- February 18, 2026
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Andy Pargh and six of his family members from Nashville, Tennessee, stepped behind the red ribbon. In front of them, more than 100 guests stood in the parking lot of Rosen JCC, awaiting the scene that would unfold. With a long pair of ribbon cutting scissors in hand, Pargh counted down.
Three. Two. One.
Snip.
As the ribbon was cut Thursday, Feb. 12, the banner slowly was pulled behind them to reveal the newly named Pargh Event Center — formerly known as the Rosen Event Center — officially was open.
The debut of the Pargh Event Center marked a turning point for Arts at the J, a growing cultural initiative designed to bring accessible, high-quality performances and creative experiences to Southwest Orange. The 5,000-plus-square-foot venue is capable of hosting concerts, theater performances, lectures and community gatherings. Its opening gives the Arts at the J a permanent home for its programs and serves as a platform to expand its cultural reach.
But Arts at the J CEO and Executive Director Ofira Bondorowsky said the space is about more than performances. It’s about belonging.
“Access to the arts shouldn’t depend on ticket prices or geography,” she said. “This center allows us to say clearly that the arts belong to everyone and everyone belongs here.”
The Pargh Event Center anchors the Arts at the J. The center serves not only as a venue to host live performances and showcase art, but also it can serve as a banquet hall for community members to rent. It seats up to 600 people in theater-style seating or 350 for banquets.
Renaming the center sparks the future of the program. Plans already are underway to enhance the space further, including state-of-the-art stage lighting — forecast to be placed in the spring — retractable auditorium seating and the addition of a technical studio to support hands-on learning.
Bondorowsky said the goal is to grow the Arts at the J beyond performances and into lectures and workshops as well as immersive experiences for all ages. Local artists will showcase their pieces in gallery exhibitions to allow every corner of the community to engage with the arts in its various forms.
“When you walk through these doors, this is more than a building,” said Frank Santos, Rosen Hotels & Resorts CEO, of the event center. “This is where imagination is welcome, creativity is nurtured and where the arts are given room to breathe and grow.”
Santos said the ribbon cutting ceremony was more than celebrating an expansion; it was about continuing the vision set long before any of them worked at the Rosen JCC. They’re carrying forward the vision Harris Rosen set.
Rosen created the center based on his commitment to education, culture and community development. It was designed as a gathering space for all. While it’s rooted in Jewish values, its arms extend to the greater community. The Rosen JCC was built on principles found in the Jewish tradition Tikkun olam, which are actions aimed to protect the environment and each other to heal the world.
Named in honor of his parents, Jack and Lee Rosen, the JCC serves as a reflection of Rosen’s strong belief that community institutions should listen to who they serve and always aim to serve better.
In the fall 2025, the Arts at the J officially launched through the support of Pargh.
“As you can see, this is not just programming,” Bondorowsky said, to the guests. “It’s a statement about who belongs here, whose stories are centered and the kind of cultural home we are building here, and Andy, we couldn’t have done it without your support.”
Bondorowsky said its inaugural season highlights a mixture of dance, music, song, comedy and theater experiences, which were strategically chosen to expose the community to a diverse option of artistic expression.
The Orlando Ballet School debuted in the Arts at the J’s inaugural performance Sunday, Nov. 23, followed by Opera Orlando’s “All Is Calm” and “Anne and Emmett” by The Bridge Theatre.
The community support following the performances have been tremendous. Other organizations have begun to reach out asking to perform at the Pargh Event Center, Bondorowsky said. All supporters appreciated how convenient the experience at the center was because it’s a neighborhood facility.
“I think this is a (supported) program and it’s going to continue growing as a result,” Bondorowsky said.
The event center was renamed in honor of Pargh, whose generosity and commitment to arts, education and community made the expansion of Arts at the J possible.
When Bondorowsky and Santos first approached Pargh with the proposition to rename the center after him, he was honored but also overwhelmed to follow in the steps of Rosen, he said.
Pargh is a nationally recognized technology journalist and media pioneer. Over his career, he has produced and hosted more than 1,000 television segments, contributed to national programs including NBC’s “Today Show,” authored magazine features and written columns.
The early pioneer of online content wasn’t chosen for his professional accomplishments but rather his values.
“Andy’s support isn’t transactional,” Bondorowsky said. “It’s values-driven. It reflects a belief that investing in the arts is ultimately an investment in the people.”
Pargh said his family history of generosity is rooted deeply in him. His parents, who experienced economic hardship in their early years, emphasized giving back as a core value in a person. The philosophy has driven his approach to philanthropy, and he will continue to share it in generations to come.
“Andy understood immediately that this wasn’t about a stage,” Bondorowsky said. “It was about equity. About creating a space where people who may never have felt welcome in traditional arts venues could see themselves reflected.”
He also deeply believes in arts and culture being accessible to all, despite geography or income. Pargh’s support allowed the Rosen JCC to launch Arts at the J with intention to address the long-standing gap in cultural access in Southwest Orange.
“This is about creating something that will outlast all of us,” Pargh said during the ribbon cutting. “A place where creativity can grow, where young people can discover who they are and where the community can come together.”
