The 5,000-square-meter complex includes swimming pools, gyms and fitness studios, with dozens of local jobs expected.
Follow us on GoogleA $20 million sports center was inaugurated in Beit Hanina on Tuesday, bringing what organizers described as the first public swimming pool to east Jerusalem.
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Sports Center covers approximately 5,000 square meters and includes an indoor public pool, a toddler pool and a teaching pool, alongside gyms, fitness studios and shared public spaces.
The project was developed through a partnership between the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Ministry and the Jerusalem Foundation, with support from the Mandel Foundation, Mifal Hapayis and other donors.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion attended the inauguration with representatives of the foundations, the Beit Hanina community administration and local residents.
“Today we are making history in east Jerusalem,” Lion said in a statement issued for the opening. “For the first time, residents of the eastern part of the city will be able to enjoy a public swimming pool and an advanced community sports center, right near their homes.”
Facility intended to narrow gap between different Jerusalem areas
Lion said the facility was part of his commitment to narrowing gaps between different parts of Jerusalem through investment in education, infrastructure and public services.
Residents and representatives of the Beit Hanina community administration took part in planning the center and preparing for its operation, according to the announcement. The complex is intended to serve children, teenagers, adults and families from the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Dr. Waseem Elhaj, director of the Beit Hanina Community Center, said the facility addressed a need that had previously gone unmet locally.
“Beyond swimming lessons and a healthy lifestyle, the place will give our children a professional framework that will allow them to develop, train and achieve significant sporting accomplishments,” he said.
Center expected to create dozens of jobs
The center is expected to create dozens of jobs in management, coaching, instruction, lifeguarding, maintenance and customer service. Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Ministry director-general Shimon Elbaum said it formed part of the national five-year plan for east Jerusalem.
Mifal Hapayis, Israel’s national lottery, provided a grant of more than NIS 31 million toward the project, its chairman, Itzik Larry, said in the announcement.
Prof. Jehuda Reinharz, president and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, said the investment reflected the foundation’s commitment to residents’ health and well-being, as well as to strengthening local communities.
“We are proud to be partners in establishing community infrastructure that will provide equal opportunities for the younger generation and families in the area,” he said.
Jerusalem Foundation president Arik Grebelsky said the center fulfilled the vision of his late predecessor, Shai Doron, who had worked to narrow gaps between east and west Jerusalem and viewed sport as a means of connecting communities.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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