A pipe burst in the Fiedler Hillel Center on Monday morning due to cold temperatures, causing flooding that will require the building to close for at least two days, Hillel Executive Director Michael Simon said.

Hillel staff is unsure how extensive the damage is, but Simon said the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, which oversees the center’s facilities, told him the building would likely be reopened later in the week, Simon said.

The federation is currently working with a flood cleanup company to restore the building as quickly as possible, Simon said.

“I think it’s one of those things we have no control over and it seems to just be due to the weather,” Simon said. “I feel fortunate that out of all the people, nobody was hurt in any way and hopefully the damage will be limited.”

Because the burst was caught early, Simon said he hopes the damage will be minimal and cleanup will be quick.

The Fiedler Hillel Center is not the only building to be affected by subzero temperatures. A pipe burst in University Hall on Jan. 8, forcing many class to relocate while repairs took place.

Simon said the Hillel staff will be working remotely over the next couple of days, and all programming scheduled to take place at the building will be moved to other locations throughout campus. He said there were no upcoming big programs scheduled at Hillel, so the closure will likely only affect a few student groups, including ShireiNU, the Jewish a cappella group, and the Jewish Theatre Ensemble.

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