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Uploaded: Friday, October 23, 2009, 9:28 AM
What makes the Campus 'Jewish'?
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"... a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey" -- Deuteronomy 8:8
The color scheme was drawn from a Biblical text. Quotations scattered around the campus are from the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), Talmud (rabbinic commentaries on the Torah), and great scholars and writers.
All throughout the new Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life (which includes the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and the Moldaw Family Residences) in south Palo Alto, everything is subtly Jewish.
"We wanted to create a Jewish space without it being 'in your face' because lots of non-Jews would be using it," said Randi Brenowitz, community-outreach director.
Visitors to the campus will first notice the mezuzot -- small cases with pieces of parchment with the prayer that begins "Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" affixed to every doorpost or gate.
Designed by Los Angeles-based artist Ruth Shapiro, each mezuzah prominently features the pomegranate, mentioned in that Deuteronomy verse.
The landscaping picks up on the other species mentioned in the verse, including prominent fig and olive trees plus date-palm trees.
Across the country, membership in Jewish community centers is about half-Jewish, according to Alan Sataloff, CEO for the Campus. He estimates that about half of the Campus' 6,000 members are not Jewish.
And one doesn't have to be Jewish to send a child to T'enna Preschool or live in the Moldaw Family Residences.
People can use the center without being members, either, Sataloff said, such as those who use the health library or attend cultural events.
"We're open to the entire community," he said.
One way the facility will appear "Jewish," however, is in its closure on major Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. But the center will be open on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, a subset of the Campus, is under no official religious umbrella, such as Orthodox, Conservative or Reform.
It is planned as a place where "unaffiliated Jews can find some way of connecting ... not necessarily connecting in a religious way, but in a spiritual or cultural way," Sataloff said.
The center will host lots of cultural programming, educating its members along the way. Recently, signs went up explaining what the holiday of Sukkot is all about.
Some of the arts performances in the town square will be Jewish-oriented, some not.
Children in sports leagues or other programs will be taught leadership and ethics based on concepts of Judaism, he said. But, he added, they are shared values among many people.
"While the values themselves come from Jewish texts, there's nothing to say we own it."— Carol Blitzer Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 9:02 am "Across the country, membership in Jewish community centers is about half-Jewish, according to Alan Sataloff, CEO for the Campus. He estimates that about half of the Campus' 6,000 members are not Jewish."
Do they ask you your religion on the application forms?
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Posted by Marvin, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 9:50 am Resident--Why don't you check out their website, call or go visit and ask.
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Posted by Neighbor, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 7:42 pm "He estimates that about half of the Campus' 6,000 members are not Jewish." When I took a tour of the Campus less than one month ago we were told they had a membership of around 3,000!!! However, I was told they could accommodate a maximum membership of 10,000!!!
Where will they all park? What will the intersection of Charleston and San Antonio look like when the membership reaches 10,000!!!
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Posted by To Neighbor, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 24, 2009 at 8:35 pm What does the intersection of Charleston and San Antonio look like now that membership has reached 6,000?!?!??
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Posted by Resident, a resident of the Meadow Park neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 7:48 am When Council approved the Campus for Jewish Life request for PC zoning and allowed them to build an extra 12' in height over Palo Alto's 50 ft. height limit. The JCC agreed to certain mitigations. One was that they would provide a shuttle bus service for residents, club members and their pre-school.
The City is now receiving requests from residents to provide a City shuttle bus which will include stops at the JCC; this the City should not provide. Where is the shuttle bus the Campus for Jewish Life is supposed to provide under terms in which they were granted a PC zoning?
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Posted by A non Jewish PA resident, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Oct 25, 2009 at 8:39 pm [Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 11:56 am I am not the poster who asked "do they ask your religion on the application form".
Many of us opposed this project because of its size. A much smaller Jewish Center open to all would have worked. The remaining property should have remained undeveloped until it included for example playing fields and equipment storage, small retail serving the nearby Jewish Center and housing developments, and a daycare. Even a small composting facility run as a branch of the Stanford University facility would have been feasible.
This center is too large for this already congested area and should not have been located on a school commute corridor.
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Posted by Marvin, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 12:09 pm Resident--Too late now--everyone had their chance the comment on this--the ARB and P&T commission nit picked it and the council voted.
You now have a big Jewish Center open to all. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 12:37 pm [Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by Marvin, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Oct 26, 2009 at 12:49 pm [Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by Rob, a resident of Woodside, on Oct 26, 2009 at 2:24 pm [Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by A non Jewish PA resident, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Oct 27, 2009 at 9:08 am I do not understand why my original post was removed. I am not Jewish but I greatly respect Jewish people and their beliefs. My point was - the center was paid by Jewish money and there shouldn't be any reason to be subtle about jewishness, on the opposite - the center should be for Jews and non Jews who are interested in learning more about Jewish culture and traditions, so I disagree with the need to hide and make jewishness subtle. Editor, what is so controversial about what I say that you feel the need to remove this comment?
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