Centers of Excellence

The pillars of our community are the centers that represent the shared excellence of our program departments.


The Selma and Lawrence Ruben Center for 20s + 30s 

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan provides a space to meet others in this age cohort through one-time events and ongoing seasonal programming. Connect with a warm and lively Jewish community for recreation, social and cultural events, outdoor activities, and Shabbat and other holiday observances. The Selma and Lawrence Ruben Center for 20s + 30s is made possible by the Selma and Lawrence Ruben Foundations.


The Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas

Creative arts programming at the JCC is a critical means by which our community understands and appreciates itself more deeply and truly. We use the unique voices and media of visual art, film, dance, theater, musical performance, and intellectual conversation to amplify and give new perspective to the most important questions we face as a community. The Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas is made possible through the generous support of the Lambert family.


The Bert and Sandra Wasserman Center for Family Life

At the JCC, we nurture families by cultivating experiences where children can thrive, parents can connect, and families can grow together. When your family joins us for prenatal programs, a swim in our pool with your baby, a music class with your toddler, a Tae Kwon Do class with your school-aged child, or community service with your teen, you will feel right at home. At the Center for Family Life, we are here for your family at every age and every stage. The Center for Family Life is made possible through the generous support of the Bert and Sandra Wasserman Foundation in loving memory of Bert Wasserman.


The Carole Zabar Center for Film

The JCC's film program showcases films that promote change and examine important topics. Our year-round film series presents previews and special engagements of films followed by discussions with filmmakers, actors, and other special guests. We also host four festivals in house, including the ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York, the Other Israel Film Festival, the Cinematters Social Justice Film Festival, and the Israel Film Center Festival. The Carole Zabar Center for Film is made possible through the generous support of Carole Zabar.


The Davidson Fishberg Center For Health + Wellness

The Center for Health + Wellness offers a holistic approach to stimulating your mind, strengthening your body, engaging your heart, and connecting you to a caring community. With the integration of culinary, aquatics, fitness, mindfulness programs, and more under one roof, the Center provides everything you need to fulfill your personal goals.


The David H. Sonabend Center for Israel

The David H. Sonabend Center for Israel fosters deeper understanding and connections between the diverse Jewish community in New York, and the people of Israel. Through programming, classes, lectures, panel discussions, film, fine and performing arts and other cultural offerings, the JCC is a respected home of Israeli content and a place to explore and grow. The Center for Israel is named in loving memory of David H. Sonabend by his family, the Lamberts, the Sonabends, and the Fredericks.


The Gottesman Center for Jewish Living

The Center for Jewish Living grounds the JCC in Jewish values that are at the heart of our mission, and radiates those values throughout each Center and program area. We offer a Jewish framework accessible to people who span the denominations of Judaism as well as those of other traditions, maintaining the JCC’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. The Center for Jewish Living, envisioned to deepen and diversify Jewish experience and connection, is made possible by a Jewish visionary to honor the parents who planted the seeds that provided strong Jewish roots.


The Wechsler Center for Modern Aging

The Wechsler Center for Modern Aging seeks to reimagine older adulthood in a Jewish communal setting as a time of expansive possibility, purpose, community engagement, mutual support, and blessing. We envision an engaged and connected cohort of older adults who find deep meaning in community, who are treasured by the broader Jewish community for their wisdom, and who will develop the tools and attitudes to successfully transition through life as they age.  Elements in the Wechsler Center include a focus on research and best practices in the field, a deepening and expansion of volunteer leadership engagement, broadening of the JCC's Caring Initiative aimed at supporting our older adults as they age in place, and a permanent virtual center encompassing programming, fostering social connections, and poised to embark on new innovations. The Wechsler Center for Modern Aging is made possible through the generous support Dana Wechsler Linden and Lawrence Linden.


The Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility

The Center for Social Responsibility engages participants within and outside of our walls to become more effective civic actors through education, engagement, and advocacy. We collaborate with Jewish, social justice, and civic partners to expand our perspectives and impact.


The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs

The Center for Special Needs builds and nurtures an inclusive and accepting community where individuals with varying disabilities and their families have opportunities to make meaningful connections to each other and their community. We serve as a catalyst and leader, transforming the ways in which the community at large understands and interacts with people with different abilities. The Center for Special Needs is made possible through the generous support of Jack and Shirley Silver.