YU Continues $20 Million Renovation of Furst Hall, Soon to be the Belz Building; New Lobby and Galleries Nearly Completed

Construction of the Belz Collections and Galleries in the newly renovated lobby of Furst Hall, set to be renamed the Belz Building in honor of a $20 million donation by the Belz family, is nearly complete. Future work, including a re-modeling of the entire exterior of the building, is planned to continue over the spring and summer. 

The Belz Galleries in the newly renovated lobby of the building features much of the Belz family’s collection of Judaica and Jewish art, and is valued at $6 million. The gallery, set to be on permanent display, is set to open fully to the YU community and the public sometime in the spring, with specific details to be announced at a later date, according to Hanan Eisenman, YU director of communications.

The renovations for Furst Hall on Wilf Campus are financed by a $20 million donation from the Belz family, and was initially announced January 2022. The renovations will include work on both the interior and exterior of the building.  

Changes will include the installation of an entirely new heating and air conditioning system and a “state-of-the-art” glass facade. According to Eisenman, these enhancements contribute to the building's aesthetics while also increasing its energy efficiency. Ongoing fundraising campaigns are in progress to support additional interior renovation features. 

“I think that the renovation creates an appealing environment for academic growth,” Gidon Fox (YC ‘24) told The Commentator. “This is essential for YU and greatly enhances the learning process for students. We truly appreciate the Belz family’s generous contributions towards the execution of this project, and look forward to seeing its completion.”

As of publishing, there is no date set for the formal inauguration of the new Belz Building.

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Photo Caption: A rendition of the projected completed Belz Building

Photo Caption: Yeshiva University