Two weeks ago, I had an Anthropology midterm in the Golding Auditorium. As you may know, compared to most auditoriums, Golding is pretty outdated. The squeaky, wooden seats feel like antiques; the tiny desks just barely have room for a laptop, and they cannot fit a test booklet and an exam side by side (a strange problem that I had to deal with). The room has no windows and is poorly lit. Needless to say, I was happy when the exam was over. But just two days beforehand, the scene had been quite different. It really didn't matter that the seats were uncomfortable or that there was no room on your table. Because two days beforehand, the Brandeis Orthodox Organization held Jewish prayer services in the very same room (because of scheduling conflicts, the usual International Lounge was unavailable). There was beautiful singing and a very enthusiastic vibe. The once bland room was transformed into something special. The same room that is used for stressful exams was used as a setting for an uplifting experience.

This may sound nice. And really, I don't have a bone to pick with Golding Auditorium. By no fault of its own, the room has simply not been updated. And I am very thankful that people were able to make a meaningful religious service in subpar conditions. But there's the problem: They shouldn't have to.

For whatever reason, be it because of seating accommodations or scheduling conflicts, the different religious subgroups of Hillel at Brandeis (Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist) have had to gather in numerous sites on campus throughout the semester. So far this year, Jews of all denominations have prayed in the following places: Berlin Chapel, Sherman Function Hall, the Levin Ballroom, Golding Auditorium, the International Lounge in Usdan, Pearlman lounge, the Hassenfield Conference Center, Castle Commons, and the basement of Shapiro Residence Hall (known as the Beit Midrash or house of study).

This dispersion of Jews has an adverse affect on the Jewish community as a whole. Jews from different backgrounds must walk in opposite directions on Friday nights to get to their different locations. What happens is that Jews within each group, to a certain extent, feel as though they belong solely to their group and not to a broader, more inclusive Jewish community. The physical impediments have played a large part in creating communal restrictions.

So here's what I propose for future donors to campus Jewish life: Brandeis should not renovate the 50-year-old Berlin Chapel, as it plans to do. Do not fiddle with the pews or the wooden floor. Instead, tear the whole thing down. In its place, build a brand-new, bigger, grander, fully equipped Hillel building, a place where all of the Jews on campus can gather at once. Because really, it does not matter what your personal practices are. It matters that we have the ability to form a cohesive community.

A Hillel building would allow Jews to converge in one place. Different Jews would not have to pray together, but at least we could walk together. We could learn together. And when there is a time when we could all agree, we could join together-whether it is in song, dance or dialogue.

Opponents may say that Brandeis is such a "Jewy" (a word that I love) school to begin with. Why do we need to create a communal space for everyone? In other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University, a Hillel building is necessary because of the massive population on campus. If there was no Hillel building at these campuses, Jews would simply not find each other. And at Brandeis-a smaller, tight-knit community-Jews can run into each other literally every minute. Why waste money on a building?

But this argument misses the point. You cannot tell people from totally different backgrounds that your strength in numbers and proportions makes it easier to form a unified community. It's still just as hard. Jewish communities at universities that have Hillel buildings find it easier to break down barriers. One of the criticisms that the Brandeis Jewish community sometimes receives is that it is very sectarian. So even though we can mingle on our walks to class and sit together in Sherman Dining Hall, when it comes time for ritual practice (which makes up a large part of what Jews do together), we must separate. A Hillel building would fix this.

How do we pay for such a building? In these financial times it seems unlikely that this building will be built any time soon. It will not be here when we are students. But Brandeis' donors must know about this great need. Brandeis must raise funds, because we pride ourselves on social justice and pluralism. And that's exactly what this building would promote.