For nearly two decades, members of the Bay Area Russian Jewish community have been gathering in rented hotel ballrooms and school auditoriums for services and celebrations organized by Rabbi Shimon Margolin, himself a native of Kyiv. Longing for a center of their own, they bid on three different properties in San Francisco, only to be outbid or have their offers rejected. Now, thanks to pandemic-induced upheaval in the real estate market and generous donors, they will have a permanent home.
Russian-speaking Jewish Community of SF Bay Area, a nonprofit umbrella organization, recently bought a building in the city’s Richmond District for an as-yet-unnamed community center. They snagged it for under the $3.5 million asking price, according to Margolin, who leads the nonprofit. The 6,000-square-foot building is located on the corner of Geary Boulevard and 20th Avenue, in a neighborhood where Russian Jews have historically concentrated. The donors who put up the cash to buy the building have chosen to remain anonymous for now.