Doors open at Jewish community centre
[attach]607[/attach]For the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto, the arrival of the Donald Gales Family Pavilion is a significant moment.
On the $100-million Sherman Campus, replacing the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre at Bathurst St. and Sheppard Ave., it unofficially opened July 6. The campus covers 11 hectares and will be home to the Koffler Centre of the Arts, Leah Posluns Theatre, Ellen Prosserman Atrium, the Canadian Centre for Jewish Heritage, Prosserman Jewish Community Centre with Gales Family Pavilion and the Lipa Green Building for Jewish Community Services.
“When the Gales Family Pavilion went up and the doors opened — although not officially until September — it was a very exciting moment,” said Howard English, United Jewish Appeal’s vice president of corporate communications. “It was actually quite an emotional moment because it’s a part of Toronto’s history that is now taking shape instead of just being on an architectural blueprint.”
Everything is moving ahead without problems, English said, noting the current Bathurst Jewish Community Centre is staying open until Sept. 30 for its athletic facilities and swimming pool.
“We didn’t want to shut down a building and leave people without a place to exercise,” said United Jewish Appeal spokesperson Sally Szuster, adding parts of the new Prosserman Jewish Community Centre is also open. “It’s buzzing with activity,” she said. “Wandering through there is really nice.
“One corner the seniors are hanging out and then there’s kids taking arts classes.”
Ward 10 councillor Mike Feldman said he was looking forward to the campus becoming a social hub for the neighbourhood.
“It will be, I think, as far as the community is concerned, a great asset,” he said, adding not just the Jewish community will reap the benefits.
In addition to being the first Jewish gathering place built in half a century, English said the opening of the pavilion is a glimmer of hope during tough economic times.
“While in other cities Jewish community centres are coming down, we are privileged here to be able to see three community centres and that’s a remarkable achievement,” he said. “I think it’s something that North America is looking at very closely and looking at with some sense of envy.”
A grand opening for the pavilion, set to provide services to over 90,000 Jewish Torontonians, is expected in September.
The second phase of construction, including the decommissioning of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre for demolition, is slated to start Oct. 1.
