Correction appendedThe Jewish, Protestant and Catholic chapels on campus and their surrounding landscape, as well as the Muslim worship center in the Usdan Student Center, will undergo renovations starting next month, Vice President of Capital Projects Dan Feldman wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

The renovation plans were approved by University President Jehuda Reinharz Aug. 25 after spending several years on the University's list of potential renewal projects. The renovations will continue into the spring and early summer of 2010, according to Feldman. The cost of the current plans is estimated at nearly $1 million, though the exact price will not be known until Capital Projects has received bids from construction companies for the various components of the project. The project will be funded by a gift given to the University expressly for the renovation by a donor who did not wish to be named .

The scope of the planned renovations was based on input and priorities established in a meeting over the summer by the four chaplains, the Office of Student Life, Conference and Events Services and the Office of Facilities Services. During the meeting, each chaplain led a tour of his or her respective chapel and pointed out recommendations for the renovation.

The Brandeis chapels were the first interdenominational chapels built at an American university and hold much historic and spiritual significance, but according to Feldman, they have not seen any major renovations since their construction in 1955.

"The three chapels are beautiful, iconic buildings on the Brandeis campus, but at this point they are not in good condition and are very much in need of renewal," wrote Feldman. He has also stated that the renovations will not interfere with the current location or structure of the chapels.

The renovations for the chapels are expected to include high-priority items such as floor replacement and refinishing, new furniture, carpets, patching, painting and upgrades to bathrooms. Plans also include repairs to the stone walls and paths in the landscape surrounding all three chapels.

In addition, the mechanical systems in the chapels, including heat and electricity, will be connected to the University's Building Management System, which should conserve energy over time. Because the chapels are used sporadically rather than steadily throughout the day, the Building Management System will allow the heating in the chapels to be coordinated with the schedule for their use. This should allow for a more efficient allocation of resources on campus, according to Feldman.

In the Muslim worship space in the Usdan Student Center, where Muslims within the Brandeis community gather weekly after prayer and during the nights of Ramadan, standard renovations such as floor refinishing and painting are planned, as well as the installation of a ritual ablution sink used after worship.

Not included in the current plans for renovation are several costly repairs and renewal projects that were cut due to lack of sufficient funds, according to Feldman. These include the replacement of mechanical systems, creation of handicapped-accessible restrooms, repair of the buildings' brick facades and replacement of glass facades in the chapels.

"We hope that additional gifts will, in the future, enable us to accomplish the additional repairs," Feldman stated. He said, however, that "at the moment, there are no plans to carry them out."

The schedule for the renovation was designed to avoid any interference with religious worship on campus. The Protestant and Catholic chapels will undergo renovation one at a time, and renovation of the Jewish chapel and the Muslim worship space in Usdan will take place simultaneously.

Under this plan, Protestant and Catholic worshippers will share space while their respective chapels are under construction. Jewish services will be temporarily relocated to the Catholic chapel, and Muslims will be provided with an alternative venue for their weekly prayer. Worshippers will share facilities during holidays and days of Sabbath while the construction is underway.

Father Walter Cuenin, the Catholic chaplain at Brandeis and Coordinator of the Interfaith Chaplaincy, believes that sharing space may promote interfaith cooperation.

"I have offered to remove the Christian icons that currently hang on the walls of the Bethlehem Chapel while Jewish worshippers use the space as a makeshift synagogue," Cuenin said.

"The Brandeis Chaplaincy-Imam Talal Eid, Rabbi Elyse Winick, Alexander Kern and myself-is committed to making this transition as easy as possible for the religious community," he said.

Cuenin believes that the current plans for renovation will not only repair outdated features of the interiors of the chapels but will also beautify the buildings and surrounding landscape.

He also hopes the renovations will make for a more comfortable environment for prayer.

"We have a designated space for prayer so that that space can become sacred to those who use it," said Rabbi Elyse Winick, the Jewish chaplain. "The chapels are an important backdrop for worship, and we believe these renovations will honor that sacred space."

Other representatives from the religious community at Brandeis also shared their thoughts on the planned renovations.

"The renovation of the chapels is a great sign of interfaith commitment," said Cuenin.

"Putting money into the chapels shows the University's continuing dedication to the value of these spiritual traditions," he said.

Winick commented on the significance of the renovations in relation to the University and its various religious groups, saying that "these renovations show that Brandeis understands and values how students grow spiritually during their time here, not just intellectually."

Correction: Renovations to the Berlin Chapel and the Muslim prayer space will not begin until after the completion of the finals period, and the renovations will be complete in time for students' return to campus. No change of location for religious services will be necessary.