Haste Street Dorm In Need of Donations

IBS Building Undergoing Renovation

To donate to the IBS Haste Street dorm renovation project, go to: bit.ly/3GPt6AK

Or use this QR code for donations:

---

The Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) Haste Street dorm — the heart of IBS for nearly 60 years — is seeking donations to complete a renovation project that began in February.

As part of the Dharma Forward campaign, the IBS is reaching out to the BCA community, supporters and IBS alumni to help furnish the Haste Street dorm.

The Haste Street dorm dates back to the early 1960s, when the IBS was known as the BCA Study Center. The center was housed at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple to train and educate American-born ministers. 

The BCA Study Center was later renamed and incorporated as the Institute of Buddhist Studies, becoming the first Buddhist seminary in the United States. To support this effort, over $300,000 was raised by the BCA community and roughly one-third of that amount went to the purchase of a building on Haste Street in Berkeley, California.

For the next decade, the IBS was “Haste House,” as it was then called. Classes were held in the common rooms downstairs; faculty and visiting scholars lived in the rooms upstairs. One bedroom was converted to a shrine room where ministerial candidates would practice chanting and services. 

In 1968, Rev. Haruyoshi Kusada was named IBS Executive Director and, along with support from others, developed the curriculum which allowed the IBS to become officially certified by California’s Department of Education as a graduate school and seminary.

For the next two to three decades, while the institute’s administrative offices and classrooms were moved to other buildings, Haste House became the Haste Street dorm. Generations of IBS students have lived in the building and have made good Dharma friends there. 

Over time, the building was maintained as best as it could be with generous help from the BCA community, but crucial upgrades have been necessary. 

Roots from a neighboring property’s trees ruined the driveway and diverted water into the basement. Original single-pane windows weren’t energy efficient, allowing heat to escape in the winter and letting in too much heat in the summer. Occupancy dropped to almost zero during the pandemic, and IBS leadership wasn’t sure what the future of the dorm would be.

With the generosity of Larry and Vicky Yamaoka, IBS has received the support needed to fully renovate the dorm. And the dormitory is on track to reopen in the fall.

The dorm’s floor plan has been almost completely reimagined. The old building is getting a fresh coat of paint, new windows, floors and wiring. A fire sprinkler system has been added for extra safety. Second-floor rooms are being reconfigured to maximize living space. 

A modest donation of $1,000 will cover the costs of a bed, desk and other furnishing for each residential room. Donors may also wish to have a room named after their family or loved ones. Individual rooms may be named starting at $5,000. 

All donors will be listed on a commemorative plaque in the entryway. And, of course, IBS is grateful for any donation, large or small. All donations will go toward the benefit of the Haste Street dorm.

The needs and categories are as follows: 

• A donation of $1,000 will cover the costs of a bed, desk and other furnishing for each residential room. (11 rooms available).

• A donation of $5,000 will go toward naming each individual room. (11 rooms available)

• A donation of $5,000 will go toward naming a common room. (two rooms available)

• A donation of $10,000 will go toward naming the attached apartment. (one room available)

Naming rooms in the dorm is more than placing a plaque on the wall — it is an opportunity to leave a legacy that shapes the daily lives of future IBS students. These names become part of the students’ stories at the dorm, a lasting imprint on the place they’ll one day call their second home.

A reopening celebration will be planned for later this fall. Please sign up for IBS’s email list at our website at https://www.shin-ibs.edu/ for updates. 

Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions about the IBS Haste Street dorm at scott@shin-ibs.edu or 510-809-1449.

And, as always, your support of Buddhist education is deeply appreciated!