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(JTA) — Once I final spoke to Seth Pinsky in January 2020, quickly after he was appointed CEO of the 92nd Road Y, he was trying ahead to the problem of taking on at a legacy New York Jewish establishment — unaware {that a} pandemic was about to comb away almost all the assumptions he delivered to the brand new job.
Like each enterprise and nonprofit, the 92nd Road Y, one in every of New York Metropolis’s cultural landmarks, was staggered by the shutdowns introduced on by COVID. Reside occasions floor to a halt and the middle needed to lay off employees.
Now, as New York’s cultural life emerges from over two years of upheaval, the Y is embarking on a $200 million renovation of its dwelling on the Higher East Facet. It’s additionally investing some $30 million in a digital platform — known as The Roundtable — that can flip the expediency of on-line programming into a longtime a part of its choices.
What the Y is asking a “transformation” may even embody new branding: An establishment based in 1874 because the Younger Males’s Hebrew Affiliation and that grew to become often known as the “The 92nd Road Y” is turning into “The 92nd Road Y, New York” — a city-centric identification mirrored in a brand new brand studying “92NY.”
Though its “pillars” embody the Bronfman Middle for Jewish Life, with Jewish research for adults, an after-school program for youths and a management fellowship for rabbinical college students, the “Y” was by no means only a Jewish neighborhood heart. It competes with town’s main secular venues by presenting classical music, trendy dance, the American songbook and audio system and applications far afield from Jewish life — to the diploma that, in 2014, when it appointed a brand new government director who wasn’t Jewish (Henry Timms, Pinsky’s predecessor), some frightened it had misplaced its manner as a Jewish establishment. Rabbi Peter Rubinstein of Manhattan’s Central Synagogue, employed that very same 12 months because the Y’s director of Jewish neighborhood, helped assuage critics by increasing its Jewish programming and including the outstanding Brooklyn rabbi Andy Bachman to his staff.
On Thursday I spoke by way of Zoom about 92NY’s new look and its Jewish future with Pinsky — who got here to the Y after heading financial growth for the Bloomberg administration — and Rabbi Joui Hessel, the interim director of the Bronfman Middle for Jewish Life. (Rubinstein is now its emeritus director.)
Our dialog was edited for size and readability.
New York Jewish Week: How a lot did the pandemic affect you financially and the way a lot does that play into the present rebranding and redevelopment?
Seth Pinsky: The pandemic was extremely painful for us as an establishment. Everybody who labored on the 92nd Road Y was impacted. After which on high of that, we noticed attendance in our in-person occasions fall to zero, and it had a big monetary affect. We needed to do what a lot of our peer establishments did when it comes to furloughs and layoffs, which have been perhaps essentially the most tough selections that we needed to make.
However what was fascinating for us was that at a sure second, we made the choice that we have been going to need to view the challenges that we’re going through additionally as alternatives. The pandemic was forcing us to reimagine the whole lot about who we have been and to ask the query a 150-year-old establishment and say what we wish to be going ahead.
And that was?
Pinsky: One of many issues that we discovered throughout the pandemic was, as we transitioned our program from in-person to on-line, is that we had a world viewers, and that our messaging, our values, the issues that we’ve all the time considered to be vital, resonated all throughout the USA after which over 200 international locations. Pre-pandemic, we’d have, on common, about 300,000 individuals come by way of our doorways for all of our programming. For the final couple of years, our on-line programming alone, we’ve created about 2,000 unique applications which have generated about 6 million views. And so, popping out of this, we determined that we have been going to work to proceed to carry true to the values and mission which have all the time animated the 92nd Road Y, however in a distinctly Twenty first-century method.
And a part of that’s what you described as “doubling down on the deep reference to your property metropolis.” In rebranding as “The 92nd Road Y, New York,” why is that vital?
Pinsky: As we expanded internationally, we got here into contact with tons of people that had by no means heard of the 92nd Road Y and we had to determine a manner rapidly to speak one thing vital about ourselves. We’re the type of place that couldn’t exist wherever aside from New York.
We additionally discovered that connecting ourselves to New York helped to raise our model. It’s type of like vogue homes that put the phrase “Paris” of their title. In case you’re a cultural establishment and you’ve got the phrase New York in your title, it provides a sure cachet. It’s a sufficiently subtle change that it didn’t essentially alter our underlying identification.
The Roundtable is the brand new on-line platform. Does that counsel that streaming occasions are right here to remain, and a brand new income stream?
Pinsky: They’re undoubtedly right here to remain and so they’re unquestionably a web optimistic for us. They’ve allowed us to develop our neighborhood exponentially. What we’re essentially about is enriching lives and connecting individuals. And being on-line permits us to do this at a fair higher scale than we may once we have been solely in particular person. That doesn’t imply that we’ve deserted in-person programming, but it surely’s an excellent addition to our repertory.
One of many challenges that we confronted pre-COVID was that we have been basically maxed out when it comes to the dimensions of programming that we have been producing, as a result of our area was getting used nearly 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Digital programming permits us so as to add to our programming with out taxing our bodily area.
I’d prefer to ask concerning the Y’s Jewish previous and future. In what methods is it a Jewish establishment and the way is that a part of the transformation?
Joui Hessel: We have been created by Jewish individuals who got here to New York and needed a spot for the neighborhood and particularly for these newer immigrants coming from different international locations who actually didn’t have the connections to neighborhood or household that different individuals have been fortunate to have. We have been based on this concept of making area to construct neighborhood — some would possibly say a sacred area to construct neighborhood the place individuals may study, discover their Jewish identification, study American tradition and humanities, particularly as new immigrants. And we proceed to take care of that as a part of our mission immediately and we’ll be doing so sooner or later.
