June 2005
In This Issue: | What’s Next | JCC Planning | Inspiration & Support | Mazel Tov |
Welcome to the Campus for Jewish Life newsletter! The Campus is an exciting development project on the South Peninsula involving two premier Bay Area Jewish organizations—the Palo Alto JCC and the Jewish Home of San Francisco. We hope you will enjoy reading the latest updates about the Campus and other news important to our community. Help spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends and family. Anyone not receiving the newsletter directly from us can email info@campusforjewishlife.org to be added to the list or click here to sign up directly. For more information, visit our website at www.campusforjewishlife.org.
What’s Next?
Creating the Campus for Jewish Life: What’s Next?
The next big step toward creating the Campus for Jewish Life is called Schematic Design. During this exciting phase, we will see the actual design of buildings for the new Jewish Community Center and the Jewish senior residences. We estimate that Schematic Design will take six months to complete and have set fall 2005 as our goal. Concluding Schematic Design is a requirement for the City of Palo Alto approval process, which is well underway. We remain focused on keeping that process, as well as the project timeline, on track. We hope to break ground in fall 2006…just 17 months from now. Construction is expected to take two years to complete, with 2008 projected as the opening date for the new Jewish Community Center and Jewish senior residences.
In the meantime, the JCC’s Maccabi teams have begun practicing for this year’s event at the sports courts on the future site of the Campus for Jewish Life. The JCC MACCABI GAMES© were first held in 1982 with 300 participants and since have grown to attract over 6,000 Jewish teens each summer from all over the world for a week of athletic competition and camaraderie. In June, our local JCC Maccabi delegation will hold their “all-sport-day” at the CJL site. Go JCC Maccabi teams!
JCC Planning
Moving Ahead to Meet Growing Community Needs
“We are currently prioritizing future JCC programs to determine what specific facilities we will need on the Campus,” said Alan Sataloff, CEO of the Palo Alto JCC. “We are planning a facility that takes into account the needs of our growing early childhood education, senior, young adult and adult programs. We are also exploring facilities for cultural and community events. In addition, planning is also in progress for our top-notch, ‘A+’ fitness center that includes space for specialty fitness classes, weight training, and cardio center, as well as an amazing indoor swimming pool complete with dinosaur-shaped slides, a 10-foot slide, mushroom umbrella fountains, and whirlpool.”
Recently released results of the 2004 Federation-sponsored “Jewish Community Study” show that the South Peninsula has the region’s greatest number of Jewish children—over 19,000, representing 37% of the region’s total of 53,000 Jewish children vs. 22% in San Francisco. The survey results were presented at a June 1 South Peninsula Community meeting hosted by Congregation Etz Chayim.
Inspiration and Support
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo:
“I have long been a supporter of the extraordinary works of the Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the opening of its new, permanent home at the Campus for Jewish Life.
The Jewish Community Center is a highly regarded provider of social, educational and recreational services for people of all age groups. The combination of the Jewish Community Center with urgently needed housing for seniors at the Campus for Jewish Life will be a benefit to our entire community.
I appreciate your efforts and those of all who are working to make this project a reality.”
Rabbi Ari Cartun, Congregation Etz Chayim:
“I see a great need for a Jewish center – a place for all to participate and be a part of – a central place. The JCC provides programming and services for all Jews, no matter the denomination. The Campus provides a space for an intermingled Jewish community to meet, exercise and commune. In addition, there is not enough affordable housing in this area. To the extent that the Jewish Home makes it possible for families to stay together in the Bay Area is a real mechayeh.”
Mazel Tov to Jewish Family and Children’s Services
Congratulations to Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, which recently celebrated the opening of its new home on 200 Channing Avenue at Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto and welcomed new Peninsula Regional Director, Beth Schecter. JFCS Board President Lela Sarnat (at left, with Executive Director Anita Friedman) estimates that JFCS serves approximately 10,000 Peninsula residents per year, another indicator of the needs of this area’s growing Jewish community.
“JFCS is a place for everyone,” Sarnat said. “In addition to counseling and support services for adults, JFCS offers a complete spectrum of children’s and parenting services through our nationally recognized Parents Place Family Resource Center, as well as a wide array of services for the elderly, including homecare and hospice through our award-winning Seniors at Home Program. Our doors are open to offer help to all who need it.”
For more information about Jewish Family and Children’s Services contact JFCS at (650) 688-3055 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (650) 688-3055 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or www.jfcs.org.
The Campus for Jewish Life will transform Jewish community life on the South Peninsula for generations to come. The Jewish Community Federation is 100% committed to its success and is working actively with local community leaders to realize the potential for a multipurpose, intergenerational Jewish campus in a prime location.
David Steirman, President
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties