A Legacy of Community Building
The Springfield Jewish Community Center traces its roots to 1895, when a Jewish high school student by the name of Henry Lasker organized the Young Men's Hebrew Association in Springfield. The YMHA was founded for the purpose of "elevating its members and the community by adapting them to the customs and institutions of the American people."
Using rented club rooms on Worthington Street for meetings and a picnic area on Riverdale Road in West Springfield for summer outings, the Y provided lectures, debates, and socials -- and even occasional moonlight sails down the Connecticut River. With the constant flow of new Jewish immigrants from Poland and Eastern Europe in the early 1900s, an important function of the YMHA was to Americanize and help secure employment for its members.
Responding to the changing needs within the Jewish community, and expanding physically as these needs emerged and multiplied, the YMHA moved from Worthington Street to Main Street above Barnett's Cigar Store, then later to Bridge and Dwight Streets. In response to the continued growth of the Jewish community, a new building on Sargeant Street became a reality in 1921, followed by a move to Maple Street in 1936. The YMHA was renamed the Springfield Jewish Community Center in 1949 and construction of our current location was completed in 1954.
At the October 1954 facility dedication, the JCC proclaimed: "...Almost 60 years of progress: a growing up from a rented room to a building complete with a gym, health club, nursery school, meeting rooms, auditorium, lounges, and special activity rooms; a growing up from a desire to adapt to the American community to an acceptance of a set of principles involving a philosophy of Jewish living in an American environment."
Over the years, the Springfield JCC has acquired and strengthened a number of vital Jewish engagement programs, including PJ Library, BBYO, and the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival. With a renewed facility and more room to grow, our JCC is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together for the good of the entire community.