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June 21, 2002/Tamuz 11 5762, Vol. 54, No. 40
An inside look
BARRY COHEN
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 Community members tour the second floor of the building under construction on the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus in Scottsdale. Photo by Barry Cohen |
"We go back to remembering 32 years ago when we came here, and the JCC was next to our home. This is really a dream come true," says Michael Kates, a tour participant.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix organized the tour to give members of the local community who made financial contributions to the campus an inside preview of the facility, 13 weeks before its scheduled Sept. 17 opening, says Fred Zeidman, federation assistant executive director.
"This is an informal reaching out to a number of people who helped make the campus a reality," he says.
"We have enough of a problem keeping continuity of Judaism is this town, and this is really going to help," notes Al Sachs, tour participant. "This is another Jewish home for us."
Additional tours of the facility will be scheduled by the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center for Tuesdays and Thursdays after 3:30 p.m. starting in early July, says Katie Fox, membership director.
"Kids are welcome. We'd love to have everybody come by," she adds.
She invites those interested in scheduling a tour to call the membership hotline, 480-234-1537, starting July 1.
The JCC's tours will give current members a chance to see the status of construction and encourage prospective members to join, she explains.
To date, the JCC has enrolled 545 new membership units.
"This is the only community that I know about where there are this many people this far in advance (of opening)," notes Mark Shore, VOSJCC executive director.
Shore says he is confident the JCC will meet its goal of 900 members by the time the campus opens its doors.
The JCC's membership department will move from its current offices to a trailer at the campus site on June 24.
The Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus is located at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Sweetwater Avenue in Scottsdale.