|
|
April 23, 2004
School construction on
$2 million needs to be raised in the next 1.5 years.
KYLE BERGERSPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
On April 27, a special ceremony will take place when the first
piece of ground is broken to launch the construction of Vancouver's
new Jewish community high school.
While the event will signal the beginning of construction, the leaders
of the campaign to fund the community project are hoping that the
sight of hard hats and heavy machinery will inspire the community
to finally finish off their financial campaign.
Led by a joint effort between the Vancouver Talmud Torah high school
(VTTHS), the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC)
and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the community has
raised more than $18 million to set this project in motion.
Significant grants and donations from the Diamond Foundation, the
Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation of Baltimore, Sam Belzberg
and the Leon Kahn family helped get the campaign this far. However,
JCC executive director Gerry Zipursky told the Bulletin that
at least another $2 million still needs to be raised in the next
year and a half in order for the school to be run without any real
financial concern.
"There's a feeling that once people see that there's an actual
building and they see how exciting it is, that they will want to
support the project," he said. "It's a challenge. There's
no question about it. But if in a year and a half we could have
$18 million that is secured, there's no reason to believe that can't
continue."
Of the total $20 million-plus cost of the project, approximately
$6 million paid for the land, more than $7 million will cover the
cost of construction, $2 million will be designated to an endowment
fund for programming while an additional $5 million will be set
aside in order to cover operating expenses and potential losses
in the school's first few years.
Once the school opens, which Zipursky said is estimated to be at
least 12 months from now, it will share facilities with the JCC,
offering a win-win situation for both entities. The students will
have use of JCC facilities like the gymnasium, pool and the Isaac
Waldman Jewish Public Library, while the centre will use some of
the school's rooms during evenings and weekends in order to allow
some of their more popular programs to grow. For example, enrolment
for the JCC's school for performing arts is currently at full capacity.
Two of the rooms in the school will be equipped with wood-sprung
floors that could be used for dance classes.
Enrolment in VTTHS began to see an increase last year as the campaign
for the new school began. Zipursky said he expects that even more
families will begin enrolling their kids now that the school's future
is more certain.
"They've already got new kids who have made the commitment
to come on board for next year now that they know the school is
really going ahead," he said. "That's why the groundbreaking
and the start of construction plays such an important role. The
kids and the parents have been so patient and they weren't really
sure it was going to happen. But now it's not a dream, it's a reality."
The school and the centre will all be part of the Harry and Jeanette
Weinberg Jewish Community Campus.
As for the official name of the new school, Zipursky said he hopes
that the current VTTHS students and board of directors will agree
on something in the next few weeks.
"It's a new beginning and it's a new Jewish high school,"
he said.
The April 27 groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 4 p.m.,
in the JCC's parking lot. The event is being co-chaired by Barbara
Silber, Reisa Schwartzman and Julie Schneiderman. For more information,
call 604-257-5111.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
^TOP
|
|
