Mission

The mission of the Marjorie and Lewis Katz JCC of Atlantic County is to foster an appreciation of Jewish identity, values and culture, to promote the health, education and welfare of our members, to strengthen Jewish family life, to build a sense of community and ensure Jewish continuity for our children, our children’s children, and ourselves.

The Marjorie and Lewis Katz JCC of Atlantic County is a member of the Jewish Community Center Association. The Marjorie and Lewis Katz JCC of Atlantic County is a constituency of the United Way and Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties. All of which are created to enrich the mind, body and spirit that has become a JCC tradition for almost a century.

Our Story

For more than 105 years the Jewish Community Center has been a focal point of the Atlantic County community. It has been a place where families come together, Jewish culture thrives, children are cared for and their futures shaped.  The Atlantic County community has flourished in substantial part as the result of the JCC’s programs and services. Couples have met each other at the JCC and their children have benefited intellectually, physically and socially from their own JCC experiences.

Times have changed, but the need for the JCC in Atlantic County has not. To serve those needs the JCC must continue to keep pace with changes in our region to remain a positive force within the community. Now is the time to renew the vision of our founders and revitalize our JCC for future generations, ensuring that the JCC continues to be a place where families learn, play, and develop lifelong connections.  We must serve our Jewish community as well as the broader Atlantic County community with new and varied programs that reflect both the complexity of the Jewish experience and life in our modern world.

Through the Marjorie and Lewis Katz Jewish Community Center our children benefit from preschool and camp, developing lasting friendships. As teenagers they continue to grow as camp counselors or by participating in our fitness and teen travel programs. In sharing these experiences, they develop enduring relationships within the community.

For seniors and other adults the JCC provides a place to come together to play mahjong, enroll in computer classes, participate in physical fitness programs and learn about art and Jewish education. We continue to expand our Jewish education programs for adults through films, books and classes.  The JCC brings together friends and family for learning, celebrations, and commemorations to create memories that last a lifetime.

The JCC serves more than just the Jewish community by working to aid all of Atlantic County from Atlantic City to Hammonton. Through the  development and management of a countywide senior program, the JCC provides lunch and activities at eight locations throughout Atlantic County. More than just meal sites, they are meeting places for seniors to stay socially and physically engaged.

When the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City was on the brink of closing in 2014, the JCC stepped in and helped raise funds to keep the doors open. Through financial assistance and leadership from the JCC a successful summer camp was provided for the youth of Atlantic City. Today, the Boys  & Girls Club of Atlantic City continues to operate successfully, becoming an example of how the Marjorie and Lewis Katz JCC of Atlantic County contributes to our community “L’Dor V’Dor” – from generation to generation.

One of the most remarkable qualities of our JCC is that no matter where you are in your life, there is a program for you. Laughter of small children mixes with the chatter of teenagers and with the quieter conversations among adults. Our JCC embraces people of all ages and the interaction between those age groups is a testament to our unique role in the development and strengthening of our community.

Dedication plaque from the original Atlantic City Jewish Community Center Building.
Weekly Friday Shabbat Celebration with Early Childhood Education Center students.

Board of Directors

Rosalie Lopez, President

Helene Hordes, Vice President

Janet Gravitz, Secretary

Stephen Santagata, Treasurer

Board Members

Elliot Beinfest

Shane Conesky

Jody Corcoran

Robert Dabundo

Elaine Edelstein

Tyler Egrie

DeAnna Fantazzia

Alan Feldman

Wendy Feldman

Cliff Gerber

Nanette Horner

Robert Pasahow

Marla Rosenthol

Lisa Share

Richard Tolson

Brad Weingart

Honorary

Gail Mackler-Carlino

Marvin Davidson

Jon Rosenkrantz

Moshe Shinar

Arthur Sklar

Mitchell Zitomer

Past Presidents

William Aarons

Steven Batzer

Howard Bernstein

Mark Borowsky

Susan Braunstein

Steven Brog

Joel Chipkin

Joan Glick

Eric Goldstein

Howard Gross

Robert Leavy

Sidney Millstein

Marc Neumann

Steven P. Perskie

Eric Share

Alan Staller

Richard Steinberg

David Weiss

Samantha Wolf