Shalom's New Home
Shalom Austin unveils newly-renovated Jewish Community Center
A newly-renovated, state-of-the-art Jewish community center has opened its doors in Austin, thanks to The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Shalom Austin.
The expanded Dell Jewish Community Center (JCC) spans 37,805 square feet over two floors, and includes several new and modern amenities that previously opened in 2022. Upgrades that visitors have been able to use since last year include a new aquatic center, tennis and pickleball courts, renovated locker rooms, a renovated community hall, a preschool, among others.
The newest amenities that are available in 2023 include:
- Modern fitness center
- Living room
- Café
- Education center
- Meeting rooms
- All-gender restrooms
The grand opening ceremony took place May 15, exactly 30 years after the campus held its first public event in the space that now holds the JCC. Shalom Austin CEO Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus said in a press release that the JCC is "one of the best kept secrets in Austin."
“These renovations will help us enhance the quality of Jewish life through more opportunities for connection with each other and serve all of our neighbors at the same time," he shared. "None of this would have been possible without our wonderful community and generous donors over the years; and this is just the beginning. We look forward to what the future holds.”
Construction was made possible with more than $25 million raised by Shalom Austin's Generations capital campaign, to which Michael and Susan Dell Foundation matched $6.25 million, making them the leading donors. Michael and Susan Dell, who are members of the local Jewish community, joined the grand opening celebration for the ribbon-cutting.
“After relocating to Austin, it was very important to Susan and me to establish a center of Jewish culture and community here," said Michael Dell. "We wanted to recreate the experiences we both had at the Jewish Community Centers in Dallas and Houston and are grateful to have done that through our work with Shalom Austin."
The ceremony also included remarks from Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, Council Member Alison Alter, and JCC Association of North America President and CEO Doron Krakow.