The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies is opening its new $55 million facility in Chicago this week.
The 10-story building, featuring a dramatic faceted wall of 726 pieces of glass and located next to the institute’s former home, a 100-year-old renovated office building on Michigan Avenue, will open Friday to the public. The design already has received critical acclaim.
The institute features a museum with a 15,000-piece collection of Jewish art and artifacts, a library and a graduate college. The new building will feature a kosher cafe, a 400-seat theater, and several areas that can be rented for receptions, parties or community events. A children’s center will open in the spring.
Spertus began in 1924 as Chicago’s College of Jewish Studies. The institute began searching for a new location 10 years ago.
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