The Jewish Centre for Learning and Living (JCLL), is an unaffiliated, grassroots organization whose mandate is to create Jewish communities out of Jewish neighbourhoods. How do they differ? A neighbourhood is nothing more than a collection of homes in a subdivision, sharing a common postal code.

A community is shared living. It's watching out for one another. It's connecting to a shared history and common future. It includes social responsibility and leadership. In short, it's living larger.

A key element of any community is it's spiritual centre. A place where education, inspiration and lifecycle events happen. Although the JCLL is focused on much of North Thornhill, it has chosen Thornhill Woods as it's first location to develop such a centre.

Here's why.

Thornhill Woods, Ontario, the neighbourhood bordered by Bathurst St., Highway 7, Dufferin Rd. and Rutherford Rd., already boasts 3,000 Jewish families – more than 10,000 individuals.

Located within Canada’s fastest growing municipality, Thornhill Woods will see its Jewish population continue rise. In the past five years alone, more than 5,500 Jewish families have moved into the Bathurst corridor between Highway 7 and Elgin Mills, most of whom are detached from Jewish community involvement. UJA projections suggest that this number will more than double in the next five years.