Comparing themselves to the nomadic Israelites who finally found the Promised Land, the Jewish Community of Bermuda held their building fundraising campaign on May 21.

With a respectable turnout of about 60 people, the JCB announced the kickoff at their new building on St. John's Road in Pembroke.

It has been a long journey for The Jewish Community of Bermuda (JCB), which grew out of the US Naval Bases established in Bermuda during the Second World War. In the past, the JCB consisted mainly of naval officers and their families. In the last 20 years, the percentage of civilians to officers and their families gradually changed.

In 1994, due to US budget cuts, the Base was closed. The community is now made up solely of Bermudian residents and their families, and expatriates from the US, Canada, the UK, and a dozen other countries. The JCB currently consists of about 120 people, including children.

Now the community has a place to call home, and the opportunity to conduct many of the activities that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible. But the structure needs considerable work, and the land needs development. However, the fabulous thing about having the building is that they simply didn't anticipate how much impact it would have on the community, and in their own words, it's been fantastic.

President of the JCB Board, Fiona Elkinson said: "Even the children – they have embraced this building with ease, and, although it is uncarpeted, untiled, un-air conditioned and largely unready, they do not see that. They see this as our building and collectively they tell me it is 'awesome'!"

The spirit of the evening could be summed up by the children's rendition of the traditional song "Hine Ma Tov", which means "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony."

It was interesting to note the journey of the JCB and how many people were involved in making this dream a reality.

Chuckles were heard when it was mentioned that they used to meet anywhere from people's homes and hotels to structures they affectionately dubbed the "Temple Bet Dinghy" and "Trimingstein's".

Thanks were made to JCB members past and present, as well as to the Rev. Nick Dill of St. John's Church who assisted in make the building on St. John's Road, Pembroke available.

Many an event is conducted at the new structure, and the JCB has plans for the future including Shabbat services, Hebrew School, Torah Tots classes and an adult social study group for anyone interested.

Ms Elkinson said: "This Community has always been very warm and inclusive, welcoming all who care to belong. We wish to continue this endevour to make it a place where our community feels that it is their home away from home."

The edifice is in need of carpet, flooring, appliances, cabinets and even signage. They would like to be able to keep the Torah within the structure, and they need air-conditioning in order to do that. There are plans for a beautiful bronze "Tree of Life" that will have donor names on its leaves.

All members were encouraged to give full support, so when the JCB approaches the community at large, they can honestly state that they have full membership participation and backing. By all observations, that is true.

The Jewish Community of Bermuda has a starting point where they can maintain a connection with their identity. They finally have a place of worship, a hall where they can teach their children, a structure to celebrate holidays and events, but most importantly, a permanent location to call home.

If you would like to make a pledge in order to assist the JCB in meeting its needs, contact Fiona Elkinson at fiona@elkinson.com , Susan Musicant at 293-1714 or the Jewish Community of Bermuda at 291-1785.