Last November, the Jewish Community Center welcomed Steven Rosenzweig as its president and CEO. Rosenzweig, a member of Kol Rinah, was most recently CFO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). He served in that same role (and chief operating officer) of the J from 2006 to 2015. Rosenzweig has spent his first few months in his new job observing and listening.
“Things have been running really well here, so I wasn’t under any pressure to make quick decisions,” Rosenzweig said. “I quickly realized that it would be in my best interest to look at everything through a lens I hadn’t previously.”
Now that he’s had a chance to view and analyze operations at the J, Rosenzweig sat down with the Jewish Light to offer his thoughts on challenges and opportunities facing the organization.
You’ve been talking to members, staff, volunteers and the board of directors. What insights have you picked up?
I love hearing stories from members that often start with, ‘I remember when my parents took me to old J building.’ There’s a generational, emotional connection to the J. Walking around, seeing people kibbitz and connect is great. The J builds connections, and I’ve really come to appreciate that. We have something going on every day here. There are a lot of ways the J touches the community. I don’t think the broader Jewish community understands everything that we do. A lot of people just think of us as an excellent fitness center.
As you return to the J, how did your experience at the SLSO help you grow as a leader?
Everything that the symphony does, they have an eye towards excellence. There is a direct parallel to what we do at the J. We aspire to be excellent at everything we do and provide not only valuable services and programs to the community but do so in a way that is consistent with our goal of excellence, which I think is what the community wants from us.
What is the J doing to address increased competition from large operations like Lifetime Fitness.
We’ve made a lot of improvements, and we continue to do that by investing in ourselves. We have new equipment, we consistently refresh our class offerings, and we’re looking to make some more investments in infrastructure, and provide people a great experience. We aspire to be a world-class facility with reasonable prices. We launched a feedback mechanism this year, and we make sure that if someone gives feedback and leaves a number or an email, that we get back to them, so that our members feel heard.
Strategically, how important is the nearly completed renovation of the Marilyn Fox Building?
The Jewish population isn’t staying put in one small place here. I think that this renovation will help maintain our vibrancy out in West County and continue to serve the next generation of Jews and community there. The addition of a second adult day center at the Marilyn Fox Building serving seniors and young adults with physical and/or cognitive disabilities is a wonderful addition to west St. Louis County.
You often mention the work “community” in discussing the J’s impact. Why do you think the J is an important part of the Jewish community?
Now more than ever, having a place where Jews can go to feel comfortable is important. To see Jews, whether they’re hanging out in the jacuzzi or talking on the fitness floor, I think is wonderful and special. I had a member come up to me and say, ‘Steve, I’m really upset.’ I asked what was wrong. He said, ‘I’ve been here for an hour, and I haven’t even worked out yet.’ He started laughing because he was talking to various people. There is a lot of value to that in the community. It’s also clear to me that there is not an organization in town that brings as many Jews and non-Jews together under one roof with the word Jewish in it than the J. In this time of rising antisemitism, that’s incredibly powerful.
To hear more from Steve Rosenzweig, tune in to “Jews in the Lou,” a podcast in partnership with the St. Louis Jewish Light and hosted by radio personality Alex Rich and local restaurateur Ben Poremba on Catch new episodes every other week on Instagram and YouTube.
