Sacred Spaces at Goucher
Haebler Memorial Chapel
The chapel is situated at the heart of Goucher campus. It houses the Sacred Space,
the Undercroft, and the Chaplain's Office.
The Sacred Space is a place for:
- Individual prayer, meditation, quiet reflection
- Communal worship gatherings, both for particular religious traditions and multi-faith
gatherings
- Intersections between religious/spiritual opportunities and drama, art, and music
- Various music department performances
- Informal meetings and gatherings of students, staff, and faculty
The Undercroft is a place for:
- Small groups that need a private space for meeting, such as the Student Bereavement
Group, Surviving Together, and Back from Abroad.
- Spiritual/religious groups, such as the Interfaith Council, Unitarian Universalist
students, and Meditation.
Guidance for Use of the Chapel Spaces
The Haebler Memorial Chapel as a whole is a sacred space. The main floor Sacred Space
was designed as a religious space, deliberately open and not tied to a particular
Christian tradition, but certainly religious. It is used for religious observances
both Jewish (High Holidays) and Christian (Advent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and
others), as well as campus religious events (Alumnae/i weekend, Family Weekend, etc.).
Our chapel is also used for a variety of non-religious events - Admissions presentations,
lectures, concerts, dramatic performances, and more. It is important that all events
that occur within the chapel recognize the sacred history and nature of the space.
This is particularly true of the one religious piece that is a permanent part of the
chapel. The first is the cross, hung at the front of the chapel. The curtain is readily
available to cover the cross when it is not appropriate to the event.
If you have questions about whether something in your event is appropriate for the
chapel, contact Rev. Maeba Jonas, college chaplain, (chaplain@propertyhunter-realty.com, office in the lower level).
Weddings, Worship & Ceremony Rental
The chapel is a beautiful and reverent location for weddings, funerals, memorials,
and baby baptisms and dedications.
For venue rental information, please visit the Events and Conference Services page:
Haebler Memorial Chapel or contact events@propertyhunter-realty.com
Jewish Student Center
The Esther Ann Brown Adler Hillel Lounge in Heubeck Hall is home to Goucher Hillel.
This multifunction space has coffee, tea and snacks for drop-in hangouts, a Jewish
library, seating, materials and audiovisual equipment for a wide variety of uses.
The space hosts daily Hillel activities including weekly free Shabbat dinners that
attract 30-50 students. Goucher Hillel has three full time staff members with offices
adjacent to the lounge: Executive Director Rabbi Josh Snyder (hillel@propertyhunter-realty.com)
Multifaith Prayer & Meditation Space
The Multifaith Prayer and Meditation Space is in Bacon 104 (Mary Fisher). This space
is designed for students, faculty, and staff seeking a quiet place to meditate and/or
pray. The space is supplied with Muslim prayer rugs, Qur'an and scarves; Buddhist
meditation cushions and benches; Hindu idols; Unitarian-Universalist chalice and hymnal;
Jewish prayer books and havdalah spice box; crystals and plants for wiccan and pagan
observances; Christian Bibles and prayer books; and more. Email chaplain@propertyhunter-realty.com to request the entry code.
The Reflection Room
The Reflection Room is located in the academic quad and is set aside for private prayer,
meditation or personal reflection. The space is located across from the restrooms
next to the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) - Julia Rodgers G54. Please respect
the privacy of anyone using the space and keep it open for those who need it when
not in use.