Religious Groups Search for Space

When Henry Rosovsky first came to Harvard in 1949, Jewish life on campus was "quite hidden."

"At that time, Jewish religious life wasn't discouraged, but it wasn't particularly visible," says Rosovsky, who later became dean of the Faculty.

Today Hillel occupies a state-of-the-art two-story complex at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Plympton streets, largely funded by alumni. The facility features a kosher dining area, halls for prayer and study, and even an outdoor courtyard flanking Quincy House.

But for the rest of Harvard's dozenor-so registered religious organizations, the bountiful resources of Hillel are the exception, rather than the rule.

As the College's religious diversity grows, students from traditionally less prominent faiths have been forced to worship and gather in makeshift or temporary locations on campus, or even travel sometimes great distances to established religious centers outside Cambridge.

Students from these religions say they envy the security and visibility enjoyed by more established religious groups.

"I'm very happy for the Jewish students," says Vipul R. Patel '98, who travels each Sunday to a Swaminrayan temple in Stow in central Massaschusetts.

"I personally think Hillel is something that every religious group would aspire to," he says.

Hillel's Journey

Hillel's reliance on private donations to erect its current home might serve as a model for other groups.

In 1979, Hillel moved into a permanent building on Bryant Street near the

Divinity School.

But Hillel leaders still were not satisfied with the building, which was located a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Yard.

"Rabbi [Ben-Zion] Gold was always interested in moving and I never could understand that," Rosovsky says.

"No,' he said, 'as long as we're out there, we're never going to reach our potential," Rosovsky recalls. "He turned out to be absolutely right, despite my skepticism."

Hillel later moved to 74 Mt. Auburn Street (now the home of the Harvard-Radcliffe Band) before moving to its present location in Rosovsky Hall three years ago.

"The Bryant Street building, and even much more so [the current] one, have given marvelous space and visibility to be a real center, not just for students, but for the community," Rosovsky says.

Today, Hillel is a vibrant center of Jewish religious and cultural life, and regularly hosts talks, discussions and social events, like last Saturday's fall dance.

A large part of Hillel's success can doubtless be attributed to its size. About 150 students attend weekly services, according to Hillel Chair Adam M. Kleinbaum '98, who is a Crimson editor, making Hillel one of Harvard's largest religious student organizations.

But many student religious leaders lament that size and resources are closely linked. Without resources-such as a visible, permanent building a large community is difficult to develop. And without a strong presence with many members, it is difficult to recruit the support to lay the groundwork to establish a permanent space.

Cramped in Canaday

Take, for example, the plight of the Islamic Society.

In the early 1990s, members of the society regularly prayed in a room in the basement of Memorial Hall.

The society in 1993 was forced out of Memorial Hall as the University prepared to renovate the space. The group relocated to several different spaces-including rooms in Vanserg Hall, the basement of Memorial Church, and the basement of Canaday Hall A-before settling in its current location: a basement room in Canaday E.

The current prayer space can comfortably serve about 30 to 40 worshippers, according to Mitsuru Watanabe '98, president of the Islamic Society. "During Ramadan, the month of fasting, a lot of students come, and it gets tight," Watanabe says.

But the Islamic Society attracts an estimated 100 worshippers for its weekly congregational prayers, and must relocate to Lowell Lecture Hall each Friday for these services.

"[The Canaday basement room] is certainly sufficient for our daily needs, but it doesn't allow for any expansion beyond the current state of the group," says Umair A. Qadeer '98, a former secretary of the Islamic Society.

The Islamic Society has been working closely with College officials for several years to begin exploring options for a permanent building for the organization.

"We've been pondering the idea for a long time for acquiring funds from other Muslim nations with the help of Harvard," Watanabe says.

The Islamic Society's desire for a permanent space has been encouraged by the presence of Hillel and the Catholic Student Center, located at 20 Arrow St.

"When you see Rosovsky Hall, and see how well thought-out it is, it's admirable that they were able to do that," he says. "That's something we'd like to be doing in the future as well."

But Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says the society's plans for a permanent building have been hampered by a lack of outside support.

"The question of a long-term space would require them to be a more formal organization with Faculty and almuni support," Epps says. "They don't have enough financial resources to build right now."

Islamic Society leaders estimate that there are about 200 Muslim students on campus. Like many other student religious leaders, they say that a permanent, more visible location would help establish a greater community of students of their faith.

Kleinbaum acknowledges that Hillel's geographically central location on campus is an important part of its large presence on campus.

"Having Hillel on campus was an important part of making it a mainstream part of students' life," he says. "There are many people who wouldn't put forth the effort to walk to the edge of campus."

Heather A. Clayton '98, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, attends weekly services with about 45 other undergraduates at a church in West Cambridge.

The Latter-Day Students Association, the group of Mormon students on campus, meets weekly for spiritual thought and other activities in Memorial Church.

"Some religious groups encounter some obstacles in trying to find meeting space," she says.

"At the same time, I don't think it's something unusual to religious groups, but affects all student organizations," Clayton adds.

Epps says that his office functions as a helping hand with religious groups.

"In general, the philosophy of support for religious groups has been to accommodate groups on campus, hoping in the end that groups will become self-supporting," he says.

Religious Diversity

The issue of space is just one of many that Harvard must deal with in adapting to its rapidly changing religious landscape.

Harvard College was founded by Puritans to educate young men for the ministry, and for much of its 361-year existence, religion-in the Puritan tradition-was an integral part of the Harvard education.

"One hundred years ago, everyone had to go to morning prayers," notes Diana L. Eck, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies.

Eck is the director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard, an effort she initiated in 1991 to study the multireligious nature of America.

She says the project was inspired by the increasing religious diversity she saw among students in her classes.

Many students say the religious diversity at Harvard has also helped them learn more about their spirituality.

Vipul Patel says he has started meeting regularly with students in the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship over dinner.

"We've been getting together to exchange ideas and discuss our different beliefs," he says.

Clayton says a more formal setting, the Interfaith Forum, has allowed for "open dialogue" among religious groups.

Despite signs of growing religious diversity and cooperation at the College, however, student leaders like the Islamic Society's Qadeer say that the need for an accessible space of one's own persists.

"Students who already have a pre-inclination to coming to prayer services do," Qadeer says. "But there is an untapped pool of people who just find it inconvenient."Crimson File PhotoA MEETING SPACE: "Having Hillel on campus was an important part of making it a mainstream part of students' life," says Adam M. Kleinbaum '98, Hillel chair.

Divinity School.

But Hillel leaders still were not satisfied with the building, which was located a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Yard.

"Rabbi [Ben-Zion] Gold was always interested in moving and I never could understand that," Rosovsky says.

"No,' he said, 'as long as we're out there, we're never going to reach our potential," Rosovsky recalls. "He turned out to be absolutely right, despite my skepticism."

Hillel later moved to 74 Mt. Auburn Street (now the home of the Harvard-Radcliffe Band) before moving to its present location in Rosovsky Hall three years ago.

"The Bryant Street building, and even much more so [the current] one, have given marvelous space and visibility to be a real center, not just for students, but for the community," Rosovsky says.

Today, Hillel is a vibrant center of Jewish religious and cultural life, and regularly hosts talks, discussions and social events, like last Saturday's fall dance.

A large part of Hillel's success can doubtless be attributed to its size. About 150 students attend weekly services, according to Hillel Chair Adam M. Kleinbaum '98, who is a Crimson editor, making Hillel one of Harvard's largest religious student organizations.

But many student religious leaders lament that size and resources are closely linked. Without resources-such as a visible, permanent building a large community is difficult to develop. And without a strong presence with many members, it is difficult to recruit the support to lay the groundwork to establish a permanent space.

Cramped in Canaday

Take, for example, the plight of the Islamic Society.

