LOWER MERION – Officials from Gratz College recently kicked off renovations on their Bala Cynwyd campus with a groundbreaking ceremony.
School and local officials were on hand for the ceremonial event.
“This is tremendously exciting for us,” said David Brawer, chairman of the Board of Governors for Gratz College. “A lot of hard work has gone into this by a lot of people to make this day happen.”
In 2024, Gratz College announced that it had purchased the historic Levering Mill Tribute House and Levering Mill House.
The two buildings are situated next to each other on Bala Avenue, near Levering Mill Road. The tribute house name originates from a plaque at the entrance to one of the buildings, marking it as a memorial to residents who died in World War I and a tribute to all who served.
The construction plan, designed by OZ Collaborative and to be executed by Caritas Construction, consolidates properties at 327 Levering Mill Road and 382 Bala Avenue into a single parcel. A new two-story, 860-square-foot glass atrium will then be built.
The atrium, partially supported by a Non-Profit Security Grant awarded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, will increase security and serve as a centralized, staffed entrance for both buildings. The addition of an elevator will allow access to the fully restored lower level, where visitors can access community resources related to the Holocaust, culture and learning.
Gratz will further enhance the historic campus by introducing state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, furnishing a theater on the lower level that will feature Holocaust educational hardware and software, and the installation of the College’s field leading digital archival lab. Gratz will also refurbish the library building, which served as the first public library in Lower Merion.
“For many of us, having Gratz College as a neighbor is both a pleasure and an honor,” Pennsylvania State Representative Mary Jo Daley said. “As the oldest independent and pluralistic college for Jewish studies and the first to admit women on the same basis as men, it stands as a true pioneer in education and equality.”
Daley also referenced the historic background of the buildings.
“It’s especially fitting that this Levering Mill Campus will carry out its mission in buildings originally constructed by the Women’s Club of Bala Cwynd, an organization that championed suffrage, fair labor, and social justice, and that legacy continues here today,” Daley said.
Lower Merion Commissioner Gilda Kramer said they are delighted to have Gratz College in Bala Cynwyd and that they are a great neighbor.
Gratz College President Zev Leff said, “Our leadership is very grateful to the Township and other stakeholders that have partnered with us to realize a vision for Gratz on the Main Line. Together, and with our generous donors, Gratz is poised to launch a convener space for all people to learn and make meaning—together.”
At the time the college purchased the buildings, Gratz President Zev Eleff commented, “The new campus will empower Gratz to further accomplish its mission to advance Jewish wisdom and education, on the Main Line, just as in Melrose Park, Gratz will be a major incubator of culture and learning. Our faculty and staff are eager to synergize our significant resources and abilities with the needs of the Lower Merion community, Jewish and otherwise.”
The buildings date back to the 1920s and consist of the larger Levering Mill Tribute House and the smaller Levering Mill House. The Tribute House, featuring a ballroom, was a smaller structure that once housed a library in Bala Cynwyd.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2026. During that period, Gratz will continue selected operations in Bala Cynwyd, while continuing administrative operations in its office space in Jenkintown at 315 York Road.