Jerusalem Opens $20 Million Sports Center With First Public Pool in East Jerusalem
Mayor Moshe Lion said the city was "making history" in Beit Hanina, where backers hope the new center will build friendship between Jewish and Arab residents.
See where this is ›JERUSALEM —
Jerusalem has opened a $20 million community sports center in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem, a facility All Israel News described as the first public swimming pool in that part of the city. Mayor Moshe Lion told the opening ceremony on Tuesday that the city was “making history” in Beit Hanina.
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Sports Center sits about 8 kilometers (5 miles) northeast of the Old City, on the road to Ramallah. Its 5,000 square meters (about 53,800 square feet) hold an indoor swimming pool, a toddler pool, an instructional pool, a gym, fitness studios and public areas. Galpaz Architecture and Engineering designed the building.
See where this is ›Israel's national lottery and private donors paid for the project, All Israel News reported, with the Mandel Foundation covering a quarter of the cost. Construction began in 2022 as part of the government's five-year plan for East Jerusalem.
“We are not just opening a swimming pool,” said Dr. Weesam Elhaj, the center's director. Arik Grebelsky of the Jerusalem Foundation called it “a symbol of partnership, coexistence, peace, and friendship between Jews and Arabs.”
Shai Doron, also identified by the outlet as president of the Jerusalem Foundation, told Jewish News that Palestinians and strictly Orthodox Jews are the two communities that do not use public facilities in West Jerusalem. “It's a basic skill that every child in Israel should be able to swim,” he said. Shimon Elbaum, director-general of the Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Ministry, was also named in the report.
The center is part of the government's five-year plan for East Jerusalem, and its backers said they hope it will build friendship between the city's Jewish and Arab residents.
