For the past 13 years, we, the residents of the Vardia neighborhood, have been fighting for the establishment of a neighborhood community center, which will be a home for children and youth activities.
The Verdia neighborhood has grown and expanded, in the last five years, when new apartments were built there, on Moran Street, Tadhar Street, and Tashur Street. A new project that will start soon, will include 280 housing units and the connection of the road with the Geula Dormitory.
Along with the increase in the number of residents, the number of children and youths living in the neighborhood increased and accordingly, a number of kindergartens were added in the neighborhood for the residents' welfare. So far, everything is fine and dandy, but in Bordia there is still no community center where the activities of the children and youth can be concentrated: classes, municipal events and more. Therefore, the youth in Bordia are forced to carry out the activity outside, in any weather, without a roof.
We, the residents of the neighborhood, have applied several times to the Haifa municipality, but the municipality rejects our request on the grounds that there is no place to build the community center. In the face of the municipality's claim, we actually located an ideal place for the establishment of the neighborhood community center.
Migration of Verdia children to community centers in other neighborhoods:
In the absence of a neighborhood community center, the children of the Vardia neighborhood are forced to look for solutions in the Carmelia, Ramot, Neve Shanan, etc. community centers.
In the absence of a community center, even the activity organized by the Haifa municipality is only partial. Therefore, the residents are forced to initiate cultural activities on their own. Thus, for example, the residents produced the Hanukkah celebrations, in combination with Shebat Nufit scouts and Chabad activists (Rabbi Uri and his wife Hani).
Lotan Tamri - Youth Center in the Scout Tribe - Enterprises and Community Coordinator:
Today we held the Hanochiyada event. The Hanukhiada is a Hanukkah event that takes place every year in Shvat led by Battalion H. The activity was carried out at the entrance to Shufersal Vardia, my father, the manager of the supermarket, gave us the option of using the entrance plaza. And all this so as not to disappoint the children. Luckily, we were blessed with a Hanukkah miracle this year: it didn't rain and the weather was wonderful and we were able to hold the activities under the sky in Bordia.
When we were looking for a place to hold the event, we had a conversation with the maintenance manager of Verdia Center (the name is withheld in the system) who did not agree to welcome us in the mall plaza of Verdia Center, I explained to him the plight of the covered place in case of rain, but he closed his ears and did not agree host us instead.
The Haifa Municipality's response to Hai's appeal here:
The municipality of Haifa is in the advanced stages of planning a community center in the Verdia neighborhood, thanks to the fact that the neighborhood is being renewed and is in demand by many young couples.
The construction of the community center is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019.
In addition, the Haifa Municipality and the Ministry of Education are currently examining the establishment of an elementary school.
Until the establishment of the community center, the community system at the "Ehud" school is available to the residents of the neighborhood.