Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center

How many community centers can claim to serve tens of thousands annually? Right here, before you, stands the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center. It has been a cornerstone of the Rogers Park neighborhood and beyond since its grand opening in July 1961. The Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center wasn’t just a place for sports and recreation. It was designed with a deeper purpose: to serve the Jewish community in all its diversity. This three-story, 80,000 square foot building, a project spearheaded by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, was designed by the renowned architectural firm, Epstein. What makes this center particularly special is that it was the first of its kind to dedicate a space specifically for older adults, the Mayer Kaplan Senior Adult Center. This forward-thinking approach cemented its status as a hub for all generations. While the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center stands as a testament to Jewish life in Chicago, its legacy is intertwined with an equally fascinating institution: the Virginia Frank Childhood Development Center. Sharing the same lot, connected through common walls and utilities, this center, also designed by Epstein, was a pioneer in its own right. It focused on providing social services for pre-school children with emotional issues, breaking ground in the field of what we now know as autism. Today, both the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center and the Virginia Frank Childhood Development Center continue to thrive, testaments to the vision of their founders and the enduring spirit of community they represent.