Gottesman Pool Set to Reopen Soon; Has Been Closed Since October
The Benjamin Gottesman Pool on Wilf Campus, which has been closed for repairs since Oct. 31, is set to reopen in the coming weeks as soon as a replacement pump is delivered.
The pool, which was first constructed between 1990 and 1991, closed slightly over a year after it had first reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the failure of a water pump, Chief Facilities and Administrative Officer Randy Apfelbaum told the Commentator.
The pump, which failed due to its age and is no longer manufactured, was ordered by the university several weeks ago and is yet to arrive.
“Given supply chain delays,” Apfelbaum told The Commentator on Nov. 28, “we can’t predict when we will get the replacement part. It will likely take another week or two.”
As of Monday, Apfelbaum wrote in a follow-up email that he still expects the pump to be replaced within two weeks.
Students have yet to be informed of when the pool is expected to reopen.
The pool was last open on Oct. 30. Previously, the pool had been closed between Sept. 20 and Oct. 30 due to issues with the pool’s chemicals. With the exception of Oct. 30, the pool has not been open since September.
Apfelbaum also told The Commentator that the university has no plans to open the hot tub any time in the near future.
“The hot tub is completely non-functional and would need to be replaced to be useable,” Apfelbaum said. “There are currently no plans to do so this year.”
Charles Totoro, director of operations of the YU Facilities Service, also told The Commentator that government regulations make it impossible to build a new hot tub without completely tearing out the old one, providing an impediment to replacing it.
Some students are looking forward to the pool reopening.
“As someone who is interested in health and fitness, having a pool is a great way to reach my fitness goals,” Eitan Shulman (YC ‘25) told the Commentator. “So the sooner the pool opens the better.”
Previously, the pool was open to Wilf Campus undergraduate students from 6–11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Friday. The pool was also open between 7–9 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Access to the pool is unavailable for Beren Campus students.
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Photo Caption: Gottesman Pool
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University Athletics
