Memphis Jewish Community Center: Seventy Years of Jewish Connection is the history of a revered anchor institution, and it is also about remembering. After all, memory is more than tradition; it is the foundation of Judaism. Mentioned 169 times in the Torah, it is a religious imperative because remembrance is the vehicle for transmitting values and ethics, honoring those who have gone before us, and shaping what we are today and what we can be tomorrow. It is our intent that this book embraces both history and memory to tell a story that began with teenage boys motivated by an audacious dream, which evolved into the institution that is a national model for what a Jewish community center should be.
Today, looking at the bustling Memphis Jewish Community Center and the remarkable inventory of programs listed on the video monitors, it is hard to imagine a time when there was no place where every Jew had a place of connection to gather, exercise, play, learn, create new friendships, and build bridges across established divides.