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The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

HEIGHTS AREA PROJECT - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The HEIGHTS AREA PROJECT was established as the Cleveland Hts. Project by the JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION in 1969 in an attempt to halt or slow the move of JEWS & JUDAISM and Jewish institutions out of CLEVELAND HEIGHTS Supporting stabilization and neighborhood commitment marked a change from the post-World War II era, when the federation assisted organizations in moving from GLENVILLE and Kinsman. By the late 1960s, Jewish institutions were concentrated in a small area, along and near S. Taylor Rd., to a greater degree than at any time previously.

With the desegregation of Cleveland Hts. in the 1960s, the Jewish Community Fed. feared the same kind of Jewish eastward flight that had characterized earlier changes in EAST CLEVELAND. To forestall that, the Jewish Community Fed. extracted promises to remain in the neighborhood from organization leaders. At the same time, the Cleveland Hts. Project was established to provide mortgage assistance for Jewish home buyers in the Heights, to "market" the neighborhood, to foster street clubs, and to lobby for improved city services. The project also cooperated with non-Jewish organizations to form the HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CONGRESS (HCC), trying to maintain and ensure orderly neighborhood integration. The Cleveland Hts. Project and the federation sponsored committees to deal with security and to guard against block busting and discriminatory real estate practices. In 1973 the federation blocked the Bureau of Jewish Education's move to BEACHWOOD. As the Jewish population increased in Cleveland Hts. and UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, the project expanded and changed its name to the Heights Area Project. In the mid-1980s the project provided a low-interest mortgage assistance program, which currently (1995) continues to assist Jewish families move into the Heights area, while maintaining its involvement in housing, education, and intergroup relations issues. In 1990 the project offices moved to the Jewish Community Fed. at 1750 Euclid Ave. Dan Blain served as director in 1995.

Last Modified: 26 Jun 1997 01:57:41 PM

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