By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Jewish Family Service on Sunday, Jan. 31, dedicated a reconfigured and re-imagined campus intended to architecturally incorporate Jewish values and principles within its buildings and on its grounds.
At a ceremony to affix a mezuzah to a property at 8788 Balboa Avenue and to honor lead donors Joan and Irwin Jacobs, the CEO of the social service agency, Michael Hopkins, enthusiastically listed some of the refinements to the building and grounds that were inspired by JFS’s building committee, board of directors and by Safdie and Rabines, architects.
Among these were a raised vegetable garden bed to complement the food pantry and kitchen from which JFS distributes and serves food to those in need; a walk-in cooler and freezer for longer and more effective food storage; a corner market, where needy JFS clients can load up on groceries, including kosher meats; solar tubes and panels to decrease dependence on fossil fuels; water-wise landscaping for conservation purposes; and a bioswale system designed to remove silt and other pollutants from rain water that runs off the property into storm drains and the ocean.
Coincidentally, it rained quite heavily during the indoor ceremony, but the deluge subsided when Rabbi Yael Ridberg of Congregation Dor Hadash was called upon to affix a mezuzah to one of the entrances to the JFS complex. The Reconstructionist rabbi noted that within the mezuzah on a piece of parchment are “some of the most powerful words in the Jewish tradition: the Jewish prayer of the shm’a which speaks to our obligation not only to be present in this moment but to connect with our past, our heritage and to bequeath it to our children.”
She added that mezuzot are appropriate on the doorposts of “any home, any structure that constitutes a home, whether it is a literal home where we raise a family, or a home where we help families be families, such as JFS.”
JFS already had in its Turk Family Center at 8804 Balboa Avenue a large complex which served as both administrative headquarters and a counseling center of the cradle-to-grave social service agency. About four years ago, the large building next to it at 8788 Balboa Avenue came up for sale, and at first board members and agency planners thought it might simply provide an opportunity to house JFS personnel who had been scattered around the county in rented quarters.
But, according to Hopkins, it dawned on key players that the acquisition could be far more than that: it could provide an opportunity to consolidate the administrative functions of JFS in the Turk Family Center, while creating for clients a special building designed to accommodate their needs for privacy, cheerfulness, and for collaboration among the social workers helping them with their problems.
With such goals in mind, he said, the new building emphasizes “natural light, open work spaces, beautiful art work, the use of glass throughout our meeting spaces and so many subtle touches that make this campus a positive space.” A trellised walkway connects the two buildings which have been painted in complementary fashion.
Initially, it was estimated that the changes to the new building and old building as well as to the grounds might cost $6 million. With Irvin Jacobs, the co-founder of Qualcomm, and his wife Joan making the lead gift, the project was broadened in scope to include many features to respect the ‘dignity of our clients” and to make the entire complex “client-centered,” according to Hopkins
The complex of two buildings and surrounding grounds was officially named the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Campus in recognition of the lead gift, the amount of which was not specified. At the same time, JFS decided to do some “re-branding.” It changed its motto from “One source for a lifetime of help” to “Moving Forward Together” which Hopkins said recognizes the partnership between clients and the social service agency.
As an example of that partnership, he told the story of Abraham and Irena, an octogenarian couple with slim financial resources whom JFS helps to continue living in their home. He said that Irena visited the corner market and asked where the kosher meat section was. It was a detail which JFS had left unattended, but afterwards the agency made arrangements with Ralph’s Market in La Jolla to obtain kosher cuts for the corner market. Provision of kosher meat will help not only the couple in question, but other JFS clients who observe the dietary laws.
Welcomed to the speaker’s podium with a standing ovation from donors, staff members, and community partners, Joan and Irwin Jacobs kept their remarks brief.
“I think Irwin puts my name first on these buildings because he wants me to speak first,” Joan Jacobs quipped. “You know a building is a wonderful thing to have but it is so important to have the right people running the organization that the building is in. That is one of the reasons that Irwin and I are so fond of JFS. We have always admired the work that is done here, and in the community, and that is why we are really happy to support this building and all of you here to carry on the great work that you are doing.”
Irwin Jacobs noted that nobody knew initially that the building at 8788 Balboa would come up for sale, but when it did, JFS’s staff and supporters launched themselves into action. “In business I have always been a great believer in being optimistic,” he said. “An opportunity comes up and even if you didn’t plan that far ahead, let’s be in a position to move quickly.”
The Qualcomm co-founder said that providing food for the needy is an important cause for him. He and Steve Cushman have jointly funded the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and Jacobs said that “one of the things I checked there was that they work closely with JFS.”
He added: “There are still many things that need to be accomplished, but it is great to see the kind of support, activity and leadership addressing the problems.” He added that he planned to be associated with JFS for the long term.
Meg Goldstein, the chair of the JFS board, commented that “like any large construction project, this undertaking is still a work in progress. Though the staff have actually been serving our clients here for more than two months, we are still waiting for building and donor signage… and even some of our furniture.”
Hopkins, saying it’s always a challenge to find a gift for people who already have everything, presented the Jacobs with a plaque simulating the marker that will identify the Jacobs Family Campus. Besides the “Jacobs Family Campus” name, the plaque bore the inscription: “in gratitude for your leadership and partnership.”
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com. Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)