Our Story
Since 1926, the Edlavitch DCJCC has stood proudly at the intersection of 16th and Q Streets as the heart of Jewish life in our nation’s capital.
Our History
Jewish life in the city began taking organized root in the mid-19th century, growing with each new wave of immigrants. In the early 1900s, young leaders established the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Associations, creating shared spaces for cultural, recreational, and communal life and laying the groundwork for what would become a lasting center of Jewish connection in the nation’s capital.
In 1925, that vision found a permanent home with the groundbreaking of the Jewish Community Center at its current location. Speaking at the laying of the cornerstone, President Calvin Coolidge reflected on the Center’s deeper purpose, calling it “a fine example for other communities,” one that would “uphold an ancient and noble philosophy… adapted to the requirements of changing times.” When the building opened a year later in 1926, it quickly became the hub for Jewish Washington and was a place where leadership was nurtured, friendships were formed, and Jewish life was lived not just formally, but fully.
As the city and its Jewish community evolved, so too did the Center. When many Jewish families moved to the suburbs in the mid-20th century, a new JCC opened in Rockville, Maryland, in 1969, and the original DC building entered a period of transition. Nearly twenty years later, with the return and growth of Jewish life in the District, the community reclaimed and restored the historic building, reopening it in 1997 with a renewed commitment to urban Jewish life. In 2018, following a major $20+ million renovation, the building was once again reimagined for the future, updating its spaces while honoring its historic character. As part of that effort, the Center was renamed the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, reflecting the enduring generosity and stewardship of Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch that have sustained this institution across generations.
Images Courtesy of the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection
Our Next Chapter
As we approach our 100th anniversary, the world around us feels both familiar and uncertain. There are new opportunities for connection alongside new divides that test our collective resilience. In this moment, the Edlavitch DCJCC remains a steadfast and vital Jewish home that welcomes people from all walks of life to learn, grow, and live out our shared values.
Our Centennial is not only a celebration of the past; it is a commitment to the future. It invites us to reflect on what Jewish life in Washington needs now and what it will require in the generations to come. At the heart of this next chapter is a renewed vision of the DCJCC as the Living Room of Jewish Washington: a warm, dynamic place where Jewish life meets everyday life, relationships are built across generations, and community is strengthened through connection.
As we look ahead to our second century at 16th and Q, our responsibility is clear: to steward this historic home with care, to create meaningful pathways into Jewish life, and to ensure that the Edlavitch DCJCC remains vibrant, inclusive, and responsive to a changing world. Each year, we connect with tens of thousands of people across Washington and beyond, and this next chapter – like all those before it — will be written together, from generation to generation.