Hebrew Union College Announces Strategic Los Angeles Campus Redevelopment
Updated facilities will provide resources to accommodate the evolving needs of the Hebrew Union College community
February 26, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA, February 26, 2025 – Today, Hebrew Union College (HUC), the academic center and leadership institute of Reform Judaism, announced a redevelopment agreement with the University of Southern California (USC) that represents a significant reinvestment in the Jack H. Skirball Campus.
The agreement will advance the institution’s 50-year academic partnership with USC, which in 2022 was extended for another 25 years. Hebrew Union College will retain ongoing ownership of its own space including the entire west wing, while USC will acquire the majority of the campus including the east wing. This approach will enable the renovation of Hebrew Union College’s campus and provide academic programs with a more modern, appropriately sized, and cost-effective space. The transaction will strengthen HUC’s endowment, and proceeds – along with donor investments – will enable the College to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff with essential infrastructure upgrades, including technology integrations and added natural light to the interior.
“As Hebrew Union College continues its work educating the dynamic leaders needed to enliven Judaism’s future—rabbis, cantors, educators, and non-profit professionals—we require different kinds of spaces to create vibrant laboratories for academic inquiry, spiritual exploration, and cultural creativity,” said Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., President of Hebrew Union College. “Our physical spaces in Los Angeles and on all our campuses should be inviting and inspiring, encouraging experimentation with ideas and practice, and reflecting the significance, majesty, and sacred purposes of our work.”
The decision to reinvest in the Los Angeles campus, which Hebrew Union College has owned and occupied since 1954, was guided by its Board of Governors and accomplishes the College’s goal of aligning its real estate footprint with academic program and operational needs across all its campuses. This sale builds on Hebrew Union College’s recent purchase of a landmark building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the College’s original New York City neighborhood. The Board of Governors is steadfast in advancing HUC’s mission and charting a flexible and sustainable approach to real estate holdings and geographic presence in all its campus cities.
To lead this renovation project, Hebrew Union College has engaged architect Hagy Belzberg, who was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects for his “notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture.” Born in Israel and raised in California, Belzberg is the founding partner of the architecture and interior design firm, BA Collective, whose projects include the BAR Intergenerational Community Center – Jewish Federation in Venice, California, The Johnson Student Center at Occidental College, and the Holocaust Museum LA, including its new Learning Center Pavilion currently under construction. For the Hebrew Union College campus redevelopment, a community-led task force has begun meeting with the architect to provide input on key programmatic needs such as light-filled classrooms, faculty offices, and worship spaces.
“Hebrew Union College’s partnership with the University of Southern California advances scholarship and academic pipelines to educate religious leaders for the community, and we could not be happier to work together toward our shared goal of educational excellence,” said Rabbi Joshua D. Garroway, Dean, Los Angeles. “This sale allows us to invest in our future here in Los Angeles and make much-needed renovations and improvements to the Jack H. Skirball Campus – as we continue to evolve alongside our community and expand access to Jewish leadership education.”
Since 1972, students from both USC and HUC have engaged in joint academic programs through the Louchheim School for Judaic Studies and Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. The new agreement represents a renewed investment in the historic property, and a new chapter in the long and close relationship between USC and HUC.
“USC has purchased the property north of USC’s campus from our partner, Hebrew Union College (HUC), to support our facility needs. This change in ownership represents a reinvestment by both USC and HUC in the iconic property that will strengthen our partnership, which dates back more than 50 years,” said Brian K. Wilson, executive director for USC Real Estate Development and Leasing. “The agreement enables students from both institutions to continue to benefit from shared experiences, access programs such as the Louchheim School for Jewish Studies, and participate in events at HUC and USC through our various faculty-run centers and student organizations. HUC students, such as those in HUC’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management, will continue to pursue a variety of dual graduate degrees at USC.”
Hebrew Union College was founded in 1875 to provide rabbinical training for those who would offer progressive, enlightened, and modern spiritual leadership for the new American pulpit. Today, it is the premier Jewish seminary in North America and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. Learn more at HUC.edu.