Before the present-day Jewish Community Center of St. Paul was created in 1948, there were other community organizations that paved the way to their success. The Neighborhood House, an organization to help poor immigrants on the West Side was founded in 1900 under the auspices of the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society and the Rabbis of Mt Zion. The Settlement House offered classes in English, homemaking, and social and recreational activities. The Lowertown Community Center (Central Community House) opened in 1921 with the mission of preventing juvenile delinquency. Later in the 1920s both Houses became more nonsectarian and Lowertown had become a Community Chest beneficiary. Other organizations such as B'nai B'rith, the YMHA and YWHA, and social clubs such as Aleph Beth sponsored activities at the houses with Jewish content. All of these groups contributed to the emergence of the JCC in St Paul. In 1930 the first iteration of the St. Paul Jewish Community Center (JCC) was opened as the Jewish Educational Center (JEC). The building, which housed both a Hebrew school and recreational facilities, quickly ran into financial difficulties due to the Depression. The JEC association turned to the Community Chest for assistance and, following their suggestions, was reorganized in 1934 into three parts: one part dedicated to owning and operating the building, one part dedicated to operating and maintaining the Hebrew School (the JEC), and one part dedicated to taking charge of the community activity programs. The part dedicated to community activity programs was the Jewish Center Activities Association (JCAA) which became eligible for Community Chest support; from this the present-day Jewish Community Center was created in 1948. The JCAA developed musical, theatre and scouting groups, and became the center of the St Paul Jewish community, although secondarily its programs were open to the wider community. In 1956 the original building on Holly and Grotto was sold and the programs were operated from temporary facilities in the Highland Park area. During 1958 the Jack Butwin Day Camp was established in the Rosemount area to meet the needs of middle-class families. Ground was broken for the present Jewish Community Center location in 1963 where the JCC continues to serve the mission of providing individuals, families and communities a place to come together for Jewish culture, child care, fitness, recreation and socialization in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
From the guide to the St. Paul Jewish Community Center Records, 1919-2000, (University of Minnesota Libraries. Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives. [umja])
