Share in a long tradition. Come to the place where the Syracuse Jewish community has come together for generations to celebrate, educate, organize and have fun. With programs and services for children, teens, adults and seniors, there is something for everyone at the JCC. Membership options vary. Call 315-445-2360 to schedule a tour, and checkout our latest Program Guide by clicking here!

The mission of the Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center is to provide a safe, never crowded, non-judgmental, state-of-the-art fitness center for all members of the community. Through our certified fitness professionals and friendly staff, we provide the knowledge, expertise and environment for everyone to reach their fitness goals. The Fitness Center is a place where everyone can feel welcome.

The fitness facility includes; Precor® cardio and circuit training equipment, a free weight room, Keiser M3 bikes, a collegiate-sized gymnasium, a banked indoor windowed track, two outdoor heated pools, and clean locker rooms.

Fitness center programming features group exercise classes that range from the Group Cycle, Muscle Sculpt and TRX, to Yoga, NIA and Senior Fit, as well as instructional Ballroom dance, Latin dance and adult tap. Members receive a free one-hour fitness consultation upon joining the fitness center.

Fitness memberships are designed to meet the needs of each individual and family. With memberships offered for teens age 13 and up, and special senior memberships, the JCC is the right place to meet your goals.

Learn, explore, develop and socialize with JCC’s Early Childhood Development Program. Designed for children ages 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten, the program develops each child’s social, intellectual and physical well-being.

A four-star rated program, ECDP creates a safe environment that nurtures children as they learn, explore and discover. With flexible scheduling, enrichment classes and affordable programming, ECDP is the perfect fit for any family.

During these formative years it is essential to offer young children an arena in which to discover the world around them and participate in educational, yet fun, activities that will introduce them to the concepts of learning and team work. The highly qualified and encouraging staff at the ECDP program provides an atmosphere in which children come to recognize their needs as well as the needs and rights of their peers.

We provide a developmentally appropriate environment that allows every child to know the true joy of discovery through a broad spectrum of experiences.

Offered for school-age children in kindergarten through seventh grade, the JCC’s state licensed after school program is fun and educational, and provides safe care for your child after the school day ends. Children enjoy their afternoon with snacks, activities and supervision. After school kids use the JCC gymnasium for games and activities, the children’s room for arts and crafts, the JCC conference room for homework, the teen lounge for computer games and relaxation, the JCC playground for recreation and the outdoor pool to make the most of warm spring and summer afternoons.

Give yourself a night off while your kids enjoy a night out at the JCC. Kids’ Night Out, held on Saturday nights three times a year, is full of activities, fun foods and new-release movies.

School vacations do not have to mean hours of TV, video games, and boredom. Children get the most out of their vacations with field trips, games, visitors, and activities at the JCC vacation camps during all school holidays and breaks.

There is no better way to spend summer than at the JCC’s Camp Romano day camps for preschoolers, school-age children, and teens. Our SyraCruisin’ Travel Camp for teens is designed exclusively to meet the needs of today’s young teens entering grades 7–10. And we offer leadership and camp counselor experience through our Camp Aide and Counselor in Training (CIT) programs for 14- and 15-year olds, respectively.

The JCC’s Children’s Sports Classes offers children ages 3 and up. Classes include gymnastics, dance, karate, basketball, ballet and more.

The JCC’s gymnastics program offers basic classes as well as a gymnastics team that participates in regional competitions.

Teen events at the JCC bring together teens from all over the Syracuse area.

Battle of the Bands, an annual event at the JCC, hosts local high school bands and their fans in a friendly competition.

The JCC’s primary goal is to gather teens of all ages to create new friendships in a safe, yet enjoyable, environment.

The adult services department provides social, cultural and educational programs to adults in the community. Programs range from film screenings and Israeli art shows to the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut community celebration.

With funding from the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth, the JCC provides affordable kosher meals to all seniors aged 60 and over five days a week. Many seniors spend hours at the JCC playing mah jongg and attending the Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center‘s senior adult group exercise classes. We offer senior adults many opportunities to stay active, social and involved in the community.

