Restrictions
This collection is open.
History--Biography
Hillel at Brandeis -- a non-profit, independent affiliate of Hillel:
The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life -- was established (ca. 1949)
with the goals of cultivating and contributing to Jewish life at
Brandeis University. Since its inception, Hillel has assisted students in
learning about Jewish heritage and culture, and provided them with
opportunities for religious expression and spiritual guidance. In
addition, the organization has encouraged students to develop a sense of
commitment and responsibility to others through experiences that foster
leadership, social action, and artistic and cultural expression. The
first director of Hillel at Brandeis was Rabbi Judah Stampfer. Stampfer was
followed by Albert Axelrad, the University's Rabbi and Hillel Director
from 1965 to 1999. The current Executive Director of Hillel is Larry
Sternberg.
The Three Chapels at Brandeis were dedicated on October 20, 1955. Designed by the architectural firm of Harrison and Abramovitz, these innovative structures were the first inter-denominational chapels (Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic) built on a U.S. college campus. They were designed to be equal in size and placed so as never to cast a shadow on one another.
The Jewish chapel (Berlin Chapel) was designed to resemble a sacred scroll and was named for Mendel and Leah Berlin. The two Christian chapels were intended to resemble the Bible. Bethlehem Chapel, the Catholic chapel, was named by Cardinal Richard Cushing, for the birthplace of Jesus. The Protestant chapel (Harlan Chapel) was named for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall Harlan, in recognizition of his dissent against "separate but equal" provisions in the law.
In 1956, the Three Chapels received the American Institute of Architects
Award of Merit. Over the years, they have been used for religious
services, weddings, funerals, and special University events such as the
Helmsley Lecture Series.
Scope and
Contents
Materials in this collection were created between 1955 and 2007, and
include programs, publications, memoranda, audio recordings, and
photographs. Of note are materials on Rabbi Albert Axelrad, a series of
audio recordings documenting Hillel activities, photographs of the Three
Chapels, and materials on the dedication and rededication of the Three
Chapels.
Series
Hillel (boxes 1, 3)
Three Chapels (box 2)
Series Summary
Hillel
Inclusive dates: 1963-2004, n.d.
Arrangement: By subseries, then chronological
This series contains material on Hillel activities through the years,
tributes to Rabbi Albert Axelrad, and audio recordings of Hillel
activities in the 1970s.
Three Chapels
Inclusive dates: 1955-2007, n.d.
Arrangement: Chronological
This series contains materials relating to the Three Chapels, including
information on the dedication and rededication, photographs of the
buildings, articles, and brochures.
Folder List
Hillel
Box 1
General Files
"Art Through Faith"--Exhibition, 1963
Spring program, 1963
20th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1963
Fall semester program, 1968-1969
Spring semester program, 1969
Fall semester program, 1969-1970
Fall semester program, 1971
Spring semester program, 1972
Fall semester program, 1972-1973
"50th Year Noted by Hillel Group," New York Times, 1973
Sabbath Series, Spring 1975
Israeli Chassidic Festival, 1976
Holocaust Memorial Program, 1977
"Hillel Highlights," vol. 1 no.1, 1983
Program/Calendar, April-May 1985
Jewish Life at Brandeis--Brochure, 1992-1993
"If not now, when?"--Newsletter, September 1994
"If not now, when?"--Newsletter, October/November 1996
Jewish Life on Campus--Brochure, 1996-1997
Shabbaton, 1998
Vital voices on Judaism and Judaica--Lecture series, 1999
"Hillel / Brandeis Black Student Organization Treasure Hunt," 2005
Samples, n.d.
Jewish Arts Festival, 1971-1978 [8 folders]
Memos and announcements, 1987-2006 [17 folders]
Rabbi Albert Axelrad
"A Gentle Giant"--Tribute book, 1990
30th Anniversary, 1995
Retirement, 1999
Audio Recordings
Box 3
Rabbi Axelrad--Friday Night Tape, 1978
Rabbi Axelrad --Haftorah Trope #2, 1980
Deborah Weinberg--Torah Tape, 1980
Rabbi Axelrad--Haftorah Trope, n.d.
Hillel, n.d. [3 of 4]
Hillel Services and Zmirot, n.d. [8 of 12 reels]
Nehama[?] Stampfer, n.d. [4 reels]
Unidentified Audio Tapes, n.d. [4 reels]
Three Chapels
Box 2
Dedication, 1955
Publicity, 1955, n.d.
Harlan Chapel Lecture Series, 1958
"Concern," vols. 1-3, 1963-1965 [3 folders]
Endowment brochure, 1965[?]
"Religion on the American Campus," 10th Anniversary of
the Three Chapels, 1966
Helmsley Dialogue Series, 1968-1974
Announcements and events, 1974, n.d.
Berlin Chapel--Brochure, 1980[?]
"Brandeis three chapels mark 25th anniversary," Jewish
Advocate, 1980
"Anniversary of a religious turning point," Boston Globe, 1980
"Brandeis honors its 3 chapels," Middlesex News, 1980
Chapel rededication--Press clippings, 1980
Photographs of the Three Chapels, 1982, n.d.
"The three chapels of Brandeis as symbols of peace,"
Address by Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, Archbishop of Manila, 1984
Interfaith Baccalaureate Service--Invitations, 1988-2006
Bethlehem Chapel--Announcements, 1990s
Memos and announcements, 1991-2007
"The Three Chapels," by Judah Nadich, 1996
Notes
For additional information on Brandeis Hillel, search the
following catalog entry in the Brandeis University Libraries'
on-line catalog, LOUIS:
Author Search: Brandeis University. B'nai B'rith Hillel
Foundation
For the Brandeis Hillel website, go to: www.brandeis.edu/hillel/
The University Archives also houses the personal papers of Rabbi Albert Axelrad. The online finding aid to this collection may be searched at: lts.brandeis.edu/research/archives-speccoll/findingguides/archives/faculty/axelrad.html
Additional copies of "Concern" are housed in the University Archives' Periodicals Collection.
For additional information on the Three Chapels, search the
following catalog entry in the Brandeis University Libraries'
on-line catalog, LOUIS:
Author Search: Brandeis University. Three Chapels Association