If you’ve been through the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver lately, you may have noticed a simple question appearing in the hallways and around the building: “Are you in yet?”
It’s the invitation to join JWest, the re-construction of the JCC and King David High School, but it didn’t start as a marketing slogan. Its origins are more personal.
Some time ago, Shirley Barnett – a longtime JCC visionary and supporter who regularly works out there – made an observation that stuck with me. We were talking about the campaign, and she said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that made it easier to start a conversation about what we are building here? The community centre is full of people who recognize each other from being there regularly. You see the same faces in the gym, in the hallways, or in the change rooms. But, often, you just smile and move on.”
That idea resonated with me. What if the campaign had a line that felt natural for one person to say to another to get them engaged? Something simple and inviting: “Hey, are you involved in the project? Have you thought about contributing?”
From there, we worked with Traction Creative, a small agency that has deep ties in the Jewish community. They came back with a few ideas, including the one I had penned, and when we saw “Are you in yet?” with some sample layouts, we knew that was indeed the one. It’s friendly. It’s direct. And, most importantly, it sounds like something people would actually say.
The creative team had some fun with the idea by tailoring messages to different parts of the building. For example, in the long hallway between the gyms, one sign reads: “Less long hall, more pickleball,” a nod to the multi-use athletic courts planned for the new space. Wherever you see the signs, they all tie back to that same question: “Are you in yet?”
Over the past several years, the JWest project has raised close to $200 million from governments, foundations, and donors from the Jewish community and beyond. At one point, many people believed government funding at a significant level for a project like this would be impossible. Eldad Goldfarb, the executive director of the JCC, doggedly courted them. After years of making our case, both the provincial and federal governments stepped up at the early stages of the project, and it was a moment of elation. This could and would be a reality.
Now the campaign is in its public funding phase, with an invitation extended to the entire community. Yes, major gifts were instrumental in getting us here, but JWest has always been about something bigger than that. It’s about participation. When someone contributes, whether it’s a “good luck multiple of $18” gift or a larger one, they’re signaling, “I’m a part of this.”
This sense of belonging is exactly what the centre has always been about. I often describe it as the living room of the community, a heimish space to come together. On any given day, you might see kids from daycare singing, seniors gathering for coffee and students from KDHS stopping by between classes. The mix of ages, backgrounds and activities is inspiring. It’s like a small, vibrant city inside one building. The JWest project will make that experience even stronger and ensure its continuity.
So, if you see the campaign message and wonder whether to get involved, my answer is simple: you’ll want to be part of this. It’s going to be amazing.
I encourage community members to give at whatever level feels comfortable. Remember, stretching always makes you feel better. What matters is being able to say, years from now, that you helped build something that will serve the community for generations.
So, are you in yet?
Alvin Wasserman is a JWest Foundation and Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver board director, and was a two-time board chair of the JCCGV.