July 10, 2008
JCC MetroWest has launched a $9 million campaign to retire the outstanding debt incurred from the expansion and enhancement of the facilities at the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC in West Orange.
The center’s namesakes, Leon and Toby Cooperman, and the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest NJ have pledged up to $3 million each to the campaign in the form of challenge gifts. The challenge gifts will match individual gifts made to the “Ensuring Our Continuity” campaign by two to one.
“We made the leadership gift when they began the renovation because, in my opinion, the JCC is one of the most vital institutions in our community,” Leon Cooperman, an investor and philanthropist who lives in Short Hills, said in a telephone interview. “It serves everyone from toddlers to senior citizens with high-quality programming. Financially, we’d like to see it in a strong position. We’re happy to be in a position to help out. We’re hoping our gift will galvanize others to step forth and leave the JCC in a debt-free position so it can provide other programming opportunities instead of worrying about its debt.”
JCC MetroWest says meeting the $9 million goal will allow it to use operating funds currently designated to repay the debt for improving and expanding programming for seniors, adults, youth, teens, and the disabled, according to a prepared statement.
“Now that our new building in West Orange has been expanded, renovated, and updated, we have the physical space and superior facilities to fulfill the varied needs of the MetroWest community,” said JCC executive director Michael Hopkins in the statement. “JCC MetroWest serves diverse populations — children to teens to adults to seniors — and everyone in between. Growing the depth and breadth of our programs and services is now our focus.”
The Jewish Community Foundation is the separately incorporated endowment arm of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ.
“This is very timely in the sense that the JCC is really hitting its stride in the programming that it’s initiating in West Orange, but its mortgage payments are hindering its capacity to expand programming to the growing population using the JCC,” Max Kleinman, executive vice president of UJC MetroWest, told NJJN. “By undertaking this campaign, it will generate needed additional services for the betterment of the Jewish community.”
The West Orange renovation project, dedicated in February 2007, included a 9,000-square foot fitness center, plus new or revamped exercise studios, reception area, babysitting room, kosher café, art gallery, conference and party center, and locker rooms.
The project was budgeted at $21 million, of which $16 million has been raised to date. The JCC underwent bond financing to close a gap between construction costs and the capital campaign funds it raised.
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