Hillel is the University’s longest and largest Jewish campus organization in the world. Founded in 1923 at University of Illinois, Champaign by Rabbi Benjamin Frankel, the organization gained their funding support from B’nai Birth Hillel foundation, Jewish Federations, and private donations as well as direct fundraising. Recently, over 550 colleges and universities have their own Hillel(s) in order to support their mission “to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world”. The organization runs its own events and programs to celebrate Jewish learning and living, and purse social justices to connect students with Jewish tradition, the Jewish community and the others.

Hillel of Buffalo at the University of Buffalo is a non-profit organization which primarily serves the student communities of the State University of New York at Buffalo and the State University at Buffalo. Aided by Arthur I. Goldberg of the Montefiore Lodge, #70, it formed around 1946. The organization provides religious, educational and cultural services to the student communities. It is affiliated with the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo, Inc. , which provides the foundation with a significant portion of its financial support along from grants from International B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation. The Hillel office is run by an administrator, which has sometimes been filled by a Rabbi-administrator, or Rabbi and administrator.

Over years, Hillel professionals and student leaders in Buffalo have provided an array of events and programs, and social welfare projects including high holy days, Sabbath services and meals, lectures and discussions on Judaism such as the annual Wasserman Conference at University at Buffalo, annual trip to Israel, the Federation Committee on Soviet Jewry, and support of Israel. The current office is located at UB Commons Suite #210. In past, their offices located 1209 Elmwood Avenue, 40 Capen Blvd, 520 Lee Entrance, University Commons, and Suite 203, University at Buffalo.