By Deb Silverthorn
The fall semester at Southern Methodist University brought something new for Jewish students: their own dedicated space on campus.
Hillel Home, located in SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, was dedicated at the end of the spring semester. Joining Rabbi Heidi Coretz, Hillel at SMU executive director, and Ali Vogel, director of Jewish student life, were students, faculty, members of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas and members of the greater Jewish community.
Coretz and Vogel were eager to welcome students back to campus on Aug. 14 and hit the ground running with events before classes began Aug. 24.
“Hillel Home is so much more than a beautiful space. It is a promise to every Jewish student at SMU that they have a place where they belong,” said Coretz, who is beginning her 23rd year on SMU’s campus. “Every day, students walk through these doors to have a snack, study with friends, celebrate Shabbat and holidays, seek guidance or simply take a break with a cup of coffee.”
Jonathan Kalach-Chelminsky, Hillel student co-president with Sterling Meyerson, said returning for his senior year to a permanent Hillel space is particularly meaningful. The economics major from Mexico City said Hillel has given him a place where he feels comfortable expressing his Judaism and a Jewish community while living abroad.
“Taking a leadership role is something my parents have taught me, and the best return is the feeling of giving,” he said.
Kalach-Chelminsky has also seen Hillel grow during his years at SMU. He recalled Coretz “really carrying the whole boat” during his first year on campus and said Vogel’s arrival in fall 2024 helped expand Hillel’s ability to connect with students and bring them together.
“To have our own place, not having to figure out where we can meet for anything, means a lot,” he said.
When Coretz arrived at SMU in 2003, fewer than 20 students attended the twice-monthly Hillel programs. Her own connection to Hillel began years earlier as a student at the University of Florida, where she spent seven days a week at Hillel — an experience she says inspired her life and her life’s work.
During the 2025–2026 academic year, Coretz and Vogel welcomed 314 different Jewish individuals to more than 100 events.
“A great university gives students opportunities to be part of something larger than themselves while also helping them find the communities where they feel at home,” said Jay Hartzell, SMU president, who participated in Hillel Home’s ribbon cutting. “What made the ribbon-cutting especially memorable was seeing students, alumni, supporters and community leaders come together around a shared commitment to ensuring our Jewish students feel supported and connected to SMU.”
“The Hillel Home represents both a celebration of Hillel’s long history at SMU and the vibrant Jewish community it has helped build, as well as an important investment in its future,” added Hartzell, who is beginning his second year at the university. “Moreover, it is a signal to prospective students of the kind of warm and welcoming campus they can expect. The Hillel Home creates that kind of place, where students can celebrate traditions, share meals, build friendships and create memories that will stay with them long after graduation. We believe it will enrich the student experience and remain an enduring part of SMU for generations to come.”
SMU Provost Rachel Mersey, who also took part in the ribbon cutting, said, “As a Jewish woman serving at a university with a long Methodist history, the opening of the Hillel Home was particularly meaningful to me. I’m proud to think about how we come together as a community.
“I see this space as a wonderful reflection of the welcoming interfaith community we continue to build on our campus, one grounded in openness, mutual respect and genuine curiosity about one another.”
The 650-square-foot space includes a small kitchen with a coffee maker, refrigerator and freezer always stocked with drinks, ice cream and snacks.
Many brought the dream of Hillel Home to fruition.
Coretz’s husband, Alan Coretz, helped build out the space. Gina Tolmas, owner of GST Interiors and a longtime interior designer, donated her time to help bring Coretz’s vision to life. Her care and concern come through in the colors, design and furnishings throughout.
In appreciation for the Jewish life his son Stefan, a 2025 SMU graduate, experienced on campus, Warren Lichtenstein made a generous gift to Hillel Home. His support helped fund the rent, security installation, finish-out and furnishings.
Hillel Home, located in the Perkins School of Theology, is hosted by Perkins Dean Bryan Stone. The former computer services lab, now a social, learning and meeting place for Hillel, makes Hillel the only non-SMU-affiliated religious group based on campus.
Coretz said the Hillel at SMU community is “profoundly grateful for the generous support of this vision” and for the university partners whose welcome made Hillel Home possible. She said the investment supports a vibrant Jewish community where students build lifelong friendships, deepen their Jewish identity and discover the confidence to lead.
“This home will shape Jewish life at SMU for generations to come,” she said.
