Marcus Foundation Awards $10M Grant to Weber School
Funds will go toward a state-of-the-art athletic complex, music and performing arts center and campus expansions, as well as support professional excellence and Israel and global education.
Sasha Heller is the Web Editor and Copy Editor for the Atlanta Jewish Times
The Weber School recently announced that it has received a $10 million grant from The Marcus Foundation that will fund expansion of the campus and facilities, including a state-of-the-art athletic complex. The grant continues the school’s successful Excellence Fund campaign, which has raised $43 million so far with $1 million remaining on its goal.
Per recommendation of The Marcus Foundation, the new athletic complex will be named in honor of Eitan Force, a member of The Weber School’s class of 2023, who sadly passed away last year.
“Weber is a vital asset to the Atlanta Jewish community, and these additions will enable Weber to grow as a 21st century, quality Jewish high school and one of the largest in the country, said Bernie Marcus, foundation chairman. “And given the powerful impact he made on so many people at Weber and beyond, I can think of no more meaningful naming of the athletic complex than to honor the life and legacy of Eitan Force.”
According to a news release, the new complex, set to open in fall 2024, will feature:
- Modern, competitive gymnasium including full-size basketball court, two full-size practice gym spaces, three locker rooms, classrooms, faculty offices, and a wellness center focusing on fitness, conditioning, and weightlifting.
- Seating in the gymnasium between 600 and 1,100 depending on the size of the event.
- Six-lane outdoor track;
- Environmentally friendly lighting for baseball, soccer, and flag football fields.
The news release adds that the redesigned athletic complex will afford Weber the opportunity and means to host regional competitions, and outsized school and community events.
“We are incredibly grateful to Mr. Bernie Marcus and The Marcus Foundation for this extraordinary grant to The Weber School, all the more so during this exciting time of growth and opportunity for our school and the Atlanta Jewish community,” Rabbi Ed Harwitz, head of school, said in a statement. “We are particularly moved by Mr. Marcus’ choice to name the new athletic complex for our beloved Eitan Force. The new complex will represent Eitan’s commitment to learning, athletics, and Judaism, and his love for family and friends, all the while making a positive impact on generations of young people for years to come.”
We are particularly moved by Mr. Marcus’ choice to name the new athletic complex for our beloved Eitan Force. The new complex will represent Eitan’s commitment to learning, athletics, and Judaism, and his love for family and friends, all the while making a positive impact on generations of young people for years to come.
The $10 million grant, which will also help fund construction of new classrooms and improved dining and multi-purpose facilities, is part of the school’s Excellence Fund campaign, and parallels a second $10 million gift to the school by founder Joe Weber and his family; and those donations are joined by a $19 million grant from The Zalik Foundation, gifted last year to The Weber School to build a music and performing arts center. In total, the Excellence Fund has raised $43 million of its $44 million targeted goal.
“Along with the ongoing generosity of our founder, Mr. Joe Weber, and that of The Zalik Foundation, the grant from The Marcus Foundation will provide Weber with new assets to offer one-of-a-kind courses, programs, and academies for a growing and increasingly diverse population of Jewish students, while serving as a hub of innovation and partnership with Atlanta’s Jewish communal organizations,” Billy Medof, president of the Weber board of trustees, said in a statement.
comments