Jewish Community Center Under Contract

The board of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) announced last week that its Raoul Wallenberg facility has gone under contract and the sale of which will be final in late August.
The 50-year-old center going up for sale was first reported here in West Of Last year. The sale price and the identity of the new owner were not released. Touted as a potential college site or senior center, it was expected at the time to be listed for close to $7 million.
A changing and more accepting society, as well as increased competition for many of the activities and services provided by the JCC, lead to the decision to put the enormous building up for sale, according to several of its members last year.
The JCC itself has been home to Addlestone Hebrew Academy, a pool, meeting rooms and classrooms, workout opportunities, and more.
A new Addlestone is being erected next door, and will continue to serve kids from 18 months to 8th grade when it opens this fall.
“The sale of the JCC building does not mean the JCC is going away,” says Stewart Weinberg, president of the JCC board. “In fact, it is just the opposite.” The JCC will also continue to serve the community, but “without walls.” The idea has been that the mission of providing programming will continue for the JCC, but it will just take place at different places throughout the community. The “Without Walls” concept has already been implemented in other Jewish community centers in cities as far-flung as Greenwich, Conn., and Las Vegas.
“The JCC Without Walls will build from a programming basis,” adds Daniel Stern, JCC Executive Director. “This concept enables us to focus on a wide spectrum of events in different locations designed to appeal to young families, single parents, culture buffs and seniors. Alliances with the City of Charleston, the various synagogues and Chabad are currently being developed. Camp Baker will continue, with its main site in West Ashley and a satellite location in Mount Pleasant in 2016. KidsFair, a highly anticipated community at-large event for twenty seven years will continue, as well as the much newer Jewish BookFest, both of which have proven to be popular and extremely well attended. We also have a number of other programs being developed.”