The Center for Jewish Life: Walls, Yet No Walls At All

Just what exactly is The Center for Jewish Life?

That seems like such a simple question. But because The Center will change South Florida’s paradigm for how Jewish organizations function within the larger community, there is nothing in our part of the world that can serve as a reference point. Add to that that The Center will be as much a mindset as a physical space, and it can be hard to put it into words.

That’s one reason why The Center consulted with Ted Sokolsky in the early stages of the project. Ted served at the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto for over 30 years, the last 11 as its president and CEO. By the time he stepped down, Toronto had become the third largest Jewish Federation in North America. 

Crucially for The Center, Ted knows what it means to bring people together. He established the Federation’s Jewish Toronto Tomorrow Capital Campaign — which redeveloped Toronto’s Jewish community infrastructure over three campuses — and oversaw the merger of the various Hillel branches across Ontario universities to create the largest regional Hillel system.

One of Ted’s first steps was to interview donors, Beth David board members, and other stakeholders, in order to synthesize their vision for The Center. What they told Ted was that we are moving on from the traditional distributed and fragmented model of the last decades. Our goal is to foster an inclusiveness that will be reflected in every aspect of The Center, starting with its physical campus on Coral Way.

As Ted explained, “Because our buildings often shape us and our interactions, having shared spaces together, flexible conference rooms, extensive gym facilities, and eating areas, and so on, will allow for easier connection and conversation.” The Arquitectonica design will provide a supportive “one stop shop” that will be a refreshing change for Miami families who often clock up a lot of miles to pursue different interests.

But Ted saw that we also want The Center to, in a very real way, not have any walls at all. In our commitment to getting rid of any barriers between us and our neighbors, The Center will be wide open to a whole host of community activities, from public cultural events to extramural athletic programming for children and adults. 

The Center also will expand access by offering virtual lectures and classes. This part of the mandate is already being fulfilled. In June, in collaboration with Beth David and Base Miami, The Center successfully launched “The Never Ending Story,” a 4-week seminar that was led by Mitch Chefitz and Adam Gindea. There will be more virtual programming to come.

Ted ended his role in our project feeling excited for us. ”Those who have banded together to build this amazing center have heard the call of a new generation and they have responded with great vision and passion. Together, they seek a compelling and meaningful sense of Jewish pride and community in the heart of a great city.”