March Building Update

As Jewish thought leaders tackle issues of assimilation disenfranchisement, BDS and the shrinking Jewish population, it is clear that one of the bright lights of engagement is the incredible success of Birthright Israel. It is our intention to leverage this success by providing creative educational programs and immersive Israel experiences to ensure the future of the Jewish people. Birthright is ‘life changing’; our goal is to ensure that this’ life changing’ experience continues to create a community of proud Jews, who are leaders at their University campuses and home communities, at the forefront of battling BDS and defending Israel.

Our goal is to provide a cutting-edge Jewish educational center that will serve all Birthright Israel alumni and young adults. Not just a building and dormitory area, this Center will be a content provider partnering with organizations like Masa and Onward Israel, to provide meaningful and transformational experiences in Israel. We will be offering programs such as: internships and volunteer opportunities, Jewish learning workshops, and Israel advocacy seminars.

The progress we are making is amazing, we are in the process of completing:

  • Adding a protective stain and grouting the tiles on all upper floors;
  • The excavation of a 6m deep hole, through rock, for a large oil canister, as stipulated by the Health Department for the kitchen waste to drain separately;
  • The plumbing on the ground floor was completed and checked successfully;
  • Ventilation fans and infrastructure are being installed to improve air ventilation;
  • The sprinkler systems has been installed according to the Fire Department regulations, to ensure fire safety;
  • Three sample rooms are in the process of being painted;
  • Air conditioning units are being installed in every room on the four upper floors.

Check out the video and photos below:

  • (From Left: Project manager, Igal Kaptsan, head architect, Zvi Weinberger, general manager, Shlomo Chaimson) in the newly painted dorm room.
  • The fire extinguishers are installed
  • The air conditioners are up in each room
  • Prepping the bathrooms for tiling
  • Installing tiles in the bathroom and shower
  • Adding protective stain and grout to the floor tiles
  • Before the painting is completed
  • After color is added to the walls in the dorm area
  • Before and After the walls go up in the basement
  • Removing the existing paint from the walls in the stairway
  • Excavation of the 6m hole in the basement
  • Walls going up in the excavation area
  • Spraying the basement with concrete
  • Walls going up in the commercial kitchen and dining room area

February Building Update

The Mayanot World Center Building project is finishing the stage in which the mechanical bones of the renovation are complete. The walls are up, the plumbing, electric, and air ducts are all installed, the ceiling is ready and now we are beginning to install the flooring.

The team has been working, the last few weeks, cutting, laying and setting the tiles, as the area is quite large. The finished product will not only look wonderful, it will literally lay the ‘ground’ work for thousands of students to experience Israel, and connect with their heritage.

See below for the most recent video update and photos.

Before the tiles have been laid.
After the tiles have all been installed and set.
Finishing the process of cutting the pipes and organizing the plumbing.

The Four stages of the flooring process include: First ensuring the base is cleaned off. Second, adding compressed sand. Third, adding gravel. Fourth, installing the tiles themselves. The tiles throughout the upper floors of the Mayanot World Center are cost-efficient, long lasting and very durable. They look like wood grain parquet, but they are actually tiles made out of strong porcelain ceramic, perfect for thousands of young feet walking all over them.

Here you can see the sand, gravel and tiles used for the flooring.
Waiting for the tiles and adhesive to set and fully dry.
Our team, working diligently to ensure our timeline is met.

2020: A Year In Review

When we at Mayanot, think about all that our team has accomplished this past year, we feel unbelievably grateful. Grateful to have such an amazing and supportive community behind us, propelling us forward. Generously pushing us ahead and ensuring the mission of Mayanot, to empower young Jews through education and build a new generation of leaders, is thriving.

This past year of 2020 has been challenging, no doubt about that, but Thanks to G-d’s help and the outpouring of love from our Mayanot family and thousands of supporters, the Mayanot World Center project has not only continued building throughout the year, but we have also successfully managed to keep to our target opening date of Fall 2021.

