New Jersey – The JCC of Central New Jersey informed members that it will soon open on Saturdays, in a move its president said came after careful deliberations over a policy that would “make the center most relevant to this Jewish community.”
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As of June 20, the JCC will be open on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. for social and recreational use.
The cafe will be closed, and there will be no exchange of money; no competitive sports or league practices will be held.
The JCC has been closed on Shabbat since the center’s establishment. The announcement brings the center into line with the majority of JCCs in New Jersey and around the country. The YM-YWHA of Union County, however, is still closed on Saturday as are centers in Deal, Tenafly, and Washington Township; five other NJ centers are open.
According to the letter sent to members last week, the new schedule applies until Labor Day.
Barak Hermann, the center’s executive director, said that after Sept. 7, depending on demand and financial viability, the hours of operation on Saturdays could be reduced or extended. The board of directors approved a policy allowing for opening from as early as 7 a.m.
The decision to open the center on Shabbat came after a long process of deliberation, JCC officials said. JCC president Mindy Goldberger said reconsideration of the Saturday policy began in 2005, when the JCC accepted a new strategic plan.
Discussing the decision last week, Goldberger said that in February 2008, the board members spent time together on a retreat, to crystallize the vision for the JCC’s future. The question of the Shabbat policy emerged as a clear priority. A task force of lay members, formed under the leadership of former JCC president Marcia Wasser, was asked to explore the issue and come up with a recommendation.
The toughest challenge for the committee that explored the issue, said Goldberger, was to balance personal beliefs and opinions with the overall question of how the center can best serve the community — as a welcoming gathering place for Jewish families with many different levels of observance, as well as for those with no religious affiliation and members who are not Jewish.
The 14 task force members arrived at their answer in March, and the board accepted it on Monday, May 4.
Unlike in some other communities where — at least initially — there was a concerted protest when JCCs suggested opening on Shabbat, the Central JCC announcement has to date drawn no publicized opposition. The only gesture of disassociation has come from Rabbi Elazar M. Teitz, rabbi of the United Orthodox Community of Elizabeth. He e-mailed a brief message to New Jersey Jewish News, saying, “Please be advised that as of June 20, the cafeteria at the JCC in Scotch Plains will no longer be under our Kashruth supervision.” The notice was signed by Teitz and Rabbi Levi Block of the Union County Torah Center. Teitz declined further comment.
In response, Hermann issued a statement saying: “The JCC is disappointed about losing the supervision from Rabbi Teitz. The JCC will do its best to ensure that options will be available in the cafe that are suitable for all levels of kashrut observance.”
Wasser, in a statement issued by the JCC, said: “We frequently reached out to local rabbis, Federation and lay leaders to get their input and keep them informed. We invited all area rabbis to a meeting at the JCC to facilitate a group dialogue. This gathering set a precedent in our community. I am very proud of the thoughtful, thorough and collaborative way in which we accomplished our task.”
Goldberger was emphatic that there was no time limit set and no preconception about the outcome. “I’m very proud of how careful and thorough the process was,” she said. “In the end, the only consideration was what policy would make the center most relevant to this Jewish community.”
Hermann said membership has declined by 3 percent over the past year, and the organization — like most others — is facing financial stresses, but the decision to open on Saturdays had nothing to do with the economy. The move will, in fact, raise costs because of the additional staff salaries involved in the Saturday hours. Whether it improves retention or attracts enough new members to actually raise revenue will take some time to answer, he said.
The crux for him, Hermann said, was that it was time “to evaluate the requests and needs of our membership to open on Saturdays. By ensuring that there was a thorough and respectful process with much deliberation and great respect for the needs of the Jewish community, we felt that being open on Shabbat will provide a wonderful community location to gather if the membership and community so chooses.”
…The prospected opening of the JCC of Central NJ, in and of itself is a positive development. Especially, when the leadership announced that the cafeteria will be closed on Shabbos (Shabbat, if you will)! As the people in the leadership position said that it will draw attendees with various levels of observance, and even non-Jewish clients. The only thing that was lacking is a firm commitment that none of the activities will involve Chillul-Shabbos! Certainly, this is the reason Rabbi Teitz and the other Rabbinic Authorities of the area have severed their association with the organization!!!
Before we have the usual outbursts of emotion on both sides, can someone please explain in simple words exactly what halachic problems this move entails? Then at least we can know what we’re arguing about.
RABBI TEITZ : YOU HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING!!
i am not the least bit shocked. Most JCC’s throughout the country are NOT “kosher” and tend to cater to goyim more then Jews. Where I live the children are served unkosher hot dogs and they dont light candles erev Shabbos because that might offend the gentiles children who dont celebrate Shabbos.
The jcc in Owings Mill Md is looking to open up on shabbos.Threre is supoose to ba rally to keep it close,this sunday.
I know many will jump on me for that. I have big shoulders.
But, what if we institute a Lawsuit asking them to remove the word “Jewish” from their name.
We can use the Shulchan Aruch as the legal background for this, as a person who OPENLY and INTENTIONALLY violates Shabbos can not be counted for a minyan, and is considered halachackly as a non-Jewish Idol Worshiper.
We may not even say Omain to their brochos!
So, using that to DEFINE the word JEWISH would be the basis for attempting to force them to change their name from JCC to GCC (changing Jewish to Goyish) or whatever they choose to call themselves.
