the J

Our Mission

The St. Louis Jewish Community Center is an interactive multi-generational gathering place which:

• Imparts Jewish values
• Promotes individual physical and spiritual growth
• Creates a caring responsible community and supports those in need
• Encourages an appreciation for our Jewish identity, history and cultural heritage through effective and innovative education, programming and services
• Fosters connection, Jewish continuity and creates Jewish memories in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

The Jewish Community Center has been a presence in the St. Louis community since 1880. Below you can follow the history of how the JCC established itself and became an integral part of not only the Jewish Community, but a part of the larger St. Louis community as a whole. From its early days as the YMHA downtown to our current three thriving campuses in suburban St. Louis and the Lake of the Ozarks, the JCC has been an important part of the St. Louis landscape.
History

Our History

The St. Louis JCC began as the YMHA (Young Men's Hebrew Association) in 1880. The first location was close to where the St. Louis Gateway Arch is located now. The Arch symbolizes St. Louis as the Gateway to the West, and due west is the direction that the Jewish community, and the YMHA, began to move. By 1897, after a couple of changes in location, the YMHA moved west to Locust Street.

2737 Locust Street
 

But the Jewish Community kept expanding and moving. By 1915, we moved west into larger quarters at 3645 Delmar, with space to meet, access to tennis courts, ball fields and swimming pools. The minute the doors were opened, the Y became the "meeting place" for the Jewish people of St. Louis.

3645 Delmar Boulevard

The Jewish Community kept moving west, and, in less than 12 years, the Delmar location was inconvenient. In 1927, the YMHA-YWHA moved west again to Union and Enright. At that time, the Union Avenue location was the geographical center of the St. Louis Jewish population.

724 Union Boulevard Dr., 1927

In 1952, the YMHA-YWHA was incorporated as the Jewish Community Centers Association (JCCA), otherwise known as the J. Times changed, and the Jewish Community continued to move west. In 1961, both the Yalem Building at Olive and Hanley and the outdoor facilities at Lindbergh and Schuetz Roads were completed. In 1963, the Carlyn H. Wohl Building on the I. E. Millstone Jewish Community Campus at the Lindbergh and Schuetz site in Creve Coeur opened.

Yalem Building, 1961

To the Present

On January 1, 1998, we officially became the Jewish Community Center (JCC). We continue to extend our programming and our facilities to provide services where the Jewish community is rapidly going and growing. The Marilyn Fox Building is on the J's 11.4 acre plot of land (The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus) at the corner of Baxter Rd. and Wild Horse Creek Rd. It is a full service, 70,000 square foot facility equipped to serve West St. Louis County residents. Fitted with upgrades and a complete renovation in 2008, the Marilyn Fox Building has the amenities and features to make it one of the premier fitness centers and gathering places in West County, not to mention our great Early Childhood Education and family programming. The J has been the center of Jewish life in St. Louis since the 1880's. Our new facility is an opportunity to build on that tradition, to continue to meet the needs of the St. Louis community for years to come. Our commitment is as strong today as ever!