Take a look at how far our team has come this year and what an amazing transformation has taken place. Thank you for sticking with us and being active participants in the process. We look forward to what 2021 will bring.

Check out the video and photos below.

Feel inclined to tell the world about the amazing work Mayanot is doing? Feel free to share and tag us, @mayanotmen @mayanotwomen

  • Entrance floor lobby
  • Upper floors
  • Initial opening for the stairway
  • Walls going up
  • Lobby area
  • Lobby walls erected
  • Upper floor: before the walls
  • Upper floors: initial wall build
  • Upper floors: after wall construction
  • Safety Room Initial build
  • Temporary wood structure
  • Metal Wires installed
  • Cement poured and wood removed
  • Electric and plumbing installation
  • Wall prep and drywall complete
  • Installing air ducts
  • Basement removal of the old pipes
  • Replacing new pipes
  • Basement view before walls
  • Building the basement safety room
  • Finishing stage II of the basement safety room
  • Basement, left side section, wall completion
  • Initial opening of commercial kitchen
  • Continuation of expansion process
  • Rooftop after center construct is dismantled
  • Rooftop cleared and plumping prep assembled

Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Visits Mayanot World Center

View the short video

Mayanot was honored to welcome Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, on November 12th, 2020 for a special tour of the new Mayanot World Center. Hassan-Nahoum currently serves as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, in charge of foreign relations, international economic development and tourism and brings even more opportunities for growth, and partnership with the Holy City.

She was joined by the Exigent Capital Group, partner and longtime friend of Mayanot Elie Brender, Eric Davis, and Kory Baldash.

Hassan-Nahoum expressed her excitement with the educational center at the gateway to Jerusalem. She stated, “I am really impressed by the vision for this building. I’m excited that Jerusalem will be hosting such an innovative educational center which will help train young people to defend Israel all over the world, against the scourges of anti-Semitism and BDS.”

In attendance from Mayanot were Executives R’ Kasriel Shemtov, and R’ Shlomo Gestetner, Director of Birthright Israel: Mayanot, Levi Margolin, Creative Director, Susie Muller and Building Manager, Shlomo Chaimson.

Rabbi Gestetner, Dean, shared, “This educational center will change the educational landscape of Jerusalem, providing a foundation for building a new generation of leaders, empowering them with the knowledge and values to face the challenges of the future. Our goal is to empower the leaders of tomorrow by offering students a chance to stay in Israel, long term. Giving our youth diverse opportunities for studying and interning, offering a Lone Soldier safe haven and a myriad of other academic and experiential programs that will enrich the lives of Jews around the globe.”

Rabbi Shemtov, Executive Director, stated, “The new Center is geographically situated at the gateway to Jerusalem, and will be the gateway to Judaism, engaging every Jewish student at their own level and turning a short visit into a lifelong experience of engagement and connection.”

We look forward to inviting the Deputy Mayor and Exigent Capital Group to the ribbon cutting, for the opening of this incredible center, when we can together greet thousands more students and young adults in Jerusalem.

  • (From Right: Kory Baldash, Eric Davis, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, R’ Shlomo Gestetner, Elie Brender, R’ Kasriel Shemtov, Shlomo Chaimson, and Susie Muller, photo taken by R’Levi Margolin) 

November Building Update

Our team has been busy this month completing many parts of the building project, including; plumbing and electric on the entrance floor, clearing out the main basement area and the extra side room dug out as a commercial kitchen space, the sanitation installation on all upper floors, and the drywall/ plastering on all four upper floors.

View the video of our progress this month.

View the photos, below, of the new developments.

Plumbing and electric on the entrance floor.
Clearing out the basement area and the extra side room dug out as a commercial kitchen space.
Sanitation installation on all upper floors.
The drywall & plastering on all four upper floors.

