Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social, and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish culture and heritage through holiday celebrations, Israel-related programming, and other Jewish education. However, they are open to everyone in the community.
"YWHA" redirects here. For the ICAO code, see Whyalla Airport.Predecessor
Hebrew Young Men's Literary Association,
Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA),
Jewish Welfare Board
1854[1]
Dr. Aaron Friedenwald[1]
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1]
13-5599486[2]
To strengthen Jewish life in North America through direct service to affiliate Jewish community centers, Young Men's/Women's Hebrew Associations, and camps by providing leadership and guidance to the Jewish Community Center movement; and to serve Jewish personnel in the armed forces through the Jewish welfare board.[3]
520 Eighth Avenue,
New York, NY 10018 U.S.
Doron Krakow[4]
$12,717,523[3]
$13,474,227[3]
$17,832,339 (2016)[3]
59[3]
93[3]
The JCC Association is the continental umbrella organization for the Jewish Community Center movement, which includes more than 350 JCCs, YM–YWHAs, and camp sites in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to 180 local JCCs in the former Soviet Union, 70 in Latin America, 50 in Europe, and close to 500 smaller centers in Israel.
The Hebrew Young Men's Literary Association was first set up in 1854 in a building at the corner of Fayette and Gay Streets in Baltimore, Maryland[5] to provide support for Jewish immigrants.[1][6] Dr. Aaron Friedenwald was the group's founder and first president.[1]
The first Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) was founded in New York City on October 10, 1874, with Lewis May as its first president.[7] The first official headquarters were at 112 West 21st Street in Manhattan.[7] Young Women's Hebrew Association (YWHA) was first established as an annex to the YMHA in 1888.[8] YWHA was founded to provide spiritual and material support for the young Jewish women who were moving to cities at the time.[9] YMHA helped young Jewish women find housing and employment.[9] Fannie Liebovitz was one of the founders.[10] The first independent YWHA was established in 1902.[8] The New York YMHA and YWHA now operate together as the 92nd Street Y. (There are two other YM–YWHA organizations in Manhattan, which are not affiliated with the 92nd Street Y. They are the 14th Street Y, and the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood. The 14th Street Y, in the Gramercy/East Village neighborhood, is a branch of the Educational Alliance. The Washington Heights organization serves a diverse community uptown.) In 1917, these organizations were combined into a Jewish Welfare Board.
Following a merger of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, Young Women's Hebrew Association, and the Jewish Education Alliance, the organization was renamed Jewish Community Center (JCC) in 1951.[1] Many member organizations adopted the new name, but some other member organizations did not do so, particularly in the New York metropolitan area, such as:
An example of the objectives of Jewish Community Centers can be seen within the New Bedford, Massachusetts branch's Constitution. In January 1947, the Jewish Community Center of New Bedford listed the following objectives:
In recent decades, several incidents that have taken place at JCCs and other Jewish-related locations across the United States and Canada, as well as the September 11 attacks, have prompted JCCs in all areas to increase security at their facilities. Some of these events have included: