The Mandel Center for the Humanities and the Mandel Humanities Quad, made possible by a $22.5 million grant from the Mandel Foundation, opened for use by students and faculty this semester and were officially dedicated on Tuesday Oct. 26. Morton Mandel, whose foundation gave the grant that supported the construction of the Mandel Center, addressed a standing-room only- crowd of Brandeis trustees, faculty members, students and benefactors, at the dedication ceremony after describing the building as "awesome."

The Mandel Foundation, founded by Morton Mandel and his brothers, Joseph and Jack, gave the University a grant of $22.5 million to build the Mandel Center. University President Jehuda Reinharz noted that this is the largest grant ever given by the Mandel Foundation and it is among the largest gifts ever given to support the humanities in the United States.

Mandel called the building " a thing of beauty beyond being a facility; [it is] a tool that will improve education on this campus."

Mandel said he was blown away when he had lunch with about a dozen humanities faculty members who told him that the building made them more able to interact with one another. Mandel added that it was a "wonderful, pleasant surprise" to learn that the Mandel Center for the Humanities had a deep impact on the faculty.

"The notion that in this building [the faculty] will practice their craft more effectively, to me, was almost overwhelming" he said.

Mandel added that the building surpassed his expectations and the Mandel Center "is a lot more than being able to make a grant and doing good things. [...] It is about changing the world."

Mandel's wife, Barbara, a Brandeis trustee, thanked all those who worked on the project and said it feels much better to give than receive. She said she will not forget all the kind remarks of faculty and students who have been positively affected by the new building.

Prior to the construction of the Mandel Center, the Mandel family had "generously supported Brandeis through the establishment of the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, the Mandel Chair in Jewish Education, the Barbara and Morton Mandel Endowed Graduate Fellowship in the Humanities, and the Barbara and Morton Mandel Endowed Graduate Fellowship in English and American Literature" according to the dedication pamphlet.

Reinharz praised the Mandel Family and said the University has been extremely "fortunate to have Mort and Barbra Mandel's passion, support, care, and commitment, over many years as partners in many projects"

Reinharz added, "The Mandel brothers invest in people, people who have the value, ability and passion to change the world."

Reinharz will become president of the Mandel Foundation after he steps down as president at the end of the calendar year. The Mandel Foundation helps provide outstanding leadership for nonprofit institutions. According to its website, "The Foundation supports leadership education programs in its own institutions and at selected universities and organizations."

Reinharz noted the significance of the new building for the humanities, explaining that the humanities are struggling "disproportionately" because both students and monetary support are being drawn away from the humanities.

He further described that a "combination of social and demographic trends, economic factors and changing job markets have attracted a growing number of undergraduate students to fields other than the humanities."

"Without the study of the humanities, our own humanity is diminished," said Reinharz. "The Mandel Center is a clear message to everyone that the humanities are important here at Brandeis, that architecture is important at Brandeis, and beauty is important at Brandeis. These are values that the Mandels share with us."

Henry Putnam University Professor of History at Princeton University Anthony Grafton was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony. His talk was titles "Readers and Books of Renaissance Europe."

In her introduction of Grafton, Prof. Ramie Targoff (ENG), director of the Mandel Center, said Grafton was the perfect person to launch the center for the humanities because of his "ability to combine his vast knowledge of a world long gone with questions and concerns that occupy us today."

Faculty, administrators, trustees and students expressed enthusiasm and delight with the new Mandel Center.

Trustee Daniel Jick '79 said in an interview with the Justice after the event, "I thought it was spectacular." He added it is fortunate to have a donor who "appreciates the impact [the Mandel Center] will have on students, [and] on faculty."

Heddy Ben-Atar '11, senior representative to the Board of Trustees, said of the Mandel Center, in an interview with the Justice, "It puts Brandeis at the forefront of higher education by showing our dedication to kinds of things other schools are neglecting, including the humanities."

Targoff, in an interview with the Justice after the event, said of the building, "We are all really, really grateful for this building. It has changed honestly the way we interact with each other as colleagues and it has brought a really new enthusiasm to the campus."

Targoff added praise of the Mandel family. She said, "Just hearing Mort Mandel, who is so committed to both a change in the world and in a smaller way, the way we do our work at Brandeis-I think it is going to have a real effect on our attitudes toward the University, towards this building, and makes me want to do more for the community.