Edmonton JCC endowment fund builds a lasting foundation for the community

by Tammy Vineberg

(Edmonton) – As work advances on the Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre, an important element is developing behind the scenes: the growing endowment fund designed to maintain the building and its community role for years ahead.

While the new centre will provide a long-awaited hub for Edmonton’s Jewish community, the endowment supports the building’s core operations and long-term stability, with the potential to support additional community needs over time.

Community input shapes the future JCC

The vision for the new Oshry | Kipnes JCC is grounded in consultation and data about how the Jewish community in Edmonton is changing and what community members said they want.

According to the 2021 Census, Edmonton’s Jewish population has become increasingly dispersed across the city, with growth occurring outside neighbourhoods traditionally associated with the community.

In fact, nearly half of Edmonton’s Jewish population now lives outside the primary areas identified in the census, highlighting a significant geographic shift across the city and reinforcing the importance of a centrally located JCC. Through consultations and a town hall, community members emphasized the need for an inclusive, welcoming and multi-generational space.

That same thoughtful approach is now guiding how the centre will be sustained.

Understanding the role of an endowment

An endowment fund provides long-term financial stability. Contributions are invested, while the principal is maintained, and the income generated helps support operations year after year in accordance with established federal guidelines.

This approach reflects lessons learned from the past. The previous JCC became increasingly expensive to operate, and this model is intended to help cover core costs over time and reduce long-term financial pressure on the community.

For the Oshry | Kipnes JCC, this means maintaining the building, helping keep the space accessible and allowing the centre to continue responding to the community’s needs well into the future.

Arliss Miller launched the endowment with a $1 million gift, establishing an important foundation as the fundraising continues to build it to the level required for long-term sustainability.

Families step forward to invest in the centre’s future

For Adam Romanovsky and his family, contributing to the JCC endowment is a deeply personal decision rooted in their commitment to the community and its future.

“As soon as I heard about the JCC, the first thing I thought we should give and participate and ensure that we did our part to make it a successful endeavor,” Adam says.

His father, Ram Romanovsky, shares that sense of responsibility.

“It may sound corny, but I felt honoured that I could participate. It’s an honour that I could put some money towards the JCC. It made me feel good,” he says. “I wanted my kids to know I believed in JCC. I want my grandchildren to know that their Zaidie and Bubbe believed in the JCC. It was our time to give, and we were at that stage where we could give.”

That perspective is shaped by lived experience. Growing up in Edmonton, Adam saw firsthand what a central gathering space could mean.

“I remember my dad building the playground when I was in preschool there. We went there on the weekends, and that’s where I’d go with my mom. She would meet people for coffee or snack at the cafe, and we could run around and play,” he says. “It was the central gathering and meeting point.”

Now, as a parent, he wants to provide that same experience for his own children.

“I think back to all the times that I used it and all the memories that I have. I want that for my kids and my family,” he says.

Today, his family lives close to the future Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre, highlighting the building’s role as an everyday gathering place.

“The response from our community has been inspiring,” says Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton and the Oshry | Kipnes JCC. “Donors are stepping forward because they understand that opportunities like this come only once in a generation. Together, we are creating more than a building—we are investing in a lasting foundation for Jewish connection, belonging and community life in Edmonton for decades to come.”

Community support continues to build the JCC’s future

The Oshry | KIpnes JCC endowment reflects a broader understanding: building a space is only the beginning.

Maintaining it and continuing to serve a growing and geographically dispersed community requires long-term planning and shared commitment.

It is an investment not only in a building, but in the future of Jewish life in Edmonton, one shaped by data, informed by community input and strengthened by donors who see beyond today.

Community support continues to build the JCC’s future, with individuals and families across Edmonton contributing to the endowment. Make your gift today at ecf.ca/lchaim or contact Becky Saegert at bsaegert@edjfed.org to explore giving opportunities.

Tammy Vineberg is Director of Marketing and Communications for Jewish Federation of Edmonton.