Partnership between JCC and YMCA aims for ‘Unity in Community’
'When we do this, and do it in an intentional way, we improve the possibility for collaboration and understanding'
Two organizations, each predicated on community, are working together for the greater whole.
A partnership between the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh seeks to bring people together and spark meaningful conversation in an effort to combat hate. Dubbed “Unity in Community,” the collaboration offers Pittsburghers months of programming and opportunities for communal betterment.
Between January and May, participants in the Curious Conversations Speaker Series will discuss issues including racism, Jew-hatred, diversity, inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights.
The topics, explained leaders from the two organizations, should serve as a springboard for new knowledge, cultural awareness and friendship.
Connecting through time spent together and genuine dialogue nurtures both individual and collective growth, Carolyn Grady, senior vice president and chief development officer at the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, said. “When we do this, and do it in an intentional way, we improve the possibility for collaboration and understanding.”
Conversing and learning together makes sense given the organizations’ shared values, according to Jason Kunzman, president and CEO of the JCC.
“We are both deeply invested in perpetuating the stance that hate of any kind has no place in our community, that the only way to obtain a better understanding of one another’s perspectives is through the work and diligence involved in discussion and conversation, and that we have a lot to learn from one another,” he said.
The Unity in Community collaboration is already making a positive impact on young people in Pittsburgh.
Apart from conversations between summer camp staff from the JCC and YMCA, thousands of campers from the two organizations participated in Camp Kindness Day last summer. Kicked off by City Controller Rachael Heisler, the day offered campers meaningful ways to give back — through making bracelets, writing thank you notes and assembling care packages for others.
Kunzman hopes Pittsburgh’s adults can become similar change agents, he said. The goal is that this becomes the “launching pad for something more long-standing and [yields] a deeper relationship between the two organizations and the communities that we serve.”
Within the region, more than 100,000 people benefit from the JCC and YMCA each year.
Whether it’s current users or new members, thousands can gain from the collaboration, according to representatives of the two organizations.
“This partnership reflects our shared belief that community thrives when we learn from one another and work together to confront hate,” Amy Kienle, the YMCA’s CEO said in a prepared statement.
Bringing Pittsburghers together is not only a figurative aspiration but a literal one, given local challenges.
According to a 2024 report from the Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh is the sixth loneliest city in the U.S., with nearly 46% of Pittsburghers living alone.
The danger of social isolation and loneliness was spotlighted throughout the pandemic and in a 2023 advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
Creating social connections, and maintaining adult friendships, according to researchers, are necessary ingredients for healthy living.
In recent years, both the Pittsburgh JCC and YMCA have provided robust programming aimed at amplifying community.
This new project, Kunzman said, is another “explicit” attempt to bring Pittsburghers together and better the region.
“The societal divide that many of us are experiencing can be characterized as a crisis,” he continued. “Let’s leverage that as an opportunity for two very well-intentioned and like-minded organizations to come together.”
Joining the collaboration and participating in the speaker series is a “wonderful way we can all make Pittsburgh an even better place,” Grady said. “And when we make Pittsburgh a better place we are moving the world to a better place.”
Registration opportunities and other details regarding the speaker series will be released shortly. Events, according to organizers, are slated to occur in accessible venues including the JCC, YMCA, churches and local community centers. PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
comments