But in 1994 a judge ordered Chabad to return the Bayit to the Bayit Project, which rebuilt the board and mounted a huge fundraising campaign to refurbish the decaying, three-story building on a steep hill. Today, the board has about 30 people from all different walks of Judaism, all of them dedicated to keeping the Bayit a viable, attractive option for young adults. The board, which has dinners and retreats with the residents to maintain a relationship, decided to hire a resident adviser and program coordinator. Shiurim, Jewish classes or lectures, are a regular feature at the Bayit, and once a quarter residents are also required to participate in a mitzvah project, such as visiting an old age home or working in a food pantry. While the program coordinator oversees those programs, it is the student board that creates and runs them.
Students also pay their own bills, maintain the house, and decide which applicants to accept.
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, director of UCLA Hillel, sees the Bayit as an important component of student life. Davis is hoping with that each year will bring students closer to realizing that potential. The Bayit is currently accepting applications.