On Wednesday afternoon, a group of girls from Cherry Hill and the surrounding community hit the volleyball court at the new Jewish Federation of South Jersey Annex on Springdale Road.
Some of the girls were meeting for the first time. According to Deena Sherman, director of operations for the Jewish Federation, the Katz JCC wanted to add girls’ volleyball to its sports programming, but there was no gym space available at the JCC to hold it.
With the annex, this group of girls finally has a place it can call home.
The Jewish Federation of South Jersey is hoping the entire community also feels at home at the annex, an expansion of the federation’s facilities. The annex opened to the public on Nov. 2.
The building has served as a crucial addition allowing for the expansion of the Jewish Federation of South Jersey’s programs.
In addition to volleyball and other sports, the federation has dedicated classroom space to its special needs programming, which Sherman said were previously held at a local senior center. The Katz JCC did not have the classroom and meeting space for all the programs.
“The idea was, though we have this wonderful building down the street, we have so many things going on that we didn’t have room,” Sherman said.
The new annex not only gave a permanent home to some of the federation’s programs, it is also allowing the programs to expand. Sherman said the arts will be the main focus in the coming months.
“They’re just gearing up now,” Sherman said. “We’re partnering with one at Street Theater. We’re also partnering with the Philly Arts Center and looking to start those up in the spring.”
The property itself is much larger than just the building. The Jewish Federation purchased approximately 18 acres, including a large amount of space for sports fields and outdoor activities behind the annex building. There will be an increased emphasis on outdoor activities when the spring rolls around.
“We’re looking forward to doing some more outdoor activities,” Sherman said. “In the spring and summer, we’re looking forward to bringing some specialty camps and additional recreational programs.”
The Jewish Federation purchased the annex building from Bethel Baptist Church during the spring. The building was formerly the location of the church’s Shining Lights Early Childhood Center, which moved to a new building next to the annex.
Sherman said the building was in very good shape and did not require a lot of work after the purchase.
“There was the parking lot that needed resurfacing and we did some work in the gym,” Sherman said. “Other than that, they kept it in very good shape.”
So far, Sherman said residents have embraced the annex. There are plans to add new programs in the coming years. The federation also hopes the community becomes even closer with most of its programming now available in one central location.
“It’s very convenient,” Sherman said. “People are very excited.”
