February 3, 2017
At this time of challenging and often contentious public discourse, we proudly wear ‘COMMUNITY’ as our middle name.
From our founding at the turn of the 20th century, we helped thousands of immigrants and refugees become an integral part of the American dream. As the work that we began in 1895 continues today in so many ways, we affirm our core value “to welcome individuals of all backgrounds in the tradition of Abraham and Sarah, embracing their uniqueness and diversity under our communal tent.” That core tenet empowers us not just to accommodate, but to celebrate the diversity that is the JCC.
Jewish wisdom instructs us ‘to love our neighbors as we would want to be loved.’ We saw these words embodied this week through the actions of thousands of faith leaders around this country who shared their perspective of how we can shape the future of the society in which we live and cherish.
The JCC affirms our deep commitment to continue the ideals of our founders and incorporate them into our future. We are inspired by the words spoken by an immigrant from Germany, Rabbi Yoachim Prinz on August 28, 1963, just moments before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream:
“Our fathers taught us thousands of years ago that when G-d created man, He created him as everybody’s neighbor. Neighbor is not a geographic term. It is a moral concept. It means our collective responsibility for the preservation of man’s dignity and integrity.”
As two of the over 19,000 members of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, we thank you for being part of the fabric that builds and strengthens our community.
Brian Schreiber Jim Ruttenberg
President & CEO Chair of the Board