Main Entrance Reception Desk

No business transactions or use of the computer will take place on Saturdays or Jewish holidays.

Our Fitness Center’s in-person workouts, group exercise classes, indoor track and basketball court are currently open by appointment.

• Attend an in-person group exercise class!
• Attend a live online Zoom exercise class!
• Indoor track and basketball court reservations.

Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP)
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Before School Care
Monday – Friday: 7:00–8:00 am (school year only)

After School Program
Monday – Friday: 3:00–5:30 pm (school year only)

Senior Dining Programs
Monday Night Dinner: 5-6pm
Tuesday – Friday Senior Lunch: 12–12:30pm

Monday Night Dinners will be held June 13th through August 29th 2022 in place of Senior Lunch that day. After August 29th Senior Lunches will resume being held Mondays 12–12:30pm

For all billing & Payment questions, please contact our accounting office at 315-445-2360 ext. 118.

Below are the current employment and internship opportunities at the JCC of Syracuse. We offer competitive pay and a great work atmosphere. Free fitness membership for employees. Application instructions are listed under each individual posting. Questions? Email [email protected].

Assistant Teachers
Our Early Childhood Development Program is seeking energetic Teachers to assist in the daily classroom life of all ages! Competitive pay and benefits available, including a free health club and pool membership. Experience preferred.
How to apply
Download our employment application. Submit completed application to Pam Ranieri, 315-445-2360, [email protected], fax 315-449-4539.

Seasonal Employees: Looking for a rewarding summer position? The JCC has it all with a position for everyone. This upcoming summer we are looking for the following positions labeled (seasonal). To apply for one of these positions, download our employment application. Submit completed application to Amy Bisnett, 315-445-2360, [email protected], fax 315-449-4539.

School Age Camp Counselors (seasonal)
Work as a team member in our large Summer Camp with children in grades 1 – 6. Each week you will be assigned a different camp and group.

Camp Support Staff (seasonal)
 Join our inclusive Yachad Program where children of all abilities are integrated into the camp. Support staff will work with a child or group of children to ensure they have the best experience ever! Staff will assist in all aspects of the camp day, make modifications when needed, and model correct behavior. Experience Preferred.

Lifeguard (seasonal)
Join our aquatics team as a lifeguard. We will be holding lifeguard training courses as well as hiring staff already trained. This is a great position for growth into Swim instructors and beyond.

Early Childhood Camp Counselors (seasonal)
Work with our youngest campers from infants through Pre-K in our camp setting!

JCC Snow Policy

The JCC will make every effort to remain open during a snow emergency. Closings will be announced on TV channels 3, 5, and 9 and on radio stations 620 AM, 570 AM and 94.5 FM. Please call us to find out if a class or program is taking place. In the event of school closings, the JCC will make every effort to remain open for childcare. Please call ahead. This service is open to members and active program participants only.

JCC Kashrut Policy

The JCC kitchen is under the supervision of the Syracuse Va’ad Hair. The kashrut policy requires strict adherence to the list of approved foods that may be brought into the kitchen. This list is available through program staff members.

The JCC is a High Security Facility and takes the safety of our Staff and Members seriously. We conduct security drills multiple times throughout the year for building. These drills include: Shelter-in-Place, Lockdown and Evacuation. While we hope to never have to enter one of these, we prepare our staff for every possible situation. Instructions for all of these drills are posted in every room of the JCC. Should you find yourself on campus during one of these drills, please follow instructions on the appropriate posting.

The JCC is licensed through New York State for our Early Childhood and After-School Programs. During the school year we are required to conduct monthly fire-drills. These drills are conducted at various times and days throughout the year as to not disrupt one particular schedule. During the summer months, our camp is licensed through Onondaga County and must conduct a fire-drill within the first 48 hours of a new camp session. This requires weekly fire-drills to be held on either Monday or Tuesday during the summer. As during the school year, we conduct these at various times throughout the camp day. Should you find yourself on campus during a fire-drill, please be sure to stop what you are doing and follow staff directions and/or the plans posted in your room. Fire-drills are very quick and usually last less than 5 minutes.