October Building Update

Since the lockdown was recently lifted, our team was able to get back to working hard on site. We resumed work and since then we have:

  • Drywalled the dorm rooms and hallway of floors 1, 2, 3, & 4;
  • Leveled the roof and cleaned up the area in preparation for the rooftop garden and event area;
  • Replaced the frame for the windows on the main floor and in the process of installing the new windows.

Check out the video of our teams first day back after the lockdown.

Progress Photos below:

Drywalling progress on all the upper floors.
Our team working hard drywalling all upper floors.
Cleaning and leveling the rooftop.
Removing the old windows and installing the new window frames.

    September Building Update

    September has been an exciting month for us at Mayanot, we’re buzzing with students, our online program has had hundreds of applicants and the High Holidays are almost upon us.

    As well, our construction team is busy with the continued renovations for the new Mayanot World Center and we are excited to share the most recent updates with you. The walls of the building are being prepped for drywall and all corners have been reinforced. Digging and clearing out of the basement area where the industrial kitchen will be, has moved forward at a tremendous pace. The basement walls have gone up for our state of the art gym facility and we have begun working on the elevator shafts.

    Here is a great time lapse to show you where we are up to on the lower level.

    Photo Progress:

    Reinforced corners and walls being prepped for drywall
    Industrial kitchen facility expansion
    Building the walls for the state of the art Gym facility, on the lower level
    Elevator Shaft reconstruction

    August Building Update

    We are coming up on one year since beginning construction on the Mayanot World Center and marking this milestone with a special update and video announcement.

    This months update is dedicated to revealing the planned view on each of the floors. Please enjoy the prototype renderings for the Mayanot Word Center, complements of our professional team, headed by architect Zvi Weinberger. Our video message is a special one, as it includes a wonderful announcement and comes directly from our founders: Dean, Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner and Executive Director, Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov.

    Ground Floor Rendering:

    This floor features a state of the art kosher kitchen facility, a large dining hall, and indoor mikvah, a fully equipped fitness facility, and a cutting edge seminar space.

    Entrance floor:

    The magnificent entrance floor will feature the Main Beit Midrash, the comprehensive library, including computer stations and classrooms, the greeting area and executive offices, and a versatile outdoor patio space.

    Floor 1, 2, 3 & 4:

    These floors include welcoming dormitory rooms and community restrooms, a beautiful lounge area for students, and multipurpose classrooms for educational seminars and workshops. This plan has been updated

    Rooftop:

    The rooftop garden features inspiring views overlooking Jerusalem, an outdoor space for Israel environmental studies, an area to host large Shabbat meals and group events. Handicap and elevator accessible from every floor.

    July Building Update

    The renovations are continuing to unfold in the New Mayanot World Center. Our team is making many advancements; securing the plumbing and electric conduits on all levels, fortifying the door post on all levels, continuing to dig in the basement and create even more space for our students, all eight safety rooms are complete with concrete and reinforced floors and ceilings, as well as shower and bathroom mechanisms all installed and connected on floors one to four.

    Please view the recent video of our team hard at work. and the photos that follow.

    Progress Photos:

    Securing of the electric and plumbing on all floors.
    Fortifying the door post on all levels.
    After replacing the plumbing in the building, we have advanced to filling in the area with concrete on the basement level.
    Our team is continuing to dig on the basement level, utilizing the space as much as possible.
    After making more space, we are clearing the basement of debris and readying it for the next development.
    The floors, ceilings, and walls of all eight safety rooms have been reinforced and the concrete has been poured, dried and set.

    June Building Update

    We have very exciting updates about the rooftop of the Mayanot World Center. We have started construction on the roof, which means the building has been reinforced to the point where we can really begin to construct on the top level.

    The vision to create a rooftop garden, which features inspiring views overlooking Jerusalem, an outdoor space for Israel environmental studies, an area to host large Shabbat meals and group events, is well underway.

    View the video progress here:

    Our vision for the terrace roof top, where hundreds of students and Birthright Israel participants will enjoy Shabbat meals, overlooking Jerusalem.

    Rooftop Progress Photos: