There are times when a place becomes more than just a physical space. It becomes a living, breathing entity.
The J is that for so many of us.
Over the years, the campus has shifted and grown with new additions, new pathways and new rooms. Yet on any given day, you can walk through the doors and see life unfolding. Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA) students heading to lunch. Child Development Center (CDC) preschoolers shuffling to the turf. A large gathering in the social hall. A quiet meeting in the boardroom. New Israeli neighbors introducing themselves to one another. Like the shtetl of old, it is the place where our community gathers.
Each time I am there, I run into no fewer than three people I know (yes, I also work on the campus, but still) — old friends, new friends, colleagues, acquaintances. Conversations that begin in the hallway end 20 minutes later somewhere else.
For those who aren’t here often, it’s easy to mix up The J and the Jewish Community Campus. They share the same grounds, but they’re not quite the same thing. The J, our beloved Jewish Community Center, is the heart of fitness, wellness, Jewish culture and gathering. It’s where you’ll find the pool, gym, turf, Jewish experience programs, summer camps, after-school activities and so much more.
The Jewish Community Campus is the larger home that hosts many Jewish organizations at a time, including The J; Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, which supports and connects nearly every part of Jewish life (and where my program, Sasone, is lovingly housed); Jewish Family Services, which provides vital resources and support for our most vulnerable; the Jewish Community Foundation and Menorah Heritage Foundation, whose generosity helps sustain and strengthen our community; the Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee, our voice for combating antisemitism and pursuing justice; HBHA, our city’s beloved and only K-12th grade Jewish day school; BBYO, which nurtures our future leaders; the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, which keeps memory alive; and more.
Yes, the acronyms alone can make your head spin. But its history, love and deep sense of connection are what give this campus its strength. You can feel it in the walls.
Ten years ago, when my husband and I were deciding whether to relocate back to his hometown of Kansas City, he told me, “Wait until you see the amazing JCC there.” Even before the major renovation of the sports and fitness wing, it was a wonder to behold.
There is no other place quite like it; a place where so many different people come together. Around 60% of J members aren’t Jewish, which makes it one of the few spaces where everyone is welcome, and yet Jewish life still shines at the center. It’s a melting pot of connection, learning and belonging, and it’s one of the rare places where Jewish people can exist unapologetically and without fear. (For that, we all thank the incredible campus security team.)
My husband grew up here, a K-12th grade HBHA alum, long before the White Theatre wing was built. He remembers when the spinning room was once the HBHA athletic office. He still knows exactly which hallway leads to the basketball court and navigates the corridors with the quiet confidence of someone whose childhood unfolded here.
Now, our children are part of that story too. This is where they play sports, take art and dance, go to summer camp and learn to swim. It’s where our twins now spend their days at HBHA, growing up in a special Jewish place that extends even beyond the school wing.
Are The J and the Jewish Community Campus perfect? Nothing ever is. But especially in the world we inhabit today, where life can sometimes feel fragile and divided, I am deeply grateful for its existence. Like an anchor in the storm, this place steadies us and keeps us connected, a second home for all who seek it. And for that, I am deeply grateful.