In early November 2026, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Sports Center was inaugurated in Beit Hanina, giving East Jerusalem its first community sports center and public swimming pool.
The center realizes the vision of the late Shai Doron, former president of the Jerusalem Foundation. A champion swimmer, Shai resolved soon after his appointment in 2018 to build a swimming pool in East Jerusalem, where one-third of the city’s residents had no access to one. He believed every Jerusalemite deserved equal access to opportunities in all spheres of life, worked to narrow gaps between East and West Jerusalem and viewed sport as a means of connecting communities.
A few years later, his vision became reality. The $20 million complex covers approximately 5,000 square meters. It includes an indoor public pool, a toddler pool and a teaching pool, alongside gyms, fitness studios and shared public spaces for children, teenagers, adults and families from east Jerusalem. Residents and the Beit Hanina community administration took part in planning the center and preparing for its operation.
The center was established in partnership between the Jerusalem Foundation, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and other friends of the Jerusalem Foundation, together with Mifal HaPais (the Israel Lottery Fund) and government offices.
Dr. Waseem Elhaj, director of the Beit Hanina Community Center, said the facility addresses a need that had gone unmet locally. “Beyond swimming lessons and a healthy lifestyle, the place will give our children a professional framework that will allow them to develop, train and achieve significant sporting accomplishments,” he said.
The center is also expected to create dozens of local jobs in management, coaching, instruction, lifeguarding, maintenance and customer service.
Jerusalem Foundation president Arik Grebelsky said: “For the Jerusalem Foundation, this is what meaningful investment in our communities looks like: listening to their needs, improving quality of life and creating spaces where people can come together and feel a sense of belonging. To the residents of Beit Hanina and the surrounding communities, this center is yours. May it become a place where generations grow, friendships are formed and new possibilities are discovered.”
Photo Credit: Yael Ilan
Photo Credit: Arnon Busani
