[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 154 (Monday, September 17, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALLENTOWN JCC

  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I congratulate the board of directors of 
the Jewish Community Center, or JCC, in Allentown, PA as they celebrate 
their 100th anniversary. Community leaders and JCC members will gather 
on October 4 through 6 to celebrate and honor this remarkable 
institution in the Lehigh Valley.
  For 100 years, the JCC of Allentown has served as the beating heart 
of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community. Through its early childhood and 
afterschool programs, sports, wellness, and cultural activities, the 
JCC enriches the lives of generations of Lehigh Valley families of all 
backgrounds and heritage.
  Many JCC members are first introduced to the JCC community in 
preschool. Eventually, they are old enough to attend a JCC summer camp, 
where they may learn to swim, play basketball, cook, or act in theatre. 
As adults, these members may take their own children to a community 
Seder, attend the Jewish Film Festival, or practice a healthy lifestyle 
of weekly gym sessions. Eventually, many members will participate in 
the Friendship Circle and Silver Sneakers programs at the JCC.
  If you take a drive through Allentown's historic downtown area, it is 
difficult to miss a building called Alliance Hall on the corner of 6th 
and Chew Streets. Today, the building is occupied by the Allentown 
Health Bureau. A century ago, however, the 19th century Victorian 
mansion standing at this location served as the first Allentown JCC.
  In 1918, the leaders of the Allentown Jewish community--among them 
successful local entrepreneurs, high-skilled professionals, and 
survivors of pogroms overseas--were searching for ways to support 
younger Jewish immigrants as they integrated into American society and 
aspired to fulfill the opportunities offered by the American dream. 
They purchased the Victorian mansion, turning it into a focal point for 
the Jewish community and especially its youth.
  The facility was so popular that, within a decade, it was clear the 
JCC would need more space. David Levy, Allentown's first Jewish 
architect, graciously donated his services to design a new, larger 
building on the same site. That building would be called Alliance Hall, 
and from 1928 to 1954, it reliably served the JCC's ever-expanding 
membership. The JCC flourished and inevitably had to relocate, one last 
time, to where it resides today at 22nd and Tilghman Streets in 
Allentown's West End neighborhood.
  Most importantly, since 1918, the JCC of Allentown has been the place 
where all community members feel welcomed, engaged, and part of the JCC 
family. Today it serves over 2,000 members, and I am honored to 
congratulate them on the 100th anniversary of the JCC's establishment.

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