MAKOM – BECAUSE PLACE MATTERS
The Jackson Hole Jewish Community has been at the center of Jewish life in Jackson Hole since our founding in 1996, bringing together Jewish families, friends, and generations to share in faith, culture, and tradition. Now, we have the rare opportunity to acquire a permanent home that will allow us to expand our programs, enhance our worship services, and secure a permanent, welcoming space for future generations. This corner lot, a commercial building in the heart of the Town of Jackson, is under contract at $3.5 million. It offers the space, location, and resources we need to grow our community and continue our mission.
The JHJC Go Forth Building Fund seeks to raise $5 million. This fund will first cover $3.5 million of acquisition costs, then $1 million of renovation and code compliance, and finally, $500,000 to support future maintenance and upkeep. Our board and staff are passionate about this unique opportunity and have put the property under contract. Time is of the essence – we must secure commitments before the end of the year to complete the purchase.
Go HERE to see a menu of Naming Opportunities.
If you have questions about this momentous opportunity, contact Josh Kleyman, Mary Grossman, or any of the staff or board members.
PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS
The Jackson Hole Jewish Community is the oldest Jewish community in the region.
A 501 (c) 3 entity incorporated in 1996.
140 Member Families or Individuals. Hundreds of non-members, friends, and allies.
We have a talented team of staff and advisors working on this project.
PLACE
410 S. Cache, Jackson, WY.
Here is a 6-minute Video Walk-Through showing the entire building and how we propose to create the sanctuary.
Located on a desirable corner lot.
Walking distance from Snow King activities, The Center for the Arts lawn, downtown Jackson, Center Theatre, bike paths, the School Rec Bus stop, START bus stops and more.
This building is not too big, not too small. It will comfortably accommodate 95% of our gatherings. We are excited to continue our relationship with St. John’s Episcopal Church and other venues for our larger events.
SANCTUARY
Commercial Building, 2,437 square feet, additional 692 square foot basement.
JHJC Go Forth Building Fund: $5 million total ($3.5 Million building + $1 Million for estimated renovations and upgrades to bring the building to code + $500,000 endowed for future building maintenance and upkeep).
Seven sunny rooms with exterior and interior windows and 13-foot ceilings will serve Bet Sefer classrooms, a Bet Midrash or Library, a kitchen, and offices. There is also a nice yard with mature trees that can serve many functions.
Of these seven rooms, three will be will be combined to make a sanctuary (pictured below). There are also two bathrooms, a small yard, and a roomy basement for storage or a future apartment. Take a 3-D tour of the space in its current state by clicking the image to the left on your laptop or above on your mobile phone.
As a grassroots Jewish Community, the people and the programs bring us closer together. Owning a Place of our own, debt-free, enables us to bring people together and continue to offer and expand meaningful programs well into the future.
Our team of advisors and donors are working on details not mentioned here. Please email us with your questions.
MORE DETAILS
We have outgrown our current leased space at the Centennial Building, where we enjoy very affordable rent. However, moving to a much-needed larger space in Jackson may cost $10,000 per month or more.
Purchasing commercial real estate in Jackson Hole is a good investment!
Invest in the future of our congregation by creating a lasting home adorned with our Jewish symbols and ritual items. This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to shape the future of our congregation.
We seek donations in full or over time to the JHJC Go Forth Building Fund.
The entire JHJC Board has already contributed financially to the Fund and is committed to this project only if we can do so debt-free.
The expected closing date is Winter/Spring 2025.
Move-in TBD, shortly after April 2025.
The purchase is contingent on raising funds for the acquisition cost (by the end of 2024), renovation costs, and approval of the Change of Use permit, which we feel will be approved in Spring 2025.
“In Biblical times, Yom Kippur was the day the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to atone for the people. The Holy of Holies was the center of the ancient Temple, a place (makom) essential to the spiritual work of ensuring a new year of blessings. The Hebrew word for ‘place” is also the name of G-d – HaMakom. So many Jewish memories are connected to Place, like the synagogue where you grew up, the place you celebrated simchas, the yartzeit plaques on the walls, the wonderful teacher, rabbi, or cantor who opened the Torah for you for the first time; or the music, the intergenerational connections with the people you saw year after year.
The Jackson Hole Jewish Community needs a Place, a Makom. This is the moment when you can all create that Place for the Jackson Hole Jewish Community, not just for yourself but also for the generations that will come after you. May the new year bring blessings.” — Rabbi Laura Geller, Visiting Rabbi and Scholar to the JHJC
JHJC Board & Staff
Ben Goldberg / Co-president
Mike Scher / Co-president
Laurie Thal / Vice President
Rachel Stam / Treasurer
Janet Bellis
Lisa Goldstein
Paula Romberg
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Mary Grossman / Executive Director
Brad Adams / Managing Director
Josh Kleyman / Prayer Leader
Judd Grossman / Song Leader
Advisors:
Andrew Apfelberg
Jeff Cohodes
Rabbi Laura Geller
Wade Strauss
Leah Schwartz
Larry Thal