I do not believe we will prevail, but it will make clear to all how breaking the Shabbos is looked at by real Judaism.
This lawsuit would receive much media attention.
We would be called names, and trashed.
Some would call it a chillul Hashem.
But, I disagree, and think it would be a kidush Hashem.
#3 one can’t always point to a particular din in S’U of what a particluar doing is not right . in this case it was , i assume, ‘zelise d’shabbos’.remember the issue of keeping a store open and conducting business wasnt aussur utill yemeuha hanovi(?) came into the ‘shikay yerushulaim’ and saw people conducting their business as usual ,without transgressing any of the ’39’ and thats when it was aussered. you can be a ‘novel birshus hatorah’
This has become the norm for most JCCs in the U.S. The JCC in Rockville Maryland (serving most of northwest D.C. and Silver Spring) and one of the largest i the U.S. has long been open for limited activities on shabbos, one of the two Baltimore JCCs will begin shabbos openings soon and others are considering the same action. The reality is that they serve a large number of non-religious jews and this is a logical practice. Even if they were closed, the people they serve would NOT be at the rebbe’s tish for shalosh suadoth singing zmirot.
JCC, always the progressive organization in their respective locales, due to the extreme demand of the local reform and conserva”dox” synagogues, have decided to cater to their new converts by staying open on shabbos– why not just rename it to “the Y” and do what they do best — goyem serving goyem.
It is a fact that the vast majority of Jews today are not Shomer Shabbos. A huge percentage of them don’t even know what Shabbos is or what it entails. If the frum world was more open towards the non-frum, and presented a wonderful example, then I believe many non-frum Jews would become Shomer Shabbos, out of respect and admiration. Instead, they are turning away from us. It is not too late to change things, but we need to show the non-frum the benefits of the “Orthodox” lifestyle and learning.
Have you all forgotten about the parking lot? How are all the people “of various levels of observance” going to get from their homes to the JCC ?
Chillul Shabbos befarhesyuh.
Tell them to close the parking lot and all adjacent streets to traffic on shabbos.
Unfortunately, this appears to becoming a trend as the JCC in Baltimore is opening on SHabbos too.
In Montreal this issue comes up every so often. About 5 years ago three was a comittee struck to study the issue. Here it has to do with finances since they feel they can get more people if they are open on Shabbos. During the meetings the religious comittee members sugested that since many people do not understand what Shabbos is, we had someone come in and explain what Shabbos means. We also had Rabbis from orthodox, conservative, reform & reconstructionist come in. They all said that let the synagogues take care of the spiritual and the Y should take care of the physical. We also had surveys done and most people who replied did not want a Shabbos opening. So that idea was quashed. The board wanted to ressurect the idea again this year but since many of the powerful members are traditionalist it was quashed without even a committee. Who knows what will happen when the traditionalist become a minority but I”YH Moshiach will be here.
Opening on Shabbat has been a flashpoint for many, many years and is not news. What I found disturbing is that the board decided to consider the opinions of the NON-JEWISH members.
Because of federal aid, JCCs are obligated not to discriminate in membership. But the Shabbat decision has nothing to do with with non-Jews and they should have not been included.
If the dining facility is closed on Shabbos why did R. Teitz remove his kashrus supervision. Now there is a good chance they will not have supervision or it will be treif. So those using the facility (not on Shabbos) will not be able to eat there. Thank you R. Teitz.
While frum Yidden are upset at this decision, I urge understanding among the frum community. The JCC is an important gathering place for non-orthodox Jewish Youth with no affiliation. I say anything that keeps Jewish together is worthwhile. We need to do kiruv work at the JCCs. Why has no organization organized shabbatonim there all these years. Shabbos meals and other things as Chabad does? Let us do things and not complain when others change because of our inaction. Let us do !!! Im ain ani li, mi li? V’im lo achshav aimasai?
Maybe the JCC can join the ridiculous trend of other businesses here by selling the building to a goy for Shabbos. They can post the shtar mechira on the wall and then stay open. That seems to be what many of our own people do for Shabbos purposes.
Also, regarding swimming on Shabbos, please note the Mishna Brura specifically allows it.
IT CAN BE STOPPED. I know of four similar attempts in NA which were stopped through the Orthodox coming together and lobbying major JCC donors. Millions of dollars were put on hold when the philanthropists saw that a large part of the community felt strongly enough to put old disagreements behind them and to speak with one voice. IT CAN BE STOPPED.
R’ Teitz, as unpleasent as it may be, should keep his hashgocho at the jcc, to avoid the inevitable outcome in which thousands of jews willbe eating treif!
Rav Teitz and his father Z”L, were at the forefront of Torah Judaism in Union County, for over seventy years. The Union County “Y”, which is located near Elizabeth, is 100% kosher, has separate swimming hours, and is 100% closed on Shabbat.
The JCC, on the other hand, is located in Scotch Plains, on the Western end of Union County. There is no Orthodox shul (except for a small Chabad in Westfield, that is even remotely within walking distance of Scotch Plains.
By withdrawing his hashgocha, Rav Teitz is telling the local Federation, that the Orthodox world will not tolerate Chillul Shabbat in its ORGANIZATIONS. If you choose to drive on Shabbat, that may be your business, but WE don’t have to provide you with a place to drive TO!
Jews of Central New Jersey:
Brace yourselves!