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September 27, 2002/Tishri 21 5763, Vol. 55, No. 5
Desert home
Tri-City JCC dedicates building
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
The Forte family celebrates Sukkot during "Sundaes for Sukkot Sunday" Sept. 22 at the new Tri-City Jewish Community Center. From left are Ellen, Kayla, Chris and Julia.
Photo by Leisah Namm
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It made sense that the Tri-City Jewish Community Center chose to hold the dedication ceremony for its new building during the holiday of Sukkot.
As Vicki Cabot, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, pointed out during the Sept. 22 ceremony - "It's fitting to be dedicating the Tri-City JCC's new temporary home on Sukkot, the holiday when we build temporary structures to commemorate the Israelites wandering in the desert. This new building is a temporary home, one step on the way to helping the Tri-City JCC build a new permanent home to serve the Southeast Jewish community."
After 17 years at its old location, owned by the Tempe School District, the Tri-City JCC was forced to find a new building after its lease expired. In less than three months, the Tri-City JCC renovated and moved into its new home, a former charter school, July 8, at 1521 S. Indian Bend Road, Tempe.
Now, with "95 percent" of the renovations complete, the Tri-City JCC decided to dedicate the building during its annual Sukkot family picnic, says Executive Director Ilene Blau. The Tri-City JCC expects to remain at this site for three-five years, she notes.
Speakers included Howard Paley, board member; George Jacobson, president; David Wattel, past-president; Michael Pollack, a local businessman who assisted with renovations; and Cabot.
The evening also included a ribbon-cutting by Pollack, arts and crafts for children, a sundae buffet, and live jazz from Prescott's The John David Quartet, featuring Alex Hahn on saxophone (as well as Blau's nephew Charlie Foldesh, a member of Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott).
An "adopt-a-shrub" drawing, to raise money to plant shrubs in the courtyard, brought in more than $1,100, Blau says. A display of photographs featured "before" and "after" photos of the site.
In conjunction with Action in Support of Israel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and several southeast Valley Jewish organizations, the Tri-City JCC will host Ben Yehuda Mall, a shopping fair with Israeli vendors selling Israel products, 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29.
"We are proud to have the Tri-City JCC as part of the federation family of agencies," Cabot says.
Call 480-897-0588 or visit www.tricityjcc.org.
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