Jewish Community Center of the North Shore (Mass.) Records

The Jewish Community Center of the North Shore was established in 1911 as the Lynn Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) by David Haskell, Abraham Haskell, Israel Margolskee, Benjamin Musinsky, and Charles J. Goldman. It was founded as a place where young Jewish men and the Lynn community at large could come together through athletic competition and organized activities with the goal of fostering a better understanding between Jewish and non-Jewish neighbors. The Lynn YMHA’s charter was accepted by the national YMHA in 1912, and a mass meeting was held to elect permanent officers to the Board of Directors.

Initially, the Lynn YMHA met in the vestry of Congregation Ahabat Shalom in Lynn, but in 1913 they moved to their first location at 120 Market Street. As the organization grew, they moved three more times before settling in their current location in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1972.

In 1913, the Lynn Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YWHA) was established and joined with the YMHA. This women's group reorganized in 1932 as the Women’s League and sponsored social and cultural programs through the organization.

In 1943, the YMHA was renamed the Lynn Jewish Community Center (JCC). Programs at the center continued to expand through the years, adding services such as English and citizenship classes for new Americans, meeting facilities for public lectures and Zionist group discussions, guidance counselling, an employment service, Sunday School classes, a nursery school and a day care, New England’s first Jewish day camp called Camp Simchah, and a choral society, in addition to the athletic facilities and teams present from its inception. After moving to a new building in 1946, the Simon Cohen Library and the Scout Cabin were added to the facility, and clubs for the blind and senior citizens were founded to further include members of the community.

As the population gradually started to shift away from Lynn to the surrounding suburban areas in the 1950s, the JCC began to envision their mission as serving the larger North Shore community. The JCC purchased eleven acres of land in Marblehead to offer extension services in 1958, and when an urban renewal project threatened the Lynn building, they decided to move their headquarters to Marblehead. The new building was dedicated in 1972.

Since that time, the JCC has reorganized and streamlined, serving as a wellness center that offers early-childhood education, fitness facilities, and day camp services for children.

1911

The Lynn YMHA is established.

1912

A permanent charter is issued by national YMHA.

1913

The YMHA moves to its first home in Lynn.

1913

The YWHA is established.

1916

The YMHA moves to 10 City Hall Square.

1926

The YMHA moves to the Prescott Building.

1933

A day camp is established.

1943

The Knights of Pythias Building is purchased and dedicated as the Lynn JCC.

1947

The nursery school opens.

1952

The Golden Age Club is founded.

1953

The Center C-Sharp Club (for the blind) is established.

1958

Land in Marblehead is purchased for extension services.

1961

The JCC celebrates its Golden Jubilee.

1969

A groundbreaking ceremony is held at the site of the new Marblehead building.

1972

The JCC moves to the new Marblehead building and hosts a dedication ceremony.

1978

The infant-toddler day care program begins.

2010

The JCC sells its campground in Middleton.

2010

The JCC reorganizes and creates a new business plan.