Brooke Bowles has been director (now CEO) of The J for two and a half years and will celebrate her fourth year on the staff in November. With the coming of Rosh Hashanah | Jewish New Year, we managed to slow her down long enough to gather some reflections on the past year and thoughts about what’s on the horizon…
LJCC: Members are talking about feeling a new energy here at The J. What might be driving that?
BB: For one thing, we’ve just finished a summer that kept this place feeling pretty busy with our most successful J Camp since the pandemic, plus more people than I’ve ever seen before at the outdoor pool.
It has been great to see our membership numbers climbing — we have now fully recovered from the impact the pandemic had on our membership. In addition, our non-member programs are thriving, including about 700 families utilizing private swim lessons, robust Jewish programming open to everyone, and camps and sports attracting youth from near and far.
Coupled with the increased number of people in our LJCC community, I believe the opportunity to address some major capital projects has created a good bit of buzz.
Earlier this year you orchestrated a major reorganization of your leadership team. How is that working out?
It’s fulfilling to see our leadership team transition from focusing on day-to-day and near-term issues to envisioning how The J can position itself for growth and long-term sustainability. We’ve even scheduled a two-day off-site retreat to determine exactly how that vision will look and then create the roadmap to get us there.
Also significant in the realm of management, after a national search we hired Inna Shepard as the director of the Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center. That’s helped Barbara Traweek continue to focus on programming for children and youth.
Altogether, we have a cohesive staff that’s worked especially well together during the past year.
What’s the status of the Fitness Floor renovation?
We encountered some hiccups with that project (including one company’s untimely bankruptcy), but now we’re back on track for this major upgrade to our most-used space. The scope will include a new floor, some new equipment, and reorganizing the layout. The current timeline is still being finalized.
Over the past year, this website has started to become a repository of sorts for the story of Jewish Birmingham.
We’re so pleased that we’ve been able to showcase amateur historian Zach Dembo’s research as he recounts the stories of Jewish immigration to and life in Birmingham. His three-part series about touring Birmingham with fellow LJCC member Milton Goldstein — and Milton showing him where he grew up and went to school, hung out at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association downtown, and then worked when he got home from Vietnam — really resonated with a lot of people.
And our website has continued to entertain and inform with lots of “I am The J” stories about our members and employees — from Michael Sznajderman’s yoga passion to ruby-haired Cynthia Scott at the Welcome Desk to new employee Kiera Horton and dance instructor Irina Donahue. We’re a dynamic and diverse group of people.
Speaking of renovations, people seem glad to see the men’s shower reopen. But why did that project take so much longer than expected?
Our biggest setback happened right at the start. Days after permitting was approved and two days before demolition was to begin, the contractor chosen for the project was diagnosed with a very serious medical condition that prohibited him from supervising the project. We had to make a decision to go back to the bidding and selection process with new contractors or to manage the project internally. We decided to move forward and our Chief Operating Office Robert Scott stepped up and put together the numerous puzzle pieces to get the project started, and he managed the myriad stages and subcontractors needed to complete the project as initially planned and permitted.
How have our ever-present security concerns evolved over the past twelve months?
We are grateful for our close relationship with Damon Summers, the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s regional security advisor. With Damon’s help along with the results of our Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment, our internal security team has implemented improved security measures.
We are pleased to have an armed and trained security guard on-site for all open hours of operation. During the busy summer months, two guards were present at peak operational hours. In addition, we have prioritized access control and video surveillance, including a mobile video surveillance trailer that feeds into 24/7 monitoring by local law enforcement.
Tell us about the new initiative to recognize what you’re calling “Legacy Members.”
So while we’re continuously looking for ways to bring in new members — which is crucial for our long-term health — the members who have supported the Center over the years are the real heartbeat of The J. Our Legacy Members include anyone who has been a member for 40 or more years. Today we have more than 100 Legacy Members.
As a way to thank these members for their lifelong support, we will dedicate our new courtyard patio to them on October 19. This event is open to everyone, so I hope folks will join us in celebrating the Legacy Members and the completion of this beautiful new outdoor space.
Congratulations on being named to this year’s Leadership Birmingham cohort. What are you most looking forward to with that experience?
I am most looking forward to learning about different aspects of Birmingham and the challenges our city faces. I hope to identify ways that The J can be part of the solution to some of those challenges.
What keeps you awake at night?
Are we doing enough? Is there more we can do? Are we reaching individuals who desperately need community and belonging? What are more ways we can share Jewish values?
These questions never leave my mind and I’m always happy to discuss them with our members.
What’s your new year’s message?
With the upcoming second anniversary of October 7, the traditional new year’s wish for “a sweet new year” seems inadequate. Accordingly, I hope for everyone that this coming year be easier than the last.