- University of Florida Hillel was renamed the Diane and Howard Schilit Hillel after a seven-figure donation from the Schilits as part of a $10 million campaign.
- The campaign has raised $7.3 million to renovate facilities and create endowments supporting UF's large Jewish student population and will continue until at least May 2026.
University of Florida Hillel has been renamed the Diane and Howard Schilit Hillel at University of Florida following a seven-figure donation from Washington, D.C.-based philanthropists Diane Lipson Schilit and Howard Schilit.
The donation is part of a larger $10 million campaign that has raised $7.3 million to date and “will support facility renovations and programmatic endowments serving UF’s robust Jewish population,” according to a release.
“Diane and Howard’s generosity will strengthen our ability to support Jewish students during a critical time in their lives and on campus,” said Rabbi Jonah Zinn, executive director of Schilit Hillel, in the release. “We’re grateful for their partnership in meeting the moment as UF continues to attract many Jewish students seeking a vibrant, welcoming community.”
According to the release, UF “is home to one of the largest Jewish undergraduate populations among public universities” in the U.S.
The campaign supports renovations to Norman H. Lipoff Hall, which opened 21 years ago and has seen record levels of engagement, the release said. The first phase of the renovations was completed this past summer with the construction of the Stuzin Family Outdoor Pavilion. A ground-floor renovation is next in the plans, with work scheduled to begin in May 2026.
According to the release, the campaign also includes the creation of endowment funds to support Schilit Hillel’s program in perpetuity.
Lipson Schilit, a UF alumna, is a current UF Hillel board member and former international board member. She and Howard Schilit are also active members of the Jewish communities in Washington, D.C., and Miami.
She said the donation “represents a new chapter” in their own philanthropy.
“Seeing the thriving community at UF and understanding the challenges Jewish students face today, we knew this was our opportunity to ensure that future generations of Jewish Gators have a home and a community that will sustain them,” Lipson Schilit said in the release.
Howard Schilit noted the possibility for UF Hillel to become a “national model.”
“As a long-term stock investor, I’ve learned to recognize potential,” he said in the release. “We see tremendous opportunity for University of Florida’s Hillel to become a national model, and Diane and I are excited to make that vision a reality and watch, with pride, as Hillel grows from strength-to-strength.”
The release states that the campaign remains active, with additional naming opportunities available for donors interested in supporting Jewish student life at UF.
For more information about the Diane and Howard Schilit Hillel at the University of Florida or the campaign, visit https://www.ufhillel.org.