After years of sharing space with other organizations and using short-term rentals, Hillel Silicon Valley is finally getting a home of its own.
Located next to the campus of San Jose State University, the 80-year-old building at 336 E. Williams St. has been undergoing extensive renovations in preparation for tonight’s first student Shabbat program, which begins at 6:30 p.m.
“This is the right place for us,” said Randy Levinson, president of the Hillel Silicon Valley advisory board, referring to the building where two former San Jose State students named Tom and Gordon opened their first sandwich shop, Togo’s.
“As the first Togo’s ever, it was really tied to the student community, and now [the building] will continue to be,” Levinson added.
Comprised of students from San Jose State, Santa Clara University, San Jose City College, College of San Mateo, and DeAnza, West Valley, Foothill and Evergreen community colleges, Hillel Silicon Valley has 500 on its mailing list, according to Lindsay Greensweig, executive director.
The organization is in the process of becoming its own foundation, which would allow it to own the building. “With our own building we won’t be like the stepchild of Stanford’s and Berkeley’s Hillels,” said Levinson. “This is our next step toward becoming an independent nonprofit organization.”
Hillel Silicon Valley obtained the building with the help of donations, which covered the down payment, as well as financial support from Jewish Federation of Greater San Jose. Currently, Hillel will be paying rent to the federation, which owns the building, Greensweig said.
The purchase price plus renovations total about $250,000, according to Jon Friedenberg, the federation’s executive director. “When Hillel Silicon Valley becomes a foundation of its own, we hope to transfer the title to them. They are paying the mortgage now, however.”
Students will actively contribute to the art of renovation. The bulk of the work, though, is being done by Rick Hubbard Construction, which worked on the original Togo’s.
“We did a lot of patch jobs when it was Togo’s,” said company owner Rick Hubbard, the builder of 54 Togo’s. “We’re now fixing it up like we should have 20 years ago.”
With the space re-partitioned and worn-out structures replaced, the building will have a completely new interior. Most of the work will be completed in two weeks, Greensweig said.
“We’re bringing it down to the vanilla shell,” Hubbard said. “We’ve torn it down to the studs on the inside, and we’re building it back up. But it’ll be up to the kids to paint and decorate and make it a home.”
Where there once was a walk-in cooler and work counters will be two offices and a kosher kitchen. The large front room will have new glass for its big picture windows. Old, arched windows are getting their long-covered arches coaxed back out of the woodwork. And a once tiny bathroom is being transformed into a spacious, handicapped-accessible washroom.
Behind the building, an old garage will be converted into a study or lounge area for students. A new cement floor is being poured and a new ceiling, windows and roof are being installed.
While the inside gets a facelift, the outside will retain its somewhat funky, rustic look. In a sea of stucco, this building’s wood siding differentiates it from neighboring facades and contributes to its unique feel.
A community grand opening is planned for the weekend of Dec. 11 and 12.
Students active in Hillel wax enthusiastic about the new headquarters. “This is such an excellent idea! Now we have a central place to have events and eat kosher meals without worry,” said Phil Chastoff, a junior and psychology major at DeAnza College.
“Now we can stop mooching off others,” said Julie Tardos, a junior at San Jose State. “We finally have our own spot and we will be responsible for our own messes.”
But the past president of the advisory board, Mishy Balaban, who saw Silicon Valley Hillel through house rentals and office sharing, sums it up best.
“It’s just nice to have a place to hang our hats!”