Members of the Jewish community watched on Sunday afternoon as the cornerstone was laid and ground was broken for Victoria’s new Centre for Jewish Life and Learning, expected to be a religious and cultural hub when it’s opened next year.
“It's not just a synagogue, it's a community centre, and obviously children and families are an important part of our community," said Rabbi Meir Kaplan, director of Chabad of Vancouver Island, speaking in front of the construction plot on Glasgow Street behind Topaz Park.
The facility will include a community hall, library, Hebrew school and daycare centre.
The 10,000-square-foot centre is being built at a cost of $3 million, about half of which has already been raised through donations, Kaplan said.
Chabad of Vancouver Island has grown from an organization operated out of a living room 12 years ago to a vibrant centre for Jewish life, Kaplan said. He estimates there are about 4,000 Jews in Victoria and about 5,000 on Vancouver Island.
Lindy Shortt, an active member of Victoria’s Jewish community for the past 30 years, said laying the cornerstone "marks the next step in the history of the Jewish community on Vancouver Island.”
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps told the crowd that an important part of the city's strategic plan includes fostering arts, culture and learning, and the new centre will make it easier to achieve that goal.
The controversy over a proposed temporary tent city in Topaz Park was of particular concern for members of the Jewish community, given the centre's location on Glasgow Street, next to the park’s playground and baseball diamond.
"There's no question many people were concerned," Kaplan said. "I got many, many phone calls and emails from people who said: 'what kind of impact will that have on our plans?' So I'm very pleased the city listened to the people ...and they heard very clear from people that it wasn't a good idea. So I'm happy it's off the table now."
Alyssa Deggan, 25, a former Victoria resident, now lives in Jerusalem. She was in town visiting family this week, allowing her and her boyfriend, David Ezra, to attend the ceremony. Deggan moved to Jerusalem to study Judaism and she's happy to see a new Jewish cultural centre in Victoria.
She hopes it will attract more young people to be involved with the Jewish faith.
“We’ve had temporary locations over the years, so now that it’s central, people can count on it staying in one location,” said Deggan, who hopes to return to Victoria one day. “Hopefully, it can inspire the younger generation a bit more.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, NDP MPs Murray Rankin and Randall Garrison, and NDP MLA Gary Holman were among the dignitaries at the ceremony. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Christy Clark sent statements of congratulations.
Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, movement and organization dedicated to the welfare of Jewish people.
Canada’s oldest synagogue, Congregation Emanu-El, was built in Victoria 152 years ago, in 1863, making it older than the country itself.
kderosa@timescolonist.com
