The Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies has a new home. Thanks to the generosity of UW alumni Jeffrey and Marvin Levy, CJS and 7 other academic units have moved into an elegantly designed, thoroughly modern new building at the corner of Johnson and Park Streets.
Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, named after Jeff and Marv’s parents, was created for programs in the humanities. To serve that purpose, it offers inviting study spaces for reading and writing, as well as areas for students, faculty, and staff to gather.
In addition to CJS, Levy Hall will be the home of African American Studies, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, History, and Religious Studies. While offering each unit its own space, the building’s open layout also encourages the kind of spontaneous conversations that can lead to collaborations across the different departments and programs.
Levy Hall was designed by Bora Architecture & Interiors, with interior design by Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors. The five-floor building features two large lecture halls, 11 smaller classrooms, a café, a terrace, and a rooftop garden. Three entrances lead into an expansive central atrium several stories high, traversed by a suspended catwalk and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
This open atmosphere creates quite a different effect than the academic buildings that greeted the Levys when they arrived at UW–Madison in the 1960s. Jeff and Marv’s older brother, Phillip (1942–2021), came first, earning a BS in 1964. Marv earned his BS in 1968 and a JD in 1971. Jeff earned his BS in 1972. In honor of Phillip, Marv and Jeff have recently provided the funds for another new building, the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center, with a grand opening planned for early 2029.
Over the years the Levys have supported dozens of university and community needs, including Jewish organizations such as Hillel and Chabad and synagogues such as Temple Beth El and Beth Israel Center. This philanthropy reflects the family’s deep commitment to the communities and projects they support. “For us,” Jeff explains, “it was never about writing checks from afar. It was about rolling up our sleeves, engaging with the causes we believed in, and being part of the work.” As Marv remarked at the building’s 2024 groundbreaking ceremony: “At some point in your life, hopefully, you realize that it is not about you, but what you can do to help others.”
Throughout Irving and Dorothy’s 61 years of marriage, the couple worked hard, creating the means to help many others, both in their own lifetime and beyond. While living in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the post-World War II years, Irving started working in the restaurant supply business. Eventually he purchased Phillips Distributing Corporation, which is now operated by Marv and Jeff.
The building that bears their parents’ name is built to last. In addition to the durability of its construction, Levy Hall offers state-of-the-art technology and accessibility, with stairless entrances, wide stairwells inside, and spacious elevators. Among other environmentally prudent measures, Levy Hall has a system for collecting rainwater from the roof and storing it in an off-site cistern to cover the building’s irrigation needs.
The Levys’ gift of $20 million supplemented the state’s allocation for the building. As the blueprints continued to unfold, other UW supporters pitched in to make possible a building of exceptional quality. These include CJS Board of Visitors members Julie and Peter Weil (’70, JD’74), who provided the funds for a two-story student lounge—a spot they picked, says Julie, because it’s “a unifying space,” “where faculty and students can congregate.”
Interim Chancellor Eric M. Wilcots, who was the Dean of L&S throughout planning and construction, has described Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall as a testament to support for the humanities.
As Jeff explains, “We want buildings to last a hundred years.” In this first year of Levy Hall’s long life, we in CJS are grateful for the opportunity to be part of it.
Our new address:
4165 Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall
232 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53715