A 3.3-Acre Gift and a New Chapter for the Future JWest Campus
A New Chapter for the Future JWest Campus
JWest has always been about what Vancouver's Jewish community can build together. This month, that commitment took a meaningful step forward.
We are pleased to announce that the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) of Greater Vancouver has transferred ownership of the 3.3-acre property at Oak Street and 41st Avenue to the JWest Foundation, a non-profit governed by an independent chair, three independent directors, and representatives from the JCC, King David High School, and Jewish Federation of British Columbia (formerly known as Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver). This gift of land places the future campus in the hands of a body that reflects the full breadth of the community it will serve.
In return, the JCC gains a brand new, purpose-built community centre, with larger and more modern features and spaces, all of which will be better suited to serve Vancouver’s Jewish community today and for generations to come. Because when we build together, we build something greater.
“Gifting this land is one of the most meaningful decisions the JCC has made in its history,” said Eldad Goldfarb, Executive Director of the JCC. “This property has been at the heart of Jewish life in Vancouver for decades, and by transferring it to the JWest Foundation, we’re ensuring it remains exactly that. The JCC didn’t build this community alone, and we won’t carry it forward alone either.”
Governance Built for the Future
The JWest Foundation was designed for exactly this purpose. Its board includes three independent directors, an independent chair, and representatives from each of the three partner organizations: the JCC, King David High School, and Jewish Federation of British Columbia. The structure was a deliberate founding principle: a governance model, built on shared leadership, and intentionally designed to represent the entire community the campus will serve.
"The Jewish community has been raising money, rallying support, and building the future vision of JWest brick by brick since 2018," says Alex Cristall, Chair of JWest Foundation. "This land transfer is saying: it's yours, not just in spirit, but in title. When JWest opens its doors, the ground it will stand on will belong to the community that made it possible."
Be Part of What This Land Will Hold
JWest donors have raised more than $200 million toward this campus. The final fundraising goal is within reach.
The land transfer this month marks a moment of permanence, a moment when the Jewish community’s investment, formally and irrevocably, becomes its own.
If you have been watching from a distance, now is the time to become part of the journey. Every gift at this stage is a contribution to something that will stand for generations to come, governed by and for Vancouver’s Jewish community.
To learn more about ways to give and the project, please contact info@jwestnow.com or call 604-808-2440.
The JWest project would not be possible without the generous funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Diamond Foundation, and the Ronald S. Roadburg and Al Roadburg Foundations, as well as the steadfast support of the Jewish community and its allies, and the valuable contributions of the Vancouver residents who use the current Jewish Community Centre.