For Coby Russo, USC Hillel Jewish Center is a “second home” he can visit every day of the week. Established in 1972, Hillel was built with the goal of creating a thriving area for USC Jewish students to connect and embrace their identities. 

Since then, this “second home” has gone through plenty of tune-ups, including renovations done in 2010, and more recently over the summer of 2025. Nowadays, Hillel hosts over 1,500 students every academic year, according to Dave Cohn, the executive director at USC Hillel.

Cohn said that Hillel being a “comfortable” space is essential: Hillel is open seven days a week for students to study or participate in activities and events. Cohn said that seeing a building that was well taken care of and restored encouraged more students to drop in and enjoy the space.

“We want to make sure that [Hillel] meets people’s expectations or even goes way beyond those,” Cohn said. “It’s amazing the impact that [renovations] has visually on what it’s like to approach this building from the outside compared to how it looked prior … it makes an impression, and we want to make the best possible impression on everyone who visits”

After increasing problems with leakage and gravel accumulation, USC Hillel received a new roof over summer break. The new roof is the latest in a series of renovations to Hillel, which include a new kitchen, a new entrance space, landscaping and a new paint job on the exterior walls. 

Cohn said that Hillel was previously renovated about 15 years ago, but the amount of traffic the building experiences made additional repairs necessary to upkeep the building. 

“Investing in the building became a priority, as we saw that some of its features needed renewal beyond what we were able to do with the facelift 15 years ago,” Cohn said. “That’s work that we had done over the summer to make sure we extend the useful life of the building.”

Hillel’s entryway was also redesigned to “project an image of welcoming” for students: the exterior was redone, the patio refurbished and new fencing was installed.

“We’re seeking to make sure that Hillel is as equipped as possible in design and presentation to the community and in functionality to be what it means to be for a huge number of students who fit the market, who are impacted and who we hope will have an exceptional journey through their time as USC students,” Cohn said. 

Hillel’s kitchen was renovated 18 months ago to better support the amount of food Hillel offers to students, which includes 200 Shabbat dinners every week. 

“If you saw [the kitchen before renovations] … you’d be shocked that we ever produced that scale of food,” Cohn said. “The investment in renewed design and renewed equipment in there has totally changed our ability to deliver high-caliber products with the resources that we have.” 

Russo, a senior majoring in public relations who was previously Hillel’s vice president of social engagement, is proud of the renovations and has been very active at Hillel throughout his time at USC. He has been able to meet many of his close friends from Hillel while being a leader to new students. 

“There’s something that happens here every day for people with all different interests. There’s different clubs that Hillel offers to people … different leadership [opportunities]. For me, it was social engagement that I got involved with,” Russo said. “Hillel has offered me a space where I could come and meet other Jewish students.”