Tuesday, October 17, 2006 marked the opening of The SHACK at Hillel, serviced by the hot Wilshire Boulevard kosher restaurant: Bistro Baguette Café (BBC Café), the caterer behind all of Hillel's Shabbat dinners as well as Passover meals last spring.

 

Enjoying affordable and tasty kosher meals in Hillel's second floor Gindi Dining Center was a capacity crowd of students, staff, UCLA faculty and guests (and a reporter from the Daily Bruin, UCLA's student newspaper – read the story.

 

At the 12:45 PM launch day ceremony, former Hillel at UCLA Student Board President Andy Green served as Master of Ceremonies.  He welcomed everyone to the SHACK and paid tribute to Hillel Jewish Learning Initiative Staffer Sharona Kaplan, whose fondness for catchy acronyms inspired the SHACK ("Students Hungry and Craving Kosher"). 

 

Green then introduced Judith Boteach, her brother (and SHACK Chef) Gabriel Ifrah, their niece Monique Powell, and the other kitchen staff from BBC Café.

 

Hillel at UCLA Executive Director Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller then shared some insight on the genesis of Hillel's kosher meal program that began with the construction of the new Hillel facility in 2002.  Looking forward, new goals for the SHACK would include on-campus deliveries, meals in UCLA housing, and take out dinners. 

 

Green thanked Shabbat Chair and Jewish Student Union President Jenn Lorch and Food Services Chair Emeritus Elliot Siegel for their many hours of behind-the-scenes work for today’s launch.  Both Lorch and Siegel were awarded certificates for one week of free meals at the SHACK.

 

Finally, Green announced Hillel's contest winners:

• Diana Tehrani received a certificate for one week of complete meals at the SHACK, as her name was randomly drawn among those who participated in the Hillel meals survey last spring. 
• The "Worst Name" suggestion nearly unanimously agreed upon by survey participants was "My Space Eatery," submitted by Activities Chair Jacob Miskabi (who was in attendance to personally receive a $25 gift certificate to Hillel’s popular Coffee House and Tea Lounge – as Green joked Miskabi may want to hide from The SHACK’s patrons for awhile).
• The "Best Name Not Used" went to "Bruinstein Café," submitted by Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Student and GAP Chair Ben Meiselman, who received a certificate for one quarter of free complete meals (a $300+ value). 

Green thanked the crowd and asked that everyone keep a lookout for future promotions, contests, events and programs at The SHACK.