Most Edmonton teens spend their free time at coffee shops, malls, recreation centres or libraries. For Jacob Pellett, those spaces have often come with a reminder that he is different.

As a Jewish teen, Jacob says there are times when he chooses not to draw attention to his identity. That's why the Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre represents something much bigger than a building.

It will be a place where Jewish teens can simply be themselves.

For Jacob, Scarlett Abougouche, and Lily Ploit, the new Oshry | Kipnes JCC will provide opportunities to build friendships, strengthen their connection to Jewish life, and create memories in a space designed with them in mind.

Unlike previous generations of Jewish teens in Edmonton, Jacob, Scarlett, and Lily grew up without a Jewish community centre. While they have heard stories from parents, relatives, and friends about the role the former JCC played in everyday Jewish life, the Oshry | Kipnes JCC will be the first JCC experience they can truly call their own.

Jacob became more involved in Edmonton's Jewish community through BBYO and an Israel trip connected to the JCC Maccabi Games. Along the way, he discovered a network of friendships and support that helped shape his sense of identity.

Being Jewish hasn't always felt easy outside those spaces.

"I feel like in most community spaces in life, you kind of hide the fact that you're Jewish," Jacob says. "Whereas if you can just live your everyday life being able to express that in everyday activities like going to the gym or like going to a JCC just to study or do your homework instead of a library, I feel like it just it feels different."

He believes the centre will become a gathering place where Jewish teens and young adults can build and maintain relationships long after high school.

"Instead of having to plan something like, 'Let's catch up for coffee,' it's like, 'Hey, let's go to the JCC,'" he says. "You'll just see them more often because it's a common space that everyone shares now."

For Scarlett, the Oshry | Kipnes JCC will create opportunities she never had growing up.

Her mother spent much of her youth at Edmonton's former JCC, working there, attending programs and building lifelong friendships. Scarlett hopes to create similar experiences of her own.

"I'm so excited to share the same experiences that my mom had," she says.

Scarlett says there have been times when she felt uncomfortable bringing up that she is Jewish because she worried she would be treated differently. She recalls friendships changing after others learned she was Jewish.

That's one reason she is excited about what the centre will offer.

"With the JCC, I can do that every single day. I can build memories and bonds with other Jewish people and just become more connected in my culture," she says.

She also sees the new building as increasingly important for Jewish youth today.

"There's been a lot of hate on Jewish people recently," Scarlett says. "At places where it's just Jewish people, there is no hate. It is just a place where you can be yourself, be Jewish freely."

While Jacob and Scarlett focus on identity and belonging, Lily sees another benefit: having a dedicated space where Jewish teens can gather, learn and spend time together.

Over the years, BBYO programs have taken place in a variety of borrowed and rented locations. Having a permanent home for youth activities will make it easier to bring people together and provide a welcoming environment for teens throughout the city.

"It's definitely easier to know that you always have a location to host a program, to hang out with your friends," Lily says after experiencing Calgary's JCC through BBYO events. "It is just such a wonderful thing to have, to know that you're in a safe environment with your friends around you."

She is particularly excited about having a place to gather with friends after school, study, host programs, and connect with other Jewish teens.

"Knowing that we have a safe environment that we want to come to is really exciting for everyone," Lily says.

Although each teen shared a different perspective, all three described the same need: a place where Jewish youth can gather, form friendships, and strengthen their sense of belonging.

For some, that means discovering new opportunities through organizations such as BBYO. For others, it means having a place to study, attend events or simply spend time with friends. Most importantly, it means having a space where being Jewish isn't something that needs to be explained.

The Oshry | Kipnes JCC will provide that space for today's teens and for future generations.

As Jacob puts it, the facility will become "the center of Jewish community in the city."