Sarfatti Education Center

The Sarfatti Education Center in Port Jervis is a collaborative partnership between Orange County, the City of Port Jervis and SUNY Orange to bring College credit and non-credit courses to a newly renovated teaching and learning facility at 150 Pike Street.

In addition to providing space so that higher education could be geographically accessible to students in Port Jervis and the surrounding communities, the Sarfatti family has created the Sarfatti Family Scholarship Fund that will help make college coursework financially accessible for students attending the Port Jervis site.  

For more information on classes at the Sarfatti Center, contact the SUNY Orange Admissions Office at (845) 341-4050.

What They are Saying About the Sarfatti Center

Steve Neuhaus, Orange County Executive: “This (education center) is such a transformative thing for this side of the County. I see so many exciting, good things coming out of this. You are going to change men and women’s lives who are going to better themselves and get a better education.”

Kelly Decker, Port Jervis Mayor: “Higher education is important. We need it in western Orange County. These are the most premier classrooms in Orange County. Port Jervis is up and coming. We’ve built things up over the last four years and adding (a SUNY Orange presence) is the next step.”

Tom Faggione, Orange County Legislator: “I was born in New York City but I moved to Port Jervis when I was young. This is my city and my community and we are so happy to have the College here. We will show you that this city will support it and we will grow it. This is a great day for our community.”

Steve Sarfatti, building owner: “Nothing pleases me more than to see this educational center opened in my hometown. My late uncle and father acquired 150 Pike Street in 1947 to start a business here after my father completed his World War II service. If they were with us to today, they’d be immensely satisfied to learn that the space we’re gathered in that once was their company’s lowly ‘shipping department’ has been put to a higher and better use—higher education.

“My father used to say, and if he said it once he said it 100 times, ‘education is the key that unlocks the door to the treasure of fulfilling life.’ Mom was more pragmatic. She said education was the ‘key to earning a decent living.’”

Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange President: “We couldn’t be happier to be in Port Jervis, and we appreciate the work of the County and the City to make it happen. And we deeply appreciate Mr. Sarfatti’s generosity. We need your help in planning the right courses for Port Jervis. We have 68 years of history in Middletown, and 30-plus years in Newburgh. We know those communities. You know this community. Help us become a part of this community like we have in Middletown and Newburgh.”