An expansion to the campus of the northern Palm Beaches hub for Jewish life is one step closer to reality following unanimous approval by the Palm Beach Gardens City Council for The Exter Center, a 23,500-square-foot center designed to meet growing interest for Jewish connection while providing much-needed additional space for arts, culture, athletics, and events.
The recent approval marks a major milestone for Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and its Palm Beach Movement to Activate Jewish Life, a bold, community-wide plan to shape the future of Jewish life across the Palm Beaches. The Exter Center will be the movement’s first physical infrastructure project, which comes at a time of significant growth for Jewish Palm Beach and against the backdrop of rising antisemitism.
Planned for Federation’s Palm Beach Gardens campus at 5221 Hood Road, also home to Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Preparatory School and the Mandel JCC, The Exter Center will expand what the campus can offer children, families, and the broader community. New spaces will accommodate athletics, theatrical performances, graduations, teen activities, large-scale events, and community programming while creating greater capacity for programs with significant demand.
“The Exter Center represents an extraordinary investment in a vibrant Jewish future for the Palm Beaches and into Martin County,” said Michael Hoffman, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. “We are creating a new, welcoming destination where people of all ages can gather, connect, and feel proudly Jewish. We are grateful to the Palm Beach Gardens City Council for approving The Exter Center. This decision underscores the project’s value to the entire community.”
The Exter Center is named in honor of Palm Beach Gardens residents and longtime Jewish leaders Diane and Neil Exter, philanthropists who relocated from Boston in 2018 and quickly established local roots. Diane chairs the Palm Beach Movement to Activate Jewish Life and serves on Federation’s Board of Directors, and Neil serves as the vice chair and board chair-elect of the Mandel JCC, which has campuses in both Palm Beach Gardens and Boynton Beach.
“Supporting a strong, engaged Jewish community has always been deeply important to us, and that feels even more meaningful today,” said Diane and Neil Exter. “The moment we learned about Federation’s vision for The Exter Center, we felt called to be part of it. Especially now, when connection and community are so deeply needed, this center will open new doors for people to engage with Jewish life in meaningful and joyful ways.”
The demand is already evident throughout the community. Federation reports that 52 percent of local Jews are seeking more ways to take part in Jewish life, while Meyer Prep enrollment has increased 80 percent since 2019, and participation in Mandel JCC teen programs has grown 700 percent since 2023.
At the heart of The Exter Center will be the Bernard & Shirley Brown Pavilion, a versatile space which converts from a gymnasium into an expansive performing arts and events venue. The Linda and Myron Teitelbaum Atrium will serve as the main campus entrance, connecting the Mandel JCC and Meyer Prep to The Exter Center, while The Mezz, named for Susan and Leonard Feinstein, will provide flexible space on the second floor of the center.
The project includes outdoor space with the Endelson Sports Complex, featuring a regulation-size soccer field, practice field, and spectator areas for Meyer Prep athletics, Camp Shalom, recreation, and community use. The Engelstein Playground will provide a dedicated playground for Meyer Prep students.
Designed by Broward County-based Ditman Architecture, the contemporary center will complement the architecture of the existing campus while adding distinctive new elements. Architectural plans feature warm earth tones, expansive bands of glass, slender wood columns, and linear canopies, along with welcoming outdoor plazas to connect new recreation and athletic spaces.
The Exter Center is part of the broader Palm Beach Movement to Activate Jewish Life, which has been pairing investments in physical infrastructure with expanded opportunities for Jewish engagement.
The movement is creating ways to engage at every stage of life, from family events and teen leadership to adult education, cultural experiences, and volunteer opportunities.
To date, nearly $22 million has been committed toward the movement’s $27.5 million goal for The Exter Center, with fundraising continuing and additional naming opportunities available.
