A brand new amenity for JCC members, the Hurt Family Tennis Center’s six lit tennis courts provide opportunities for a year-round tennis program. Courts include lines for adult and youth tennis and pickleball.  Youth and adults will enjoy lessons, clinics, camps and leagues. Credit: Dave Hawks

Shalom Austin recently announced that they have opened their brand new Hurt Family Tennis Center for classes and lessons and will soon open the newly updated Rochelle and Stanley Ferdman Family Aquatic Center. These new and expanded facilities are part of the more than $25 million Generations capital campaign, which involves transformative updates to the campus to provide a new era of connections for families and individuals of all ages of the Austin Jewish community and its neighbors. 

The new amenities are among the first to be completed in the renovation and expansion project on the multi-generational Dell Jewish Community Campus. 

A brand new amenity for JCC members, the Hurt Family Tennis Center’s six lit tennis courts provide opportunities for a year-round programs. Courts include lines for adult and youth tennis and pickleball. Youth and adults will enjoy lessons, clinics, camps and leagues. Credit: Dave Hawks

The new state of the art Rochelle and Stanley Ferdman Family Aquatic Center with the Lisa and Sandy Gottesman Pool is designed for lap swimmers, campers, lessons and a variety of other programs. The children’s activity pool includes spray features, dumping buckets, water tables and slides. Kids of all ages can enjoy an additional feature of two large slides. The aquatic center also includes a new snack bar with Austin-centric snacks and newly refreshed bathrooms.

The new children’s activity pool includes spray features, dumping buckets, water tables and slides. Kids of all ages can enjoy an additional feature of two large slides. Credit: Dave Hawks

“We are honored to be recognized through the new aquatic center. The new updates transform the space and create a unique, fun and relaxing environment to connect with others,” said Shantel and David Ferdman. “The upgraded pool area is perfect for multi-generational gatherings, and we are excited to see how this center will be utilized by members of all ages in the future.” 

“It’s an honor to contribute to the DJCC expansion project. We’re grateful to be part of the campus revitalization, which we know will be a special and important cornerstone for Austin’s growing community—a place for families to connect, have fun, share experiences, and create wonderful memories for future generations,” said Lisa and Sandy Gottesman.

A brand new amenity for JCC members, the Hurt Family Tennis Center’s six lit tennis courts provide opportunities for a year-round tennis program. Courts include lines for adult and youth tennis and pickleball. Youth and adults will enjoy lessons, clinics, camps and leagues.  

“Having a center for Jewish activities in Austin keeps us all connected and brings out our mutual love for Judaism and our community. When we visited other cities to help assess what drew people to their JCCs on a regular basis, two features lacking in Austin kept coming up: an incredible year-round tennis program and a family-friendly, outdoor water park. We knew then what we wanted to see at our JCC,” said Debra and Brett Hurt.    

The JCC expansion and renovation project will also include a new lobby, cafe, living room, meeting rooms, fitness center and studios, learning spaces, community hall, courtyard, and Jewish Family Service center. The capital project started with the refresh of the Early Childhood Program preschool, now named Clifford Zeifman Family Early Childhood Program, which opened in fall 2020 to provide a new modern and safe space for children to learn and grow. In addition to the new facilities, the Papermaster Sports Field and Garber Family Nature Trail remain part of the beautiful outdoor facilities of the JCC.

The new state of the art Rochelle and Stanley Ferdman Family Aquatic Center with the Lisa and Sandy Gottesman Pool is designed for lap swimmers, campers, lessons and a variety of other programs. Credit: Dave Hawks

“Our family is proud to be part of the JCC that is making a difference for so many individuals and families. It’s been an honor to work with so many great people over the last 20 years, who have imagined and created all that the campus provides today. We hope that families will enjoy time together on the nature trail for a very long time to come,” said Ross Garber. The Garber Family Nature Trail was named in 2015.

“Early childhood education is a critical need for young families and their children and a great opportunity to connect them with our Jewish community and campus. My gift is intended to acknowledge the impact of the Early Childhood Program on my children and by providing for its continuation for the benefit of future generations,” said Clifford Zeifman. 

“To see the new facilities come to life at the JCC is thrilling. This incredible expansion project will meet the needs of the burgeoning community in Austin, which includes our grandchildren. The sports field has been a mainstay of the J since its opening in 2000 connecting children and adults of all ages with physical fitness, sports and more on a lush green outdoor space. Our family and foundation are proud to have been part of this vibrant JCC campus from the beginning including our gift of the sports field and we will continue to participate in its growth,” said Kathy and Steve Papermaster family.

The campus opened in 2000 and is home to multiple entities including Austin Jewish Academy, Congregation Agudas Achim, Congregation Tiferet Israel, Temple Beth Shalom and Shalom Austin. Shalom Austin, which consists of the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service and Jewish Foundation, enhances the quality of Jewish life through philanthropy, education, social service, culture, spirituality and total wellness. 

For more information about the Generations project, visit shalomaustin.org/generations.