Clearly the Jewish neighborhood in America has modified fairly a bit over the previous 100-and-change years, and it’ll proceed to take action. We stay on the forefront of tendencies, whether or not it’s The Roundtable or using different platforms for studying and educating or just understanding the place the Jewish individuals are. When it comes to the unaffiliated and unengaged, we try to welcome them and attempt to discover factors of entry into Judaism in order that they’ll connect themselves and discover their very own identification on their very own phrases and really feel affirmed in doing so.
Pinsky: We’ve all the time been a Jewish group and Jewish programming has all the time been an vital a part of what we do. However after I got here to the 92nd Road Y, I requested Rabbi Rubinstein, “In a metropolis like New York, with so many Jewish establishments, do we’d like the 92nd Road Y to be Jewish? Why is that so vital for us?” That began basically a two-year dialog. And a few of the issues that Rabbi Hessel was referring to have come out of that dialog. The 92nd Road Y has all the time occupied a really fascinating area of interest within the Jewish neighborhood. We type of straddle the road between faith and tradition. We’re a spot that has all the time been very welcoming of people that outlined their Jewishness in a lot of other ways. And that when you take a look at the Twenty first-century Jewish neighborhood, the best problem and the best alternative that we face is that the neighborhood is altering.
Comic David Cross and actors Nate Odenkirk and Bob Odenkirk talk about the Audible podcast “Summer time In Argyle” at The 92nd Road Y in Manhattan, Might 11, 2022. (Theo Wargo/Getty Photos)
In what methods?
Pinsky: You have got a rising quantity, particularly of younger individuals, who for one cause or one other are usually not linked to conventional Jewish establishments. And our perception is that we’re uniquely positioned to function an entry level to that neighborhood. And so along with specializing in the neighborhood that we’ve all the time served, we’re going to be significantly specializing in that a part of the neighborhood. And the concept there may be both we grow to be the Jewish dwelling to many individuals who meet these standards, or function a bridge between us after which different establishments, whether or not they be synagogues or different ones.
Hessel: I feel that is without doubt one of the strengths of being 92NY. We truly contemplate it a win if somebody involves us to discover their Jewish identification, feels affirmed and assured and genuine of their Judaism after which asks us to introduce them to quite a lot of rabbis and congregations and different establishments to which they want to belong.
Seth was referring to a current initiative that I fortunately inherited upon my arrival. The Residence Venture is an initiative specializing in unaffiliated Jews who usually for quite a lot of causes haven’t been present in mainstream formal Jewish establishments. So we’ve checked out completely different cohorts of Jews — Jews of coloration, interfaith households, LGBTQ, plus first-generation People — all these completely different pockets of Jews. And we’ve labored with partnering businesses to determine methods to interact and produce households collectively and to assist construct neighborhood with and for them in no matter manner they really feel they want.
Pinsky: A few months in the past, we started a serious fundraising drive to be sure that we had the sources accessible particularly for the Bronfman Middle. We set an unique fundraising objective of $10 million, and we’ve now raised the objective to $18 million. [Canadian investor] Matthew Bronfman has made a lead pledge. Jonathan Tisch and Lizzie Tisch [of the Loews Corporation] have made a big reward. We’re calling it the Rabbi Peter Rubinstein Fund for the Jewish Future and it’s going to permit us to essentially supercharge the programming that Joui is speaking about.
Youthful Jews additionally aren’t as linked to Israel as earlier generations, and many are vocal both in criticizing Israel or saying they don’t relate to the concept of a Jewish state. Has that come up in both the sorts of audio system you propose on reserving or in a few of the discussions you’re having in lessons and different programming?
Pinsky: As an establishment, we’ve all the time been robust believers within the significance of the State of Israel and the existence of the State of Israel. We additionally know that there are lots of areas that have to be mentioned vis a vis Israel and there are many completely different views. A lot of our programming touches on Israel in a method or one other, whether or not it’s discussing related, present matters about Israel, or exploring parts of Israeli tradition. It’s bringing Israeli artists to our phases. Going ahead we definitely imagine that it’s vital for us to proceed to interact on the subject of Israel, to have respectful conversations about it, and to proceed to point out, despite questions that we would have about one coverage or one other, our help for the nation.
An architect’s rendering of the foyer of The 92nd Road Y as it can take care of a $200 million campus grasp redevelopment plan. (Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP)
Hessel: I might simply add that everybody has a seat on the desk. Jewish custom encourages us to debate and to review in chevruta (partnership). And so we take that mannequin for the whole lot we do. I keep in mind speaking to Seth a number of months in the past, and saying, “Certainly one of these dialogue teams on Israel may get fairly loud. Are you prepared for that?” He stated, “Completely.” I feel individuals study essentially the most once they’re uncomfortable, and the subject of Israel is one which may be very delicate and emotionally pushed for some individuals and I look ahead to listening to these discussions, so long as it’s executed in a civil and respectful manner. We’re uniquely poised to function a impartial floor to host these sorts of conversations.
I’m considering of one other New York establishment, the Jewish Museum, that over time will placed on an exhibit and other people will ask, “What’s Jewish about that?” So I’m wondering if even within the secular programming on the Y — the nightly conversations with artists and writers and authors, or the classical music — is there a sure conception of Jewishness that animates that a part of the establishment?
Pinsky: Virtually the whole lot that we do is at a sure stage Jewish as a result of it’s animated by our Jewish values. And people Jewish values embody an understanding of the significance of perception in schooling, a perception in dialogue and debate, civil discourse, a perception that the world might be improved and that it’s our job to attempt to do this. A technique or one other, simply as we’re an establishment that might solely exist in a metropolis like New York, we’re additionally an establishment that might solely have been based by a individuals just like the Jewish individuals.
is editor in chief of The New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Company.
The views and opinions expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially mirror the views of JTA or its father or mother firm, 70 Faces Media.
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