It's an exciting time for our Jewish community!
- The Calgary Jewish Academy (CJA), our largest Jewish day school, requires a new, modern facility for our Jewish students to flourish academically, culturally, and socially.
- Beth Tzedec Congregation is thriving with an influx of young families and needs a modernized building as the current one requires significant repairs.
- Both organizations are planning for their futures, including physical location, long-term structure of their buildings, and innovative spaces for programming.
- Calgary Jewish Federation is committed to realizing on the necessity for the Calgary's Jewish community’s growth and success through the development of a centralized campus in the heart of Jewish Calgary in the southwest.
Leading community members had the foresight to purchase the Patterson lands decades ago for an opportunity like this one to come our way. Currently, both the CJA and Beth Tzedec are interested in bringing their facilities to the lands, ultimately creating the Calgary Jewish Community Campus. With integration from an upgraded Paperny Family JCC, the Calgary Jewish Community Campus would bring to life the original vision of our preceding leaders and enable Jewish Calgary to address and meet 21st century challenges.
Currently, the Calgary Jewish Community Campus Committee is undertaking extensive research undertaken by GGA-Architecture and Altus Group to create a model that would benefit the three main structures on Campus: The Calgary Jewish Academy, Beth Tzedec Congregation and the Paperny Family JCC. Already, the prospective Campus is fortunate enough to have many important components confirmed and in place for its success including approved zoning.
As a committee, we are continuing to work through a comprehensive feasibility study to determine the possibility of the Campus. This includes:
- Meetings with other major cities who have developed active and engaging Jewish campuses, providing lessons from their experience to assist us in developing our own vision.
- Costing and modeling for a Campus that includes building and/or modernizing all three organizations on the Patterson lands, while still reserving space for a potential multi-care seniors residence in a future phase.
- Initial discussion between the three organizations on potential operational costing and cost-savings, as well as enhanced program integration opportunities and security operations between the three organizations.
To make the Campus vision a reality, depending on determining size and scope of our vision, a Calgary Jewish community investment of approximately $40 million CAD will be required.
We are excited about the potential of this project to bring renewed vitality to our Jewish community. While we are currently evaluating the feasibility of this project, we are optimistic that we can successfully turn this ambitious vision into a reality but the support from our community will be essential.
The Calgary Jewish Community Campus will be an undertaking unlike anything our community has ever been challenged to meet, but the opportunity is extraordinary and will shape Jewish Calgary's future for decades to come!
This fall, we will be holding a community-wide town hall to provide more details around this project, and to discuss the opportunity and challenges. We invite all community members to attend. Your opinion is important. Date and time will be announced shortly.
The Campus vision is to provide a centralized location where our Jewish community can grow together, learn together, and nurture the future for generations to come. We are so excited for all of you to be a part of it!
Please stay tuned for more details to come!
Your Calgary Jewish Community Campus Committee,
Lisa Libin, Jordan Balaban, Jeremy Thal, and Joshua Switzer