Background
The JCC for London is part of the wider and well established JCC Movement. It started in 1854 when the first Young Men’s Hebrew Association opened its doors in Baltimore to offer support for Jewish immigrants, help ensure Jewish continuity, and provide a place for celebration. Similar associations opened soon afterwards, serving as libraries, cultural centres, and settlement houses. Today, throughout the world, JCCs provide services and programmes that build and strengthen Jewish communal life along with Jewish educational experiences to and for Jews of all ages and orientations.
Currently there are over 1,100 JCCs worldwide, including 300 in North America, 180 in the Former Soviet Union, 70 in Latin America, 50 in Europe, and close to 500 smaller centres in Israel.
The idea for a JCC in London was conceived Dame Vivien Duffield following a visit to the Jewish Community Centres of North America in 2002. The charity was then established in 2004. The senior management team of the JCC London includes Nick Viner, as Chief Executive; Juliet Simmons as Creative Director; and Kimberly Solomon Quinn, formerly publisher of The Spectator, as Development Director.
Read more about this topic: Jewish Community Centre For London
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