Editing Jewish Community Center (section)

== History ==
The '''Hebrew Young Men's Literary Association''' was first set up in 1854 in a building at the corner of [[Fayette Street|Fayette]] and [[Gay Street (Baltimore)|Gay Street]]s in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]<ref>[http://www.jcc.org/join/history-of-the-greater-baltimore-jcc/ "History of the Greater Baltimore JCC,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614171301/http://www.jcc.org/join/history-of-the-greater-baltimore-jcc/ |date=2015-06-14 }} Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore website. Accessed June 12, 2015,</ref> to provide support for [[Jew]]ish immigrants.<ref name = 100years>"Young Men's Hebrew Group 100 Years Old This Week". ''The Baltimore Sun''. January 8, 1954.</ref><ref>Shapiro, Marc; Katz, Justin (May 20, 2016). "Envisioning the Future". ''Baltimore Jewish Times''. Vol. 350. Issue 3. p. 54-59.</ref> Dr. Aaron Friedenwald was the group's founder and first president.<ref name= 100years/>

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.<ref name= ymha1871>"The Young Men's Hebrew Association: Formal Opening of the New Building of the Society—Addresses by Mr. Lewis May, Mr. De Cordova, and Others". ''The New York Times''. October 11, 1874. p. 7.</ref> The first official headquarters were at 112 West 21st Street in Manhattan.<ref name= ymha1871/> '''Young Women's Hebrew Association''' ('''YWHA''') was first established as an annex to the YMHA in 1888.<ref name= fitness>Jaffe, Maayan (March 26, 2015). "Fitness and JCCs: Does working out with other Jews keep you Jewish?" ''Washington Jewish Week'' (Gaithersburg, Maryland). p. 22.</ref> YWHA was founded to provide spiritual and material support for the young Jewish women who were moving to cities at the time.<ref name= frontiers>Irwin, Mary Ann (2011). "Sex, War, and Community Service: The Battle for San Francisco's Jewish Community Center". ''Frontiers''. Vol. 32. Issue 1. p. 36–70, 204.</ref> YMHA helped young Jewish women find housing and employment.<ref name= frontiers/> Fannie Liebovitz was one of the founders.<ref>Mrs. S. Liebovitz, a Welfare Leader". ''The New York Times''. April 28, 1944. p. 19.</ref> The first independent YWHA was established in 1902.<ref name= fitness/> 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 [[The Educational Alliance|Educational Alliance]]. The Washington Heights organization serves a diverse community uptown.) In 1917, these organizations were combined into a [[National Jewish Welfare Board|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.<ref name= 100years/> 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:

* In [[Manhattan]], New York City, New York
** Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
** YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
** [[92nd Street Y]], (formally, The Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association, New York, New York)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.92y.org/92StreetY/media/DOCUMENTS/Uptown/Misc/No_Exp/92Y-FY17-Signed-FS.PDF|title=Financial Statement 2016-2017|date=2017-11-15|website=92nd Street Y|access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref>
** 14th Street Y
* In Brooklyn, New York
** Boro Park Y in [[Borough Park, Brooklyn|Borough Park]],  (founded as YMHA)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18303209/brooklyn_ymha_buys_site/|title=Brooklyn YMHA Buys Site|date=1914-10-31|work=New York Times|access-date=2018-04-23|language=en|via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{OpenAccess}}}}</ref>
** [[Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst|Jewish Community House]], or JCH, in [[Bensonhurst, Brooklyn]]
** Kings Bay Y in [[Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn|Sheepshead Bay]], with branches in northern Brooklyn
** Shorefront Y
* Riverdale YM-YWHA in [[the Bronx]], New York City, New York
* Samuel Field Y and Central Queens Y in [[Queens|Queens, New York]] (two agencies merging {{As of|2018|lc=y}})
* In New Jersey
** Center for Jewish Life (CJL) in [[East Brunswick, New Jersey|East Brunswick]], successor to YM-YWHA of Raritan Valley in [[Highland Park, New Jersey|Highland Park]] (closed 2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://njjewishnews.com/article/1363/charter-school-meets-with-prospective-families|title=Charter school meets with prospective families|website=New Jersey Jewish News {{!}} NJJN|access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/030608/sxRenamedY2Develop.html|title=Renamed Y to develop new East Brunswick site {{!}} New Jersey Jewish News|website=njjewishnews.com|access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref>
** YM-YWHA of Clifton/Passaic (name retained until its closing in 2011)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/clifton-passaic-jewish-institutions-undergoing-massive-changes/|title=Clifton Passaic Jewish institutions undergoing massive changes|work=Jewish Standard|access-date=2018-04-23|language=en-US}}</ref>
** YM-YWHA of North Jersey in [[Wayne, New Jersey|Wayne]] (name retained until sale to Metro YMCA in 2011)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/wayne/ym-ywha-joins-forces-with-the-metro-ymca-of-the-oranges|title=YM-YWHA Joins Forces with the Metro YMCA of the Oranges|date=2011-07-11|work=Wayne, NJ Patch|access-date=2018-04-23|language=en-US}}</ref>
* Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville, Florida

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:

* To foster and develop the highest values of Jewish spiritual and cultural life.
* To provide social, educational, literary, benevolent, recreational and athletic activities for the benefit of Jewish men, women, and children of New Bedford.
* To serve the spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical welfare of its members.
* To fulfill the great ideals of American citizenship.<ref>Jewish Community Center Records, 1944–1977. [Manuscript Collection]. (MC 21). Claire T. Carney Library Archives and Special Collections, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA.</ref>