Key local leaders remain dedicated to developing an intown Jewish cultural center that would include the Breman museum and other cultural offerings, such as the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
The future of an intown Jewish cultural center came into question when the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta moved its offices from Spring Street in Midtown to Sandy Springs last year.
“I’m fully committed,” said Matt Bronfman, CEO of Jamestown and co-chair of the Spring. “We are going to create an intown Jewish community hub. We know the Breman will be part of it. I think there will be a Jewish Film Festival presence and maybe the ADU Museum. I would love to see some recreation, a lecture hall or an auditorium for milestone events and community gatherings.”
Other major leaders include A.J. Robinson, president and CEO of Central Atlanta Progress, who also co-chairs the board of the Spring with Bronfman. Samara Minkin is its executive director, and Dena Blank Kimball is serving as a strategic advisor.
“Midtown remains the hub of the business, the tech world and the arts,” Bronfman said. “It’s where the young people are. We need to meet them where they are.”
To prove that theory, Minkin and the Spring have been putting on several events that cater to the intown Jewish community, ranging from food events to discussions about Israel and Palestine.
“We are working hard on programming, and we can feel the buzz around it,” said Minkin, adding that the Spring is in a “predevelopment” phase. “From the Spring’s point of view, we think it will great for all Atlanta, not just Jewish Atlanta, to have a place where different communities can come together, connect and be surrounded by arts and culture.”
On Dec. 18, the Spring celebrated the fifth night of Hanukkah at Ponce City Market, partnering with the Breman and the ANU museum from Tel Aviv. During the event, Minkin said it was important to bring light after heartbreak and darkness marred the first night of Hanukkah with the mass shooting of Jews in Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach.
Dozens of people came to the event, which included the lighting of Hanukkah candles as well as food offerings from local restaurants.
Bronfman and Robinson said several sites are being explored for the development of a hub for the intown Jewish population.
As currently envisioned, the building would be about 100,000 square feet and cost between $75 million and $100 million, not including the land, according to Robinson.
There is no timeframe for when the project will be built.
“We’re taking the time to get it right,” said Robinson, adding that the facility could last for 50 to 100 years. “We might not build the whole program in a first phase. It may take a few phases.”
The current vision for the Spring would be for half of it to be dedicated to community and half for cultural offerings, including the Breman and a theater that could be used by the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. The community piece could include a gym, a food hall and other amenities for intown residents.
“We feel the potential is there for a great center,” said Minkin, who added many Jews who grew up in Sandy Springs and the suburbs have moved intown. “The Spring is responsive to that. The Temple is bursting at the seams. All these people are coming out of the woodwork. They may not be affiliated with large organizations. But people still want culture, and they want excellence.”
Bronfman said he is helping the Spring explore real estate opportunities, and he does not view the Jewish Federation’s move to Sandy Springs as a “deal killer.”
Renee Kutner, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, said the federation understands the need for a Jewish presence intown and the development of an intown Jewish center.
“Right now, we are very supportive of the project taking place, and it’s still an option to do it on our land on Spring Street,” Kutner said in a telephone conversation Monday afternoon. “But no decision has been made.”
Kutner also had reassuring words about the future of the Breman, which remains a tenant of the Federation.
“The Breman is an important institution for our city, and it’s the right thing for them to remain in Midtown,” she said. “They are staying in our building for the foreseeable future.”
In fact, the Federation is in the process of securing a tenant to move to its former office space. That means the Spring Street property would not be sold in the immediate future before plans for a robust Jewish intown center have crystallized.
“It is a great vision, and it’s one we would love to see happen,” Kutner said. “I think everybody would love to see the broader vision happen.”
Kutner, however, stopped short of making a financial commitment to the project.
About three decades ago, the Federation built its home at 1440 Spring St. on land that Steve Selig donated for its headquarters. In the last couple of years, the Federation was given an opportunity to move to new office space in Sandy Springs to the Dupree, a building owned by David Zalik, a wealthy entrepreneur who founded GreenSky. The office move took place in the fall.
“The Seligs made an incredible contribution by donating this property,” Bronfman said of the gift made in the mid-1990s. “There will be a new Jewish community hub wherever it may be. That was the original notion of the Selig family gift.”
While not getting specific, Bronfman said the new location could be next to the Temple on Peachtree or more intown. While the current property could still be an option, the current value of Midtown real estate could make it out of reach.
For Minkin, the Spring could be a project that could bridge divides.
“We live in a fractured society,” she said. “The Spring believes in a big tent community with a diverse group of people – generationally and geographically. A primary focus of the Spring is to be a place of connection and to be a bridge for the community in a beautiful, dynamic space.”
Note to readers:
Coincidentally, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival on Monday announced its line-up for 2026 that will take place from Feb. 18 to March 3 in theaters across metro Atlanta. A virtual cinema with selected films will take place from March 6 to March 15. To get a full schedule of the 2026 festival, click here.
