92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a cultural and community center located in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood of the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the 92nd Street Y (often simply called "the Y") transformed from a secular social club to a large arts and cultural center in the 20th century.

History

In 1874, a group of German-Jewish professionals established the New York Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA). The founders were predominantly members of the Temple Shaaray Tefila, or synagogue, and New York's YMHA and others across the country grew out of existing Jewish congregations. The YMHA itself was a secular organization intended to serve as a social and literary fraternity. Officially incorporated on September 10, 1874, the YMHA would initially operate out of rented premises on 112 West 21st Street. A few years later, the organization would move to larger accommodations on 110 West 42nd Street; the Y also operated a downtown branch, where Emma Lazarus taught English to immigrants. This branch would later merge with other organizations to become the Educational Alliance. <!-- By the end of World War I, the Y had in XX's words "". -->

The original YMHA building would be replaced by a new building, completed in 1930.

The YMHA primarily catered to Jews until the mid-1930s. The Y's director, William Kolodney, argued that the arts were central to the Jewish religious tradition of learning for learning's sake. While the board was concerned that this shift would transform the Y into a secular institution and harm its finances, Kolodney argued for not catering to the lowest common denominator in pursuit of crowds, and to keep charges minimal so that activities were within reach of salaried workers. Kolodney opened the Y's concert hall and events to nonmembers; its excellent acoustics helped land the Y on the map as a performing arts venue. In the 1990s, the decline of classical music programming and rising real estate costs threatened the Y's finances. The Y responded by cutting Jewish life and cultural offerings and expanding its class offerings.

In February 2013, the Y fired Sal Taddeo, who served as director of facilities, after allegations were raised of a kickbacks scheme. Taddeo was the son-in-law of Catherine Marto, Adler's personal assistant; Marto was fired for being uncooperative in the investigation of Taddeo's conduct, and Adler was in turn fired after his affair with Marto was uncovered. Mr. Adler, who suffered depression, committed suicide by hanging. He was replaced by Henry Timms, formerly the Y's deputy executive director for innovation, strategy and content. Timms was the first non-Jewish director of the Y in its history, drawing some criticism; the Y announced the creation of a new director of Jewish community role, coinciding with Timms' elevation. Timms spearheaded the development of Giving Tuesday while at the Y.

Henry Timms left the Y in 2019 to join Lincoln Center; he was succeeded in January 2020 by Seth Pinsky, former head of economic development under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The choice of Pinsky was influenced by the need to revamp the organization's outdated facilities. Shortly thereafter the institution was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; nearly 70% of its revenues came from in-person events and instruction. The Y began streaming events and classes to reach a broader, global audience. Despite success online, budget cuts required employee furloughs and cut salaries.

As a result of shifting programming, the Y changed its name to the 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY for short) in 2022, reorganizing its programs under five umbrellas and launching Roundtable, an online learning platform. The rebrand preceded a $200 million campaign to renovate its facilities.

In October 2023, the poetry center indefinitely postponed its reading series after the Y canceled an appearance by the writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, citing his "public comments on Israel"; Nguyen had called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war earlier that week. The cancellation had prompted two of the poetry center's three employees to resign and many speakers to cancel.

Activities

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In addition to presenting performing arts programs (classical, jazz and popular music as well as dance performances), it offers a series of talks and conversations; literary readings; film screenings; adult education; schools for music, art and dance for children and adults; professional development programs (early childhood, dance, business and fashion); family, parenting and children's activities and classes; a nursery school; a senior center; a fitness center (including fitness classes and swim team); camps; a residence that rents rooms in the Y's main building at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue; Jewish education, cultural and community programs; and educational outreach programs for public school children among its programs. The organization serves about 300,000 people annually in its New York facilities.

In recent years, 92Y has expanded its digital programming to include live webcasts of events and a free digital archive at 92YOnDemand.org that includes both stage events and web-only content. In 2012, 92Y founded #GivingTuesday, which established the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a day to celebrate and encourage giving. The initiative was inspired by the core Jewish value of Tikkun olam (repairing the world) and reflects the institution's mission of reimagining community and giving back. 92Y is also one of the founding partners of the annual Social Good Summit, a conference that attracts NGO, tech and business leaders and entrepreneurs, which takes place in September (during UN Week).

Programming centers

92nd Street Y comprises eight programming centers: Bronfman Center for Jewish Life; Lillian & Sol Goldman Family Center for Youth & Family; May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport; Milstein/Rosenthal Center for Media & Technology; School of the Arts; Charles Simon Center for Adult Life & Learning; Tisch Center for the Arts, Center for Educational Outreach and Center for Innovation and Social Impact.

In 1935, William Kolodney joined the 92nd Street Y as Educational Director, instituting a wide-ranging educational program for general audiences of all faiths. He made the "Y" a center for chamber music, poetry readings, and dance performances. He initiated the Y's dance center, School of Music and poetry center. The last is now called the Unterberg Poetry Center and has been led by prominent writers including American poet Karl Kirchwey who was director for thirteen years until 2000.

Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact

The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact brings the mission of 92nd Street Y to the world. Collaborators include the UN Foundation, Mashable, Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Harvard Kennedy School, Public Radio International, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation.

Notable guests

  • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  • Al Pacino
  • Aziz Ansari
  • Alan Dershowitz
  • Alec Baldwin
  • Stephen Breyer
  • Bo Burnham
  • Richard Dawkins
  • Tom Ford
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg
  • Malcolm Gladwell
  • Ira Glass
  • Lewis Hamilton
  • Don Henley
  • Christopher Hitchens
  • Billy Joel
  • Karl Kirchwey
  • Ralph Macchio
  • Rachel Maddow
  • Paul McCartney
  • Nas
  • Jimmy Page
  • Colin Quinn
  • Jason Segel
  • Joan Rivers
  • Jon Stewart
  • George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon (in character)
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson
  • Elie Wiesel
  • Gene Wilder
  • Bob Woodward

Residents

Notable individuals who have resided at 92nd Street Y include Joseph Gurwin (1920–2009), a philanthropist who rented a room at 92nd Street Y for four years after arriving in the U.S. Pianist Harry Connick Jr. lived there at age 18 when he first moved to New York in 1985.

References

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  • 92nd Street Y on NYC ARTS