Barak Hermann Marks a Decade at the JCC of Greater Baltimore

November 7, 2022 Simone Ellin, Associate Editor

JCC of Greater Baltimore CEO Barak Hermann is slated to leave his post in late June. (File photo)

Time flies when you’re overseeing an institution serving as many functions as the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

The oldest JCC in the nation, Baltimore’s “J,” founded in 1854, has the considerable challenge of constantly evolving to meet the needs of its membership, users, guests and partners, while retaining its historic mission.

For the past decade, Barak Hermann, the center’s chief executive officer, has served at the helm of the JCC. Jmore recently spoke with Hermann, a native New Yorker, about the JCC’s evolution and his 10th anniversary this month at the JCC.

1) What do you see as the JCC’s mission, then and now?

The JCC is an integral part of [Baltimore’s] history. We followed the Baltimore Jewish story since its evolution. As the trends and needs of the Jewish community have evolved, the JCC has responded. In fact, the original JCC’s job was to help Jewish people coming over to the U.S. become Americanized.

Now, we’re trying to help Americans be connected to their Jewish heritage, to each other and live Jewish lives in a way that’s best for them. At the same time, the JCC is expanding its communal reach, growing more diverse and serving the larger community, bringing our Jewish ethics, values and culture as a way to foster interfaith relations and combat antisemitism.

We are in the Jewish pride business.

2) How is the JCC balancing all of those priorities?

We are always focused on our mission to create meaningful Jewish experiences and have a lot of Jewish programming, from Maccabi sports, teen leadership, Israel trips, many Jewish art festivals, classes and our new J Life programs for families. We creatively interweave Jewish values and culture into mostly everything we do.

We also understand that demographic trends require us to be more inclusive. We embrace all levels of Jewish observance, interfaith and interracial families and LGBTQ families. …

Not every program has to be explicitly Jewish but will be rooted in our desire to bring the community together. The Gordon Center [for Performing Arts] has a diverse lineup of programming to serve the breadth of the community. We’re providing a place for people to safely get out of their homes and experience community.

3) What exactly is the J Life initiative?

J Life is our new platform for Jewish family engagement. It’s for families with kids 0 to 17 and connects them to Jewish culture, holidays and traditions.

4) What’s in store in terms of facility updates?

The Gordon is renovating its lobby so we can enhance the experience. We’re putting in a bar and concessions. It’s going to be state-of-the-art technology, a new look. We want to continue to stand out as the premier performing arts center in Baltimore County.

This spring, we’re also renovating the fitness center and main lobby at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC, and we are working on plans to enhance the facilities at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC.

5) What’s it like to celebrate a decade at the JCC?

I’m as inspired and motivated as ever to lead our JCC. I remain focused on furthering our mission of building an inclusive and dynamic Jewish community while instilling Jewish pride throughout the Baltimore community!