting open to students and others in the Langdon St. neighborhood to view drafts of the architectural plans for the new Barbara Hochberg Center for Jewish Student Life.
Participants heard the architects and Hillel’s executive director, Greg Steinberger, discuss the plans and schedule for groundbreaking.
It was clear during the discussion that students have a strong interest in the “green building initiative” — i.e., to have the building LEED-certified.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a set of voluntary standards, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The standards are used in the design, construction and operation of high-performance, environmentally sound buildings.
Five key areas of human and environmental health are covered by the LEED performance standards: sustainable site development; water savings; energy efficiency; materials selection; and indoor environmental quality.
To earn certification, a building must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks.
The cost savings from energy efficiency, matched with recent studies proving that green buildings improve employee health and productivity, show that it pays to go green.
Student interest
UW Hillel has chosen to take on this initiative first and foremost in response to strong student interest.
After the meeting, students were asked: What excites you most about the new Hillel facility?
Micah Engler, a sophomore from Massachusetts, responded, “[That] the new facility will be a green, LEED certified building. Hillel is blazing an incredible trail that we can only hope others will follow.”
Currently, no Jewish facilities in Wisconsin or on the UW-Madison campus are LEED certified, and only a handful of certified buildings exist in the state of Wisconsin.
Many students believe Hillel’s green building initiative is the responsible thing to do, but many also speak to its Jewish significance.
“Environmentalism is becoming more spoken about in a Jewish context, and this building will show our respect for the land that G-d gave us,” stated Elizabeth Edelstein, a freshman from Wisconsin.
Hannah Cutts, a freshman from Illinois, agrees, “It is part of Jewish law to protect and respect the earth, and I think this is a great way to begin. Next year, the Hillel student group that I am involved with [Wisconsin Environmental Jewish Initiative (WEJI)] is very interested in helping Hillel succeed in the green building initiative.”
Brandon Perlow, a sophomore from Illinois, likes the fact that a green building would decrease Hillel’s annual operating costs, while leaving an important legacy of stewardship for generations to come.
“I’ve done some extensive research on LEED certification and have found that … from a ‘business’ standpoint, it saves energy costs in the long run, which can help make a financially secure Hillel,” Perlow said. “Furthermore, Hillel is supposed to be a model of inspiration to the community, and having one of the first LEED certified buildings in Madison, in the Hillel community, and even in the state would, I believe, inspire many.”
But green certification wasn’t the only feature in the new facility the students found attractive.
“What I find the most exciting is not any specific feature, but the overall potential this building has for strengthening Jewish life on and around campus,” said Aaron Goodman, a 2006 alumnus from Ohio.
“This is the type of building where I can imagine students visiting every day. This proposed building has the potential to serve as a place for students to eat, socialize, study, and exercise, all in the presence of the Jewish community,” he said.
If you have questions, or would like to look at or talk about the preliminary design plans, contact Greg Steinberger at Hillel, 608-256-8361.
Elan Zinkow graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006.
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