Questions Asked and Answered at Grass Campus Community Info Sessions

BY ADAM GROBMAN

Last month, The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg hosted two online information sessions dedicated to sharing updates and news related to the Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life.

More than sixty community members dialed in to learn about the campus in a presentation that included an overview of each of the six buildings and their roles on the campus, the surrounding grounds, and the facilities and activities that will be available to community members.

“This is not just about moving organizations from one place to another,” said Federation Chair Abby Smith. “It’s also about growing.”

The session explored opportunities that the new campus will present to increase membership, usage, and sustainability of the JCC and Federation.

“We see an opportunity for greater and deeper Jewish community engagement,” she said. “If we have a JCC that is truly self-sustaining, we can also focus on membership growth, and that leads us to achieving our mission as a Federation.”

The presentation included an overview of the activities that will be housed in each building, including:

• Grass Center (admin building) – fitness center, Federation and Foundation staff offices, and event space

• South Hall – Silver Academy classrooms/offices, which are currently being outfitted to the school’s needs

• Richards Hall – mainly to be used for Senior programming with additional room for studio spaces. “This building offers a lot for seniors,” Abby says. “During the day, almost any day, a lot of activity will be happening and we can expand our offerings.”

• Duncan Hall – currently under construction to meet the needs of the Brenner Family Early Learning Center, with further construction to build the new Sports Center (with gymatorium and swimming pool) in the future

• McCormick House – will be home to Jewish Family Service, with an added elevator to bring the building up to ADA accessibility standards

• Hughes Hall – home to tenant organizations

The session also included information about the allocation of funds raised through the Comprehensive Campaign. More information on giving in support of the Grass Campus is available at www.grasscampus.org/support.

Community members had the chance to have questions answered following the presentation. Some key questions included: Can you elaborate on the commercial kosher kitchen, catering kitchens, and kashrut policy?

A kosher commercial kitchen will be built onto the Grass Center (admin building) to accommodate both meat and dairy for daily programming and events large and small. Committees will meet to finalize policies for individual catering kitchens, kashrut across the campus, and strategize on long-term food service plans. We plan to have a way to mobilize food prepped in the commercial kitchen across the campus. Federation/JCC Programs like Senior Adult Club and Brenner Family ELC will continue to provide kosher food, as will the food service for The Silver Academy. What is the timeline for agencies to move to the campus and activities to begin?

The Federation plans to move staff and programs throughout summer 2023, with the Brenner Family Early Learning Center and The Silver Academy beginning the new school year on the campus this Fall. We have already begun to host special events on campus when possible in order to introduce community members to the campus. The fitness center is slated to be completed this summer, and we’re aiming for a community grand opening this Fall. The new structure containing the gymatorium/swimming pool will come at a later phase of construction – however, we are looking at a lease-back arrangement with any buyer of the current building to ensure continuous service of the gym/ pool for our members.

What security measures will be in place on campus?

We are currently working with a renowned group of security professionals to complete a full security assessment, which will be put in motion before we step foot on the campus. Some security measures will be visible (like cameras), while others will be shared with our leadership team so that we know the campus is safe. Our team of professionals is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to ensure our plans are consistent with best practices. We’ve allocated 15% of our campaign funds toward security and infrastructure, and security across our community will be bolstered by our participation in JFNA and SCN’s LiveSecure campaign (more details inside this issue of Community Review)

To watch the full recording of the session held on Monday, January 30th, visit www.jewishharrisburg.org/youtube. You can learn more about the Grass Campus at www.grasscampus.org.