Ground Purchase Campaign

As many of you know from your personal experience or the newspaper articles which were written about MJBHA’s hard fought campaign to purchase the school building and ground in November 2010, success did not come easy. Members from all the different groups within the Greater Washington Jewish community came together to testify, petition, and lobby the Montgomery County political authorities on our behalf. Many people tell us that they were energized and riveted by this process and the challenges which MJBHA had to overcome. We deeply appreciate the tremendous effort by so many which allowed this process to end successfully.

Since the purchase battle was so difficult, MJBHA thought it was in our interest to close on the purchase contract as soon as possible. In order to raise the necessary cash (before we had time to launch a fundraising campaign), we temporarily borrowed the money from MJBHA restricted capital and operating accounts and received an interest free loan from the Avi Chai Foundation.

In September 2011 we announced the initiation of a special $2 million capital fundraising campaign in order to repay the various accounts from which we borrowed to complete this purchase. Michael Epstein and Louis Mayberg are the chairs of the Ground Purchase Campaign and Mervyn Myers, the Campaign Director, is focused on the Capital Campaign to ensure its successful completion and has been working closely with lay leadership in developing Parents’, Grandparents’, Alumni, Alumni Parents’, and Community Campaigns.

The Campaign leadership and Board of Directors kicked off the campaign with pledges totaling more than $750,000 and during the past three months our divisional chairs have been reaching out to MJBHA parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents and friends to join with us in making a five year pledge for this important project. An additional $315,000 has now been raised bringing the total pledged to date to $1,065,000

Three successful parent parlor meetings have been held and more are planned for the spring. On Grandparents Day, May 11, Ground Purchase Campaign Information will be available for interested grandparents. We will continue to reach out to give ALL community members an opportunity to participate in this historic campaign that completes a process that began more than 15 years ago. This final step, the completion of a successful $2 million capital campaign, will secure MJBHA’s ownership of a facility into which we had already invested $9 million. These funds will ensure that we have funds available for future needs of the school’s physical plant and will sustain the safe physical environment our students need to learn and grow.

All gifts of $500 or more to the campaign will be recognized on a stunning 3-dimensional 20’ wide by 8’ high mural, which now graces the outside front entrance of our building, so the community will be able to clearly see your support. The mural, created by Bob Hynes, a renowned artist and current staff member of the Helene Berman Seidenfeld Visual Arts Center, depicts a family exploring Israel’s unique natural environment which includes all of the seven species of Israel and several of its indigenous animals and flora. We are planning a dedication of the Ground Purchase Campaign Mural for September 2012.

Make a Pledge of Support to the Ground Purchase Campaign

Make a donation to the Ground Purchase Campaign

If you wish to learn more about the Campaign or to get involved, please contact Mervyn Myers, Capital Campaign Director, 301-962-9400 ext. 5165 or myersme@mjbha.org .

Update: $2 million Ground Purchase Campaign Reaches Halfway Mark!

Stunning 3-D Artwork to Acknowledge Gifts