Culture Introduction

The cultural department of the JCC provides focus, resources and programming which allow the JCC to retain and enhance its cultural Jewish presence within the Jewish community and the community at large. Activities to support this include holiday celebrations; a speakers’ bureau on basic Judaism, holidays, and Holocaust education; classes regarding all aspects of Judaism for Jews and non-Jews alike; a Jewish Festival; a Jewish Film Festival; andJewish Youth Groups; as well as other programs throughout the year. The cultural department leads the JCC’s effort to combat prejudice and promote harmony, diversity acceptance and unity within our community.

Don’t forget to look for special cultural programs throughout the year such as our Sukkah Party, Chanukah Party, Purim Carnival and cultural food tastings. These programs are especially fun and educational for children and families.

Cultural Display Items Sought

The JCC’s cultural committee is seeking Judaica-themed items or collections, of a non-fragile nature, (such as menorahs, mezuzahs or tzedakah boxes) to enhance our lobby displays of Jewish culture and religion. These items will be on temporary loan and will be returned after an appropriate length of time on display. To include your items, contact Program Director, Bill Walter to coordinate this effort. All individuals donating items will have their names included in the description of the display.

Tools and Resources

The JCC receives numerous requests for more information on Jewish topics. We’ve found excellent websites called
Judaism 101 and My Jewish Learning that should be helpful in fulfilling your requests.

Looking for Kosher foods? While York does not have a kosher restaurant or market per se, you can get many kosher products from the GIANT® Food Stores, especially on Pauline Drive or East Market Street. They now carry fresh Empire Chicken. For fresh kosher deli or desserts, the closest source is the Linglestown GIANT, or along Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, MD – just off 695. You will find a number of Glatt kosher delis and grocery stores, most notably Seven Mile Market. You can go on their website for specific directions and product information.

For a complete list of current Cultural Programs, go to the Cultural section of the JCC Program Guide. To register for classes, go to the Cultural section of our Online Program Registration.