QUICK LINKS:                                                                                                           Watch the Formal Remarks on Video         

Download the Keepsake Event Program       

See the Event Speakers and Participants  

More Photos

Thank you!

Slifka Center’s long-awaited Grand Reopening Celebration took place on Thursday evening, October 13, 2022.

After four years of inspired planning and careful coordination – and despite the disruptions of the global pandemic – our building’s all-new dining hall and kitchens, and other communal spaces have reopened. This was made possible by generous gifts to the Building Forward Capital Campaign by hundreds of donors worldwide. We are still accepting donations in support of the renovation – click here to make your charitable contribution today.

Despite a cool and rainy evening we were excited to welcome over 200 members of the Slifka community back to 80 Wall Street, with  nearly 100 others following on zoom. Slifka Leadership joined by Yale President Peter Salovey, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, and other dignitaries gathered to toast the renewal and rededication of our central campus building.

In addtion Slifka Center students participated in the evening’s arts programming. Both the Yale Klezmer Band and Magevet – the Israeli and Hebrew a cappella group – performed, and our Rabinowitz Gallery featured a student art and photography exhibit. Please see a complete listing of the student artists participating below.

Enjoy watching the evening’s formal proceedings here, as emceed by our Yale Hillel Co-Presidents. As a guide, key segments are listed below with the time they occur on the event recording.

Slifka Center Grand Re-Opening Ceremony – YouTube Video

 

                        SLIFKA CENTER GRAND REOPENING EVENT:                      EVENT SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPANTS 

Welcome:

Sam Pekats and Maayan Schoen, 2022 Hillel Co-Presidents

Slifka Center Remarks:

Uri Cohen, Executive Director (10:42) and Rabbi Jason Rubenstein, Howard M. Holtzmann Jewish Chaplain at Yale (5:12)

Proclamation:

Mayor Justin Elicker, Mayor of New Haven (2:57)

Remarks:

Elisa Bildner, Robert Bildner (15:58) and Richard Pechter (18:48) – Slifka Center Building Forward Capital Campaign Co Chairs

Remarks:

Evan Farber, Slifka Center Board Chair (20:08)

Ribbon Cutting (24:28)

Yale Keynote:

President Peter Salovey, President of Yale University (26:20)

Performance:

Magevet (36:26)

Remarks:

Dean Pericles Lewis, Dean of Yale College (44:37)

 Hillel International Greetings: 

Jennifer Zwilling, Hillel International – Chief Strategy and Campus Success Officer (49:28)

 Remarks and Blessing: 

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi – Central Synagogue, NYC (55:06)

 

STUDENT ARTISTS PARTICIPATING IN THE REOPENING EVENT 

YALE KLEZMER BAND:

Aaron Mesa ’25, Brooklyn, NY – Violin

Zeph Siebler ’26, Lincoln, NE – Violin

Ned Swansey ’25, Durham, NC – Keyboard

Noam Scully ’25, Brookline, MA – Accordion

Giovanna Truong ’23, Cedarburg WI – Accordion and Voice

 MAGEVET A CAPPELLA GROUP:

Gloria Kim ’26, Buford, GA – Soprano

Lia Solomon ’24, New York, NY – Soprano

Hemakshi Gordy ’25, Takoma Park, MD – Soprano

Maddie Hahamy ’23+1, Glencoe, IL – Alto

Sophie Schonberger ’26, New Haven, CT – Alto

Miriam Kopyto ’23, Woodmere, NY – Alto

Noah Stein ’25, Guilford, CT – Tenor, Music Director

Akiva Weinberger ’23, Brooklyn, NY – Tenor

David Liebowitz ’26, Boston, MA – Tenor

Daniel Edison ’23, El Paso, TX – Bass

Max Bamberger ’25, Berkeley, CA – Bass

Eric Risch ’23, Fairfield, CT – Bass

STUDENT ARTISTS featured in RABINOWITZ GALLERY:

Max Heimowitz ʼ23, Washington DC

Elizabeth Levie ʼ23.5, San Francisco, CA

Amanda Ivatorov ʼ23.5, Rockaway Park, NY

Flora Ranis ʼ24, Pembroke Pines, FL

Sam Heimowitz ʼ23, Washington, DC

Catherine Alam-Nist ʼ24, London, UK

 

page updated November 2, 2022