92nd Street Y (92Y) is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, at the corner of E. 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Its full name is 92nd Street Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA). It is not part of the YMCA.
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Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association by German-Jewish professionals and businessmen, 92nd Street Y has grown into an organization guided by Jewish principles but serving people of all races and faiths.
92Y serves over 400,000 people annually and offers over 200 programs a day. Its 33 program areas include community outreach; lectures and panel discussions; Jewish education and culture; concerts featuring classical, jazz and popular music; humanities classes; dance performances; literary readings; film screenings; parenting programs; camps; a nursery school; fitness classes, singles programs; seniors programs; and a residence program that rents rooms in the Y's main building at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue.
92nd Street Y comprises eight programming centers: Bronfman Center for Jewish Life; Lillian & Sol Goldman Family Center for Youth & Family; Makor/Steinhardt Center; May Center for Health; Fitness & Sport; Milstein/Rosenthal Center for Media & Technology; School of the Arts; Charles Simon Center for Adult Life & Learning; and Tisch Center for the Arts. Its poetry center is 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.[1]
Kaufmann Concert Hall, a 917-seat theater, is the home for concerts, performances, readings and lectures.
Individuals of note who have performed, lectured or taught at 92nd Street Y include (in alphabetical order):
In October 2008, 92Y opened a new performance space in Tribeca called 92YTribeca to bring together and inspire a diverse community of young people from New York City and beyond, including musicians, artists, filmmakers, performers, writers, educators, humorists, directors, speakers, sports enthusiasts and many others. 92YTribeca is located at 200 Hudson Street and features a performance stage with full bar for live music, comedy, theater, digital media, performance art, speakers and dance; a 72-seat movie theater featuring a variety of domestic and international films, shorts and digital media; a wireless cafe; serving fresh, local food and drinks; a lecture hall and rooms for talks, tastings, classes and more; and an art gallery offering rotating exhibits. Other programs include Jewish cultural events and celebrations, opportunities for community service throughout the city, and fun activities like summer softball in Central Park and whitewater rafting trips.
Notable individuals who have resided at 92nd Street Y include: