cornellhillel

What cornellhillel does

Cornell Hillel — formally the Steven K. and Winifred A. Grinspoon Hillel Center for Jewish Community at Cornell — is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1929 and legally registered as Hillel at Cornell, Inc. Headquartered at G-34 Anabel Taylor Hall on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, it operates as a registered student organization of Cornell and the largest pluralistic Jewish campus body at the institution, engaging nearly 3,000 of approximately 2,500 Jewish students annually through Shabbat dinners, holiday services, Israel programming, Jewish Learning Fellowships, Birthright trips, leadership development, and student clubs.

The organization is supported by a staff of 12 professionals — including a CEO (Rabbi Ari Weiss), Managing Director, Chief Development Officer, campus rabbis, a Director of Experiential Israel Education, JLIC educator/rabbi, Springboard Fellow, and Israel Fellow — and operates across multiple physical touchpoints including Anabel Taylor Hall, Hillel House on North (110 Westbourne Ln), and a building currently under construction at 722 University Ave as part of a $54 million capital campaign. Its underlying technology stack is conventional: a Wix-hosted website, iModules donation processing, social media channels, email newsletters, and an e-commerce storefront for branded merchandise. No proprietary technology, applications, or APIs are offered.

Revenue is generated primarily through charitable contributions (individual, alumni, parent, and planned giving), supplemented by a Family Circle Membership program ($360+/year), Kiddush sponsorships ($180), merchandise sales ($16-30 per item), and the multi-year $54 million capital campaign for a stand-alone Hillel building. Donations count toward the Cornell Annual Fund, providing donors access to Cornell's Tower Club and 1865 Society recognition programs. Customer segments span four constituencies: Jewish undergraduates and graduates (primary), alumni, parents/grandparents, and the broader Ithaca Jewish community via the Jewish Graduate Student Association and Ithaca Area United Jewish Community partnerships.

Name

cornellhillel

Legal name

Hillel at Cornell, Inc.

Website

https://cornellhillel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cornell Hillel is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1929 that provides Jewish student programming, education, events, and community services at Cornell University, engaging nearly 3,000 of approximately 2,500 Jewish students annually through a staff of 12 and a $54M capital campaign underway for a new stand-alone building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Student Life Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nutrition, Dietary Management & Allergen/Accommodation Services (EDALADAJ)

Keywords

• Jewish campus life
• Student religious programming
• Jewish community engagement
• Cultural student services
• Nonprofit student organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream through individual donations, alumni giving, parent contributions, and planned gifts. Donations count toward Cornell Annual Fund giving and provide recognition through Cornell's Tower Club, 1865 Society, and Family Fellows programs. Tax ID: 87-3956853.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including Hebrew Cornell hats, beanies, hoodies, t-shirts, onesies, flags, and mezuzot. All sales are final.
3. Family Circle Membership: Annual membership program at $360+ per year for parents and grandparents of current students. Includes recognition in annual report and appreciation gift.
4. Kiddush Sponsorships: Orthodox Minyan (Kedma) sponsorships at $180 for Shabbat morning Kiddush, honoring simchas or marking Yahrzeits.
5. Capital Campaign: Historic $54 million capital campaign for first stand-alone Hillel building at Cornell. Donations accepted directly or through Cornell University.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell is a non-profit Jewish student organization that delivers religious, cultural, educational, and social programming for Cornell University students, including Shabbat and holiday services, Birthright Israel trips, Jewish Learning Fellowships, student clubs, leadership programs, and major speaker events. It also operates an online merchandise store selling Hebrew Cornell branded apparel and Judaica, and coordinates kosher dining at 104West!.

Product overview

Cornell Hillel operates as a non-profit Jewish campus organization offering student programming and merchandise. Its product offerings consist primarily of branded merchandise featuring Hebrew Cornell branding, including apparel items (hats, beanies, t-shirts, hoodies, onesies), home goods (flags), and religious items (mezuzot). These products are sold through the Grinspoon Hillel Store to support the organization's programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yudowitz Center for Jewish Campus Life: Established in 1998 with a legacy gift from Dr. Bernard and Evelyn Yudowitz, the center empowers Jewish life at Cornell and supports Hillel's Jewish student engagement and fundamental programs.
• F. Warren and Pamela Ellish Super Seder
• Tanner Prize
• Yudowitz Prize

Products and services

• Jewish Student Programming & Shabbat Services Free pluralistic Shabbat services (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox), Shabbat dinners at 104West!, and Jewish holiday programming for Cornell students throughout the year.
• Birthright Israel Trips Free 10-day Israel trips for Jewish Cornell students through partnership with Birthright Israel Foundation, sending 100+ students per year.
• Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) Jewish educational fellowship for Cornell students with stipends up to $300 for participants, supporting Jewish learning and identity exploration.
• F. Warren and Pamela Ellish Grinspoon Hillel Super Seder Annual endowed Passover Seder event offering multiple themed Seders for students, faculty, and community members.
• Onward Israel Internship Program Internship program placing Cornell students in competitive professional internships in the greater Tel Aviv area, including professional development and community building.
• KAHAL Study Abroad Support Program connecting Jewish Cornell students studying abroad to local Jewish communities, families, and resources worldwide.
• Jewish Graduate Student Association (JGSA) Community for Jewish graduate and professional students at Cornell, offering Shabbat and holiday meals, happy hours, and programming across all programs.
• Family Circle Membership Annual membership program at $360+ for parents and grandparents of current students, including recognition in the annual report and an appreciation gift.
• Hebrew Cornell Hat Chino cotton twill hat featuring 'Cornell' in Hebrew with adjustable strap and antique buckle, sold at $20.00.
• Hebrew Cornell Beanie 100% Turbo Acrylic beanie featuring 'Cornell' in Hebrew, hypoallergenic, unisex style, sold at $16.00.
• Hebrew Cornell Flag 100% polyester flag displaying 'Cornell' in Hebrew with knitted fabric and two iron grommets, sold at $26.99.
• Hebrew Cornell Onesie Infant onesie featuring 'Cornell' in Hebrew with ring-spun combed cotton construction, sold at $24.99.
• Hebrew Cornell Unisex T-Shirt 100% combed and ring-spun cotton t-shirt with 'Cornell' in Hebrew, unisex comfortable fit, sold at $20.00.
• Unisex Hebrew Cornell Hoodie 50% cotton, 50% polyester hoodie with double-lined hood, air-jet spun yarn, and front pouch pocket featuring 'Cornell' in Hebrew, sold at $30.00 (bestseller).
• Clock Tower Mezuzah Ceramic mezuzah (does not include scroll) featuring Cornell's clock tower design, approximately 6.25 inches high; regular price $80.00, sale price $54.00.
• Kiddush Sponsorship One-time sponsorship at $180 supporting the Orthodox Minyan (Kedma) Shabbat morning Kiddush, used to honor simchas or mark Yahrzeits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3,000 students engaged annually in Jewish campus life
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Birthright IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational non-profit organization providing free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults. Grinspoon Hillel sends over 100 students annually on Big Red Birthright trips. Trip runs May 24 - June 3, 2026.
• KAHALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnects Jewish students studying abroad to local Jewish communities, families, organizations, and leaders in cities worldwide. Also provides DIY resources for students without local Jewish communities.
• Onward IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmersive internship program placing students in competitive internships in the greater Tel Aviv area. Includes professional development, Israeli society education, and community with Cornell and other campus participants.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered student organization of Cornell University. Donations count toward Cornell Annual Fund. Hillel is part of Cornell's Anabel Taylor Hall. Capital campaign donations can be made through Cornell.
• 104West!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell's kosher and multicultural dining room under STAR-K and STAR-D Kosher Certifications with resident Mashgiach supervision. Hosts Shabbat dinners and holiday meals for Hillel students.
• Ithaca Area United Jewish Community (IAUJC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 1948, advocates for local Jewish organizations and needs of Jews in Israel and worldwide. Raises funds, supports Israel, and makes grants to local Jewish organizations.
• Cornellians for IsraelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell's pro-Israel organization promoting awareness and programming on culture, politics and current events of Israel. Partners with Hillel on Israel Week and campus events.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chabad at Cornell University: The other major provider of Jewish student programming at Cornell, focused on Orthodox outreach and Shabbat/holiday services. Most directly competes with Grinspoon Hillel for the same ~2,500 Jewish students on the same campus.
• Harvard Hillel: Largest Hillel chapter in the Ivy League with similar programming breadth (Shabbat, Birthright, learning fellowships) and donor-supported operating model. Operates at similar scale and is the strongest peer Ivy Hillel.
• Columbia/Barnard Hillel: Hillel serving Columbia and Barnard with pluralistic Jewish programming, Shabbat services, Israel trips, and donor-funded operations — closely comparable in mission, demographic, and Ivy context.
• Yale Hillel: Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale is a direct peer as another Ivy-League Hillel with a standalone building, donor-supported budget, and broad pluralistic programming for Jewish undergrads/grads.
• Brown/RISD Hillel: Pluralistic Jewish student organization serving Brown and RISD with comparable programming, donor-supported operations, and Ivy-tier demographic. Peer in size and operating model.
• Dartmouth Hillel: Jewish student life organization at Dartmouth providing similar programming spectrum (Shabbat, Israel, learning) with donor-supported model. Direct Ivy peer at slightly smaller scale.
• Penn Hillel (University of Pennsylvania): Pluralistic Hillel at another Ivy school with comparable programming, donor-supported model, and recent capital building initiatives. Highly analogous in scope and budget scale.

Broad incumbents

• Hillel International: The umbrella organization supporting 550+ Hillel campuses in 17 countries, including Cornell Hillel itself. Directly comparable as the apex of the same Jewish campus ministry ecosystem Cornell operates within.

Regional players

• Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester: Regional Jewish communal organization in upstate NY that supports local Jewish programming including grants to Ithaca-area Jewish organizations. Comparable as a donor/grantmaking body rather than a direct Hillel competitor.

Others

• Cornell United Religious Work (CURW): Cornell's interfaith campus ministry umbrella housed in Anabel Taylor Hall where Hillel offices are co-located. Comparable as a campus-based religious programming organization sharing infrastructure with Hillel at Cornell.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cuhillel
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornellHillel
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornellhillel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cornellhillel