End-of-Year Donation
Public support is imperative to the JCC of Syracuse’s survival. The center depends on these donations for a full 7% of its annual budget. Please see our current annual appeal or page 3 in our current winter guide for information about making a tax-deductible, end-of-year contribution to the JCC.

Jewish Federation of CNY
The JCC of Syracuse is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of CNY. The JCC receives funding from the federation and works in close partnership with them to provide the Jewish community with essential programs and services. JCC families and members can help by giving generously to the JF of CNY campaign.

Designate your United Way donation to the JCC
If you will be participating in the United Way Community Campaign where you work or as an individual donor, please consider designating all or part of your gift to the JCC of Syracuse. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health and human service organization, and former United Way agency, the JCC is still eligible to receive your donation through the Community Campaign. Simply complete the special requests section on the back of your pledge card specifying your gift designation to the JCC of Syracuse.

Your generous contribution to the JCC through this convenient United Way donor program will go a long way in supporting the many programs and services available here at your Jewish community center. For more information, contact us at 315-445-2360, ext. 112.

Matching Gifts
Many companies in the Syracuse area have matching gift programs, which encourage charitable giving by their employees. Under these programs, companies match gifts—often dollar for dollar or even two dollars to one—that individuals make to nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. Your gift to the JCC may qualify. Please check with your company to determine eligibility requirements.

Tribute Cards
To commemorate special occasions, including births, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, marriages, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or to celebrate and honor the memory of a loved one, the JCC welcomes tax-deductible gifts to one of our many endowment or special funds. (See the tributes on page 34.) The JCC will send an acknowledgement card to the individual (or next of kin) in whose name the contribution is made. Tribute cards recognize someone special and help the JCC. For more information,contact us at 315-445-2360, ext. 112.

Bobbi Epstein Lewis Free Loan Society
Barry Lewis, a JCC Supporter, established the Bobbi Epstein Lewis Free Loan Memorial Fund in honor of his wife as a way to aid individuals and families in the Syracuse area. In establishing this fund, Lewis hopes to be of assistance to those in need by providing interest free loans to individuals. For more information about the fund, contact us at 315-445-2360, ext. 112.

Jewish Federation of Central New York

The JCC of Syracuse is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Central New York. The JCC receives funding from the JFCNY and works in close partnership with them to provide the Jewish community with essential programs and services. JCC families and members can help by by donating generously to the Jewish Federation Of Central New York. www.JewishFederationCNY.org

To commemorate special occasions – births, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or to perpetuate the memory of a loved one – the JCC welcomes tax-deductible gifts to one of our many endowments and special funds. The JCC will send an acknowledgement card to the individual (or next of kin) in whose name the contribution was made. Some of our funds are listed below.

For further information, please call Erin at 315-445-2360, ext. 112, or email [email protected].

Morris & Dorothy Cohen Endowment Fund
Bert & Laura Erlebacher Cultural & Education Fund
Ben Meltzer Endowment Fund
Ava & Irving Raphael Maccabi Endowment Fund
Sydelle Rothman ECDP Scholarship Fund
Ida Rubin Senior Adult Nutrition Endowment Fund
Leadership Development Fund
Jeffrey Sussman Athletic Scholarship Fund
General Operating Fund

Holocaust Library Established at JCC

“Memory without action does not honor those who perished,” says Dr. Alan Goldberg, professor emeritus of Syracuse University’s School of Education and director of the Holocaust and Genocide Initiative and the Spector/Warren Fellowship for Future Educators. “We owe them a commitment to stand up against intolerance and injustice everywhere, always cherishing the dignity of every human being.”

This is the impetus behind the library dedicated to Holocaust history and literature that Goldberg is establishing at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center with support from the Jerome and Phyllis Charney Foundation and the Joseph Elman Family Endowment Fund for Holocaust Studies.  The collection will be housed in the Jerome and Phyllis Charney Holocaust Information Resource Center.  The Charney and Kruth family is delighted that the room will be used for this purpose.  “We are deeply grateful to Alan for all that he has done to make the Holocaust Library a reality,” Sarah Charney said. “We must pass the history of the Holocaust on to our children, our grandchildren and our community in order to keep our promise of ‘Never Again!’”

The collection is mainly history, biography and essays, but there is also some fiction and poetry.  Marci Erlebacher, JCC executive director, said, “We are beyond thrilled and honored that Alan has chosen the JCC to house this incredible library of books.  We hope that this can be a resource to many across the Central New York community.”

Alan’s collection of several hundred volumes includes many recently published books not available in the Onondaga County Public Library.  The collection is now being catalogued by a library science graduate student, who is creating an on-line catalog so that the information will be available to the community and schools. The library will accept appropriate book donations in good condition which do not duplicate existing holdings.

Alan chairs the Federation’s Yom HaShoah Commemoration committee and annually organizes a solemn and meaningful program.  His work reaches out into the general community as well as the Jewish community as he spreads the universal messages of the Shoah to all, regardless of ethnicity or faith. “It’s become a passion,” he admits, enabling him to combine his skills and experience as a teacher, scholar, counselor, administrator and Jewish leader in an area with which he never expected to engage.   He believes that while we have come a long way toward preventing history from repeating, there is still much work to be done to increase tolerance, respect and understanding. He quotes Elie Wiesel, who said, “I believe in the necessity to restore Jewish pride even in relation to the Holocaust. I do not like to think of the Jew as suffering. I prefer thinking of him as someone who can defeat suffering – his own and others.”  The new library is a big step in that direction.

Library FAQ

What is This Library About?

This library contains a collection of books on the Holocaust, its precursors, and its aftermath. The library is meant to be a resource for researchers, educators, and anyone else interested in learning about the Holocaust. Additional resources are located on the library’s homepage with links to databases for further research. The library is located in the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse. 

How Do I See What is Available?

If you’re interested in browsing or checking out a book in the collection you can either come to the JCC and browse books in person or you can browse the collection online at our website. When searching the website be careful about typos because the search can be sensitive and turn up “No results found” with one wrong letter. Additionally, avoid using articles (the,a, an, etc) when searching as an extra article can lead to a “no results found” page as well. 

How Do I Check Out A Book?

If you see a book you’d like to read you can check it out either from the website or at the reception desk. You will need a Patron ID in order to check out a book, so please see the reception desk in order to create one. Once you have a Patron ID, navigate to our website and find the book you are checking out. If searching for the book make sure to include articles like “the” or “a” as they can cause search errors. Open the book’s catalog page and then select the green “Check Out” button. Enter your Patron ID and then you’re all set! Make sure to return the book when it’s due. 

How Do I Return A Book?

When you’re ready to return the book, please return it to the reception desk. Do not place it back on the shelf as the book needs to be checked back in and have its status reset by the JCC staff. 

How Do I Get A Patron ID?

In order to get a Patron ID so you can check out books you will need to see the reception desk at the JCC of Syracuse. Please have your full name and contact information such as an email and phone number at the ready.

How Long Can I Check Out A Book For?

You can check out a book for 30 days before you need to return the book or renew it. You can renew a book up to 3 times for 14 days each so long as no other patron has requested access to it. 

What Do I Do If a Book Gets Lost or Damaged?

If you have lost or damaged a book please reach out to the library to make them aware of the issue. Depending on the severity of the damage, and in the case of loss, you may be charged a fee of the cost of the book for replacement.

Can I Make Donations?

If you would like to donate books or supplies to the library please contact the library before doing so. Because of limited space and staff the library may not be able to take donations at any given time. 

Can I Make Suggestions?

If you would like to make suggestions on books you think should be in the library please fill out this form. While we welcome suggestions, due to limited space and staff we may not be able to implement every suggestion received.