HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life in Harrisburg is officially listed for sale as the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg races to repay roughly $9.7 million in debt and avoid filing for bankruptcy.
The closure wasn’t part of the plan. When the Federation purchased the six-building complex in 2022 for $4.56 million, leaders hoped to create a centralized hub for the region’s Jewish community. Instead, a series of financial setbacks compounded into a crisis.
Renovations ran significantly over budget. Donors who had made initial pledges backed out. A former Federation property on Front Street took two years longer to sell than expected — and sold for a million dollars less than anticipated. Security costs surged in the wake of the October 7th attacks in Israel…