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KINGSTON — The brand-new Sidney and Pauline Friedman Jewish Community Center was unveiled at an open house ceremony on Sunday afternoon by the Jewish Community Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The building had been in the works since 2010, when the members of the JCA board concluded that the JCC’s old location in Wilkes-Barre was unsuitable for continued use.

“We broke ground roughly two years ago,” said David Lantz, the president of the board. “It took five years just to draw up plans and gather donors before we could break ground.”

The JCC offers a litany of services and amenities to the Jewish Community of the Wyoming Valley, and has done so since its inception back in the early 1930s.

The new center provides state-of-the-art updates to those amenities, revamping the group’s services for a more modern age.

The building, located on Third Avenue in Kingston, has a food pantry, weaving room, multipurpose room and an athletic center with weights, aerobic equipment, saunas and a full-length basketball court.

People from all over the Wyoming Valley, both Jewish and non-Jewish, were invited to this free public open house in order to get acquainted with the new building and its staff.

“It’s a beautiful building. I love it here,” said Abid Syed, a local man whose wife takes a cooking class at the JCC on Fridays. “I like the kid section in the back.”

The section Syed is referring to is a full-on day care for children all the way down to infants. The JCA also has a youth day camp located in Dallas.

Guests were seen checking out the Rifkin Resource Center, which doubles as a library, as well as the Schwager Multipurpose Room, where the mahjongg and bridge tables were already full of enthusiastic participants.

“We try and have different programs for people of all age groups,” Lantz said. “This area’s a little skewed toward seniors, so a lot of our programs are geared toward seniors.”

The Friedman Center also boasts an outdoor courtyard with a cornhole setup, as well as the only regulation squash courts in Luzerne County.

Live music was provided by Guns ‘n’ Moses for guests to enjoy.

The initial ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center was back on March 24.

A large crowd turned out for the grand opening of the Jewish Community Center in Kingston on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_grand-opening4_faa-1.jpg.optimal.jpgA large crowd turned out for the grand opening of the Jewish Community Center in Kingston on Sunday. Fred Adams | Times Leader

The Harlem Wizards’ Werm spins a basketball on his finger during a basketball exhibition during the grand opening ceremony for the Jewish Community Center in Kingston on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_grand-opening1_faa-1.jpg.optimal.jpgThe Harlem Wizards’ Werm spins a basketball on his finger during a basketball exhibition during the grand opening ceremony for the Jewish Community Center in Kingston on Sunday. Fred Adams | Times Leader

Players from the Harlem Wizards play a game with children at the Jewish Community Center during a grand opening ceremony on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_grand-opening5_faa-1.jpg.optimal.jpgPlayers from the Harlem Wizards play a game with children at the Jewish Community Center during a grand opening ceremony on Sunday. Fred Adams | Times Leader

The Jewish Community Center in Kingston.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_grand-opening6_faa-1.jpg.optimal.jpgThe Jewish Community Center in Kingston. Fred Adams | Times Leader

Cecilia Olivera, 6, spins a basketball on an ink pen with the Harlem Wizards, from left, Space Jam, DP and Werm during the grand opening of the Jewish Community Center on Sunday in Kingston.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_grand-opening2-1.jpg.optimal.jpgCecilia Olivera, 6, spins a basketball on an ink pen with the Harlem Wizards, from left, Space Jam, DP and Werm during the grand opening of the Jewish Community Center on Sunday in Kingston. Fred Adams | Times Leader
Open house held at completed Jewish Community Center

By Kevin Carroll

[email protected]

Reach Kevin at 570-954-8360 or on Twitter @TLKevinCarroll