Centering Effort
JCCs strive to add community to
business of pools and schools.
convention in Boston last week.
JCC leaders from 130 centers
around the country gathered in small
groups to talk about just what com-
Boston
munity means and how the centers
staff "buddy system," a
can do a better job facilitating con-
message board for corn-
nections among their members.
memorating happy occa-
An estimated 1 million American
sions and condolences, and
Jews are members of 206 JCCs
a few new chairs outside a nursery
around the country and another mil-
school entrance may not seem like
. lion attend occasional programs,
revolutionary developments at your
according to the JCCA.
local Jewish community center.
Approximately 2 million belong to a
But for the JCCs of Greater
Boston, these are some of the compo- synagogue, according to the 1990
population study by the Council of
nents of a new effort that they —
Jewish Federations.
and the larger national JCC move-
Social activist and syndicated
ment — are describing as a 'funda-
Jewish columnist Leonard Fein
mental shift in theway they do busi-
kicked off the biennial with a
ness.
keynote address outlining the new
The aim is to foster connections
approach.
and networks arriongmembers as a
"Bigger pools and better early
way to create stronger ties within
childhood education programs are
Jewish life.
important, but they are not how we'll
This is not the first conceptual
be measured," he said.
shift in American JCCs, which were
"We can't be satisfied to remain in
founded largely to acculturate newly
health and hobbies, as important as
arrived Jewish immigrants and have
they are. If that's all there is, the cen-
long been known primarily for their
ter becomes a cafeteria with only
three "core businesses": gym facilities,
appetizers and desserts."
early childhood programs and day
Fein is one of the authors of a
camps.
study commissioned by the Boston
In the past decade, in an effort
JCCs calling on the centers to see .
many described as "putting the J
their services as "effective means to
back in JCC," the centers have
generate the numerous relationships
sought to beef up their Jewish con-
and feelings of attachment that are at
tent. Guided by their umbrella
the heart of well- functioning inti-
group, the Jewish Community
mate communities of Jews."
Centers Association of North
Steven Cohen, another author of
America, JCCs have hired Judaic
the study and a professor of sociology
educators, sponsored adult Jewish
at the Hebrew University of
education courses and enriched the
Jewish curriculum of the nursery
Jerusalem, said, "In the past, JCCs
used to reflect the community. Now
schools.
they're about creating community."
Now, seizing upon research find-
The initiative comes at the same
ings that show many American Jews
time that American synagogues —
live far from their far4lies arid the
through new initiatives like
Jewish neighborhOOd'of yore and ---
like many Americans — are yearning
Synagogue 2000, the Reform move-
ment's Experiment in Congregational
for a greater feeling of community,
Education and a new philanthropic
the centers' new focus could be
partnership of mega-donors Michael
described as "putting the community
Steinhardt and Edgar Bronfman
back in the JCC."
called Synagogue Transformation and
Renewal — are also talking about
Convention Talk
making themselves more welcoming,
"Meaningful Jewish Community" was
and more vibrant, communities.
the theme of the movement's biennial
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
J::
5/19
2000
22
Not Competing
-
At their biennial, JCC leaders repeat-
edly emphasized that they want -to -
cooperate, not compete, with syna-
gogues and that many JCC members
are also active in their synagogues.
However, proponents of the, initia-
tive note that when it comes-to build-
ing community...and reaching out to
the unaffiliated, JCCs can fill a niche
that religious institutions cannot.
The JCC "cuts across all categories
of Jewish life," said Sherry Israel, a
professor at Brandeis University's
Hornstein Program in Jewish
Communal Service and one of the
authors of the "Meaningful Jewish
Community" study.
"When we did research, people
were saying, 'I like the JCC because
no one is judging me there and I
can't do anything wrong.' For some
Jews, the barriers in other institutions
are more formidable than many peo-
ple realize."
Although to. some JCC leaders, the
initiative sounds like a marketing
spin on things they are already trying
to do, proponents say it is not just a
new gloss on business as usual.
Boston Example
On a concrete level, the initiative in
Boston, begun last year and being
promoted nationally, is so far focus-
ing on small changes.
It is working to convince staff to
buy into the idea while strengthening
community among nursery school
parents.
New staff are given "buddies" to
show them the ropes and mentor
them, and all staff participate in peri-
odic social events, such as a Passover
"chametz blowout," when they wipe
out all the non-Passover products.
"For staff to help create communi-
ty with members, they need to be
part of a community, too," said Alan
Mann, executive vice president of the
JCCs of Greater Boston.
-
Susan Shevitz, director of
Brandeis' Hornstein Program,
described the "Meaningful Jewish
Community" effort as "profoundly
important," but_questioned whether
any institutions,
i
including
i
JCCs, can
fulfill peoples' yearning for commu-
nity while also recognizing American
Jews' "powerful need for individual-
ism."
"We live in a consumer environ-
ment and to change from being a
customer to a member to a chevra
(community) is hard," she said. ❑
.