Writer / Jill A. Ditmire
The Jewish Community Center has been pooling its resources, so to speak, for the past 100 years when the organization first gathered in a small house on the south side of Indianapolis in the early 1900s. Immigrants of all ethnicities needed a place to put their kids for schooling, to learn the English language, and to find their relatives.
Jewish Community Centers across the U.S. played a major part in that effort. “There’s long been the question of do you have to be Jewish to join the JCC, and never has that been the case, even when we started in 1914,” says Martha Karatz, Senior Director of Advancement for the Indianapolis JCC and a 25-year member, as well.
The barrier-free policy was and is a priority for the JCC. So is having a pool. In Jewish tradition, a father should teach his son to swim, for one day it may save his life. Taken to present day, the staff at the JCC feel strongly about swimming, not only as an athletic skill but also a life skill.
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In 1924 the organization moved into the Kirshbaum House at 2314 N. Meridian Street because it had an indoor pool. In 1926 the JCC was formally established. Membership grew and visionary leaders looked north where farms and fields held promise. They purchased the land near 71st and Hoover Road in 1956 and built a pool. “People needed somewhere to go in the summer to recreate with their families—and remember, country clubs were off limits to Jews and to Blacks,” says Karatz. The building and campus would come later.
“The JCC and Broad Ripple kind of grew up together as a neighborhood. Most of our members live 5 to 15 minutes away,” says Karatz. Generations of families have used the facilities. “We have two members in their 100s and they have been members since they were children.”
The Old Testament talks about the importance of recreation and preservation and appreciation of the body. So does the JCC’s mission for its future. “We have visions of a youth fitness and wellness center with assessments and classes, and drop-in opportunities for parents and children. We want to be the hub for that in Indianapolis,” explains Karatz. So far, so good, as the JCC offers cooking classes and community gardens for all ages and incomes. A grant from the General Mills Foundation’s “Champions for Healthy Kids” campaign will allow the JCC to add specialized staff and programs.
“We hope to reach 300 kids within the next 12 months,” says Karatz. “We are wanting to partner with other organizations to be on the front lines for health and wellness for all people, no one left out.”