In the early 1990s, members of the society regularly prayed in a room in the basement of Memorial Hall.

The society in 1993 was forced out of Memorial Hall as the University prepared to renovate the space. The group relocated to several different spaces-including rooms in Vanserg Hall, the basement of Memorial Church, and the basement of Canaday Hall A-before settling in its current location: a basement room in Canaday E.

The current prayer space can comfortably serve about 30 to 40 worshippers, according to Mitsuru Watanabe '98, president of the Islamic Society. "During Ramadan, the month of fasting, a lot of students come, and it gets tight," Watanabe says.

But the Islamic Society attracts an estimated 100 worshippers for its weekly congregational prayers, and must relocate to Lowell Lecture Hall each Friday for these services.

"[The Canaday basement room] is certainly sufficient for our daily needs, but it doesn't allow for any expansion beyond the current state of the group," says Umair A. Qadeer '98, a former secretary of the Islamic Society.

The Islamic Society has been working closely with College officials for several years to begin exploring options for a permanent building for the organization.

"We've been pondering the idea for a long time for acquiring funds from other Muslim nations with the help of Harvard," Watanabe says.

The Islamic Society's desire for a permanent space has been encouraged by the presence of Hillel and the Catholic Student Center, located at 20 Arrow St.

"When you see Rosovsky Hall, and see how well thought-out it is, it's admirable that they were able to do that," he says. "That's something we'd like to be doing in the future as well."

But Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says the society's plans for a permanent building have been hampered by a lack of outside support.

"The question of a long-term space would require them to be a more formal organization with Faculty and almuni support," Epps says. "They don't have enough financial resources to build right now."

Islamic Society leaders estimate that there are about 200 Muslim students on campus. Like many other student religious leaders, they say that a permanent, more visible location would help establish a greater community of students of their faith.

Kleinbaum acknowledges that Hillel's geographically central location on campus is an important part of its large presence on campus.

"Having Hillel on campus was an important part of making it a mainstream part of students' life," he says. "There are many people who wouldn't put forth the effort to walk to the edge of campus."

Heather A. Clayton '98, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, attends weekly services with about 45 other undergraduates at a church in West Cambridge.

The Latter-Day Students Association, the group of Mormon students on campus, meets weekly for spiritual thought and other activities in Memorial Church.

"Some religious groups encounter some obstacles in trying to find meeting space," she says.

"At the same time, I don't think it's something unusual to religious groups, but affects all student organizations," Clayton adds.

Epps says that his office functions as a helping hand with religious groups.

"In general, the philosophy of support for religious groups has been to accommodate groups on campus, hoping in the end that groups will become self-supporting," he says.

Religious Diversity

The issue of space is just one of many that Harvard must deal with in adapting to its rapidly changing religious landscape.

Harvard College was founded by Puritans to educate young men for the ministry, and for much of its 361-year existence, religion-in the Puritan tradition-was an integral part of the Harvard education.

"One hundred years ago, everyone had to go to morning prayers," notes Diana L. Eck, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies.

Eck is the director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard, an effort she initiated in 1991 to study the multireligious nature of America.

She says the project was inspired by the increasing religious diversity she saw among students in her classes.

Many students say the religious diversity at Harvard has also helped them learn more about their spirituality.

Vipul Patel says he has started meeting regularly with students in the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship over dinner.

"We've been getting together to exchange ideas and discuss our different beliefs," he says.

Clayton says a more formal setting, the Interfaith Forum, has allowed for "open dialogue" among religious groups.

Despite signs of growing religious diversity and cooperation at the College, however, student leaders like the Islamic Society's Qadeer say that the need for an accessible space of one's own persists.

"Students who already have a pre-inclination to coming to prayer services do," Qadeer says. "But there is an untapped pool of people who just find it inconvenient."Crimson File PhotoA MEETING SPACE: "Having Hillel on campus was an important part of making it a mainstream part of students' life," says Adam M. Kleinbaum '98, Hillel chair.