Bathurst Jewish Community Centre
Encyclopedia
The Bathurst Jewish Community Centre (BJCC) was the Jewish Community Centre
for the Toronto
area. It was located along Bathurst Street
in the Bathurst Manor
neighbourhood of Toronto and had over 100 programs and services, serving daycare to stroke recovery, seniors, Maccabi athletes, and campers. The BJCC was run by a non-profit charitable organization funded through UJA Federation
, United Way
, the government, fees and private support.
area. In 1953 a new facility was built, the Bloor Street "Y" at Bloor Street
and Spadina Avenue
. It is still there today, but has been completely renovated and is now called the Miles Nadal JCC.
As Toronto's Jewish community moved northward up the Bathurst Street corridor, so did the Jewish facilities and services. In 1958 saw the groundbreaking of the North "Y", which was the location of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre.
In addition to a fitness club, two pools, squash courts, gyms, running tracks, and an aerobics studio, the BJCC contained the Leah Posluns Theatre, Centre Camp, Kolel: The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning, the Family Resource Centre, and the Koffler Centre of the Arts
. The BJCC property is currently under a large redevelopment. The new facility will be called the Prosserman JCC and is being constructed in phases.
. The Koffler Centre teaches dance, music, and visual arts; presents exhibitions of cutting-edge contemporary Canadian art; and is home to the Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards, the Annual Jewish Book Fair, the Koffler Chamber Orchestra, and the Stars of the 21st Century Gala. It presents concerts, film screenings, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and discussions on world issues through the lens of culture.
In 2009 the BJCC was demolished and in its place started construction on the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre. The first phase (The Donald Gales Family Pavilion) was completed in 2010. The first phase of the Prosserman Centre is considerably smaller than the BJCC and offers very limited programming. It is the current home to the Koffler gallery for the arts, and has absorbed many of the employees and programs offered by the BJCC, however, many more people were laid off when the building was demolished. The Prosserman JCC currently houses a limited health centre.
UJA continues to fundraise to begin the second phase of construction.
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
for the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area. It was located along Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street (Toronto)
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
in the Bathurst Manor
Bathurst Manor
Bathurst Manor is a neighbourhood located in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It sits on a plateau bounded on the north by Finch Avenue West, on the west by Dufferin Street, on the east by the Don River , and on the south by Sheppard Avenue West. The area is also regarded as...
neighbourhood of Toronto and had over 100 programs and services, serving daycare to stroke recovery, seniors, Maccabi athletes, and campers. The BJCC was run by a non-profit charitable organization funded through UJA Federation
United Jewish Communities
The Jewish Federations of North America , is an American Jewish umbrella organization representing 157 Jewish Federations and the Network of Independent Communities, 400 smaller Jewish communities across North America. The JFNA was formed from the 1999 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, the...
, United Way
United Way of Canada
United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
, the government, fees and private support.
History
The BJCC was originally founded in 1930 as the YMHA (Young Men’s Hebrew Association), and it offered members various programming opportunities in rented rooms in the Brunswick Avenue and College StreetCollege Street (Toronto)
College Street is a principal arterial thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, connecting former streetcar suburbs in the west with the city centre. The street is home to an ethnically diverse population in the western residential reaches, and institutions like the Ontario Legislature and the University...
area. In 1953 a new facility was built, the Bloor Street "Y" at Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
and Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods....
. It is still there today, but has been completely renovated and is now called the Miles Nadal JCC.
As Toronto's Jewish community moved northward up the Bathurst Street corridor, so did the Jewish facilities and services. In 1958 saw the groundbreaking of the North "Y", which was the location of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre.
In addition to a fitness club, two pools, squash courts, gyms, running tracks, and an aerobics studio, the BJCC contained the Leah Posluns Theatre, Centre Camp, Kolel: The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning, the Family Resource Centre, and the Koffler Centre of the Arts
Koffler Centre of the Arts
The Koffler Centre of the Arts is a broad-based cultural institution, established in 1977 by Murray and Marvelle Koffler, in the North York area of Toronto, on Bathurst Street within the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre.-Activities and Facilities:...
. The BJCC property is currently under a large redevelopment. The new facility will be called the Prosserman JCC and is being constructed in phases.
Koffler Centre of the Arts
Opened in 1977 inside the BJCC, the "Koffler Centre of the Arts" is a broad-based cultural institution that was established by Murray and Marvelle KofflerMurray Koffler
Murray Bernard Koffler, is a Canadian pharmacist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known for creating the Canadian pharmacy retailer, Shoppers Drug Mart....
. The Koffler Centre teaches dance, music, and visual arts; presents exhibitions of cutting-edge contemporary Canadian art; and is home to the Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards, the Annual Jewish Book Fair, the Koffler Chamber Orchestra, and the Stars of the 21st Century Gala. It presents concerts, film screenings, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and discussions on world issues through the lens of culture.
Lipa Green Building for Jewish Community Services
While not part of the BJCC, the Lipa Green Building for Jewish Community Services shared the same property but was a separate building. The redevelopment plans call for all buildings to be connected by bridges and atriums with the Lipa Green building itself having just undergone a major renovation.Sherman Campus Project
In 2007, the UJA of Greater Toronto announced plans to demolish the BJCC and build a newer, more advanced, and larger complex on the same site. The name given to the lot and the all of the proposed buildings therein was the "Sherman Campus".In 2009 the BJCC was demolished and in its place started construction on the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre. The first phase (The Donald Gales Family Pavilion) was completed in 2010. The first phase of the Prosserman Centre is considerably smaller than the BJCC and offers very limited programming. It is the current home to the Koffler gallery for the arts, and has absorbed many of the employees and programs offered by the BJCC, however, many more people were laid off when the building was demolished. The Prosserman JCC currently houses a limited health centre.
UJA continues to fundraise to begin the second phase of construction.