The Esther Ann Brown Adler Hillel Lounge in Heubeck Hall is home to Goucher Hillel. This multifunction space has coffee, tea and snacks for drop-in hangouts, a Jewish library, seating, materials and audiovisual equipment for a wide variety of uses. The space hosts daily Hillel activities including weekly free Shabbat dinners that attract 30-50 students. Goucher Hillel has three full time staff members with offices adjacent to the lounge: Executive Director Rabbi Josh Snyder (hillel@goucher.edu)
Sacred Spaces at Goucher
Haebler Memorial Chapel
The chapel is situated at the heart of Goucher campus. It houses the Sacred Space, the Undercroft, and the Chaplain's Office.
The Sacred Space is a place for:
- Individual prayer, meditation, quiet reflection
- Communal worship gatherings, both for particular religious traditions and multi-faith gatherings
- Intersections between religious/spiritual opportunities and drama, art, and music
- Various music department performances
- Informal meetings and gatherings of students, staff, and faculty
The Undercroft is a place for:
- Small groups that need a private space for meeting, such as the Student Bereavement Group, Surviving Together, and Back from Abroad.
- Spiritual/religious groups, such as the Interfaith Council, Unitarian Universalist students, and Meditation.
Guidance for Use of the Chapel Spaces
The Haebler Memorial Chapel as a whole is a sacred space. The main floor Sacred Space was designed as a religious space, deliberately open and not tied to a particular Christian tradition, but certainly religious. It is used for religious observances both Jewish (High Holidays) and Christian (Advent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and others), as well as campus religious events (Alumnae/i weekend, Family Weekend, etc.).
Our chapel is also used for a variety of non-religious events - Admissions presentations, lectures, concerts, dramatic performances, and more. It is important that all events that occur within the chapel recognize the sacred history and nature of the space. This is particularly true of the one religious piece that is a permanent part of the chapel. The first is the cross, hung at the front of the chapel. The curtain is readily available to cover the cross when it is not appropriate to the event.
If you have questions about whether something in your event is appropriate for the chapel, contact Rev. Maeba Jonas, college chaplain, (chaplain@goucher.edu, office in the lower level).
Weddings, Worship & Ceremony Rental
The chapel is a beautiful and reverent location for weddings, funerals, memorials, and baby baptisms and dedications.
For venue rental information, please visit the Events and Conference Services page: Haebler Memorial Chapel or contact events@goucher.edu
Jewish Student Center
Multifaith Prayer & Meditation Space
The Multifaith Prayer and Meditation Space is in Bacon 104 (Mary Fisher). This space is designed for students, faculty, and staff seeking a quiet place to meditate and/or pray. The space is supplied with Muslim prayer rugs, Qur'an and scarves; Buddhist meditation cushions and benches; Hindu idols; Unitarian-Universalist chalice and hymnal; Jewish prayer books and havdalah spice box; crystals and plants for wiccan and pagan observances; Christian Bibles and prayer books; and more. Email chaplain@goucher.edu to request the entry code.
The Reflection Room
The Reflection Room is located in the academic quad and is set aside for private prayer, meditation or personal reflection. The space is located across from the restrooms next to the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) - Julia Rodgers G54. Please respect the privacy of anyone using the space and keep it open for those who need it when not in use.