Shabbat Shalom from Sam: What the JCC Shares with a 90s Boy Band

It was at a Backstreet Boys concert that I realized just how much in common the JCC community has with a 90s pop boy band fanbase. Stay with me. I promise I’ll connect the dots.

This past weekend, I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert. The five-member boy band, who really broke onto the scene in the early 90s, reunited to play a limited set of all their best hits. The Backstreet Boys were my first love. I recall standing in line for hours waiting to purchase tickets to their 1997 tour. I was so committed and even joined their fan club (Brian was my favorite member of the band, if you were wondering).  

Fast forward almost 30 years later, and I was waiting “in line” for tickets again, except instead of a long queue snaking out a storefront and around the block I found myself coordinating with an old friend as we logged into Ticketmaster to buy tickets. In the weeks leading up to the concert, I listened to all the albums of the Backstreet Boys (and I mean all of them). And, as the concert date neared, which happened to coincide with my birthday, I began to worry that I was being too wistful about this simpler time in my life. I worried the Backstreet Boys wouldn’t be relevant anymore. Would I still be compelled to scream “Wooo!” at the top of my lungs when they came out on stage? Would their music sound the same? Could they reach the same high notes in my favorite songs?

It is easy to romanticize the “good ol’ days” and forget that time blurs the sometimes difficult or awkward realities of growing into adolescence, or any new stage of life for that matter. So how in the world could the Backstreet Boys concert relate to our JCC in Indianapolis? I promise I’m getting to the point!

When the Backstreet Boys came on stage, the whole concert venue SCREAMED. And I must admit – I screamed too. Though there were over 20,000 strangers at the concert, there was an immediate feeling of community – a dive back into a shared experience that helped define our formative years. It seemed all of us remembered the lyrics to their songs and we weren’t ashamed to sing at the top of our lungs. It was nostalgic and so very fun. And so refreshing given the complicated and complex lives we all lead today.

Fast forward to three days after the concert – our JCC Board of Directors was gathering for the first time after a summer hiatus. Board Chair David Katz opened the meeting by asking us to go around the room and share our connection to the J. Many folks shared the JCC was the epitome of their childhood (one even told me she remembers listening to the Backstreet Boys when working out at the JCC many years ago); the JCC helped shape their life journey as they navigated the different stages of growing up. Some found the JCC later in life, but their connection and experiences to the J were just as meaningful as those who have been coming to the J for over 60 years.

After hearing the group share their varied connections to the J, I said “I have my Friday story. I was so moved by each of your stories, and I think others would be too.” The volunteer leaders are so invested in our JCC’s success today and tomorrow. If the JCC were a Backstreet Boys concert, this group would have waited hours in a real queue just to buy the nosebleed tickets. I’m here to tell you that our Board of Directors is impressive, committed, and excited for our JCC’s next chapter.

Back to the concert: As the Backstreet Boys began singing and excited screams filled the air, there was a special camaraderie – a feeling of community, one that is connected by shared emotions, experiences, and a desire to be part of something bigger than oneself

It felt like the concert ended as soon as it began. I was disappointed that reliving this era of my life went by so quickly; the feeling of connection to this nostalgic community was fleeting. But as we were walking out of the concert with a sea of other fans, someone started singing one of the band’s most popular songs, and, before we knew it, the rest of the crowd – the community the Backstreet Boys created – joined in, a recognition that none of us were quite ready for this slice of community and blast from the past to be over just yet.

Unlike the Backstreet Boys, which represent a fleeting piece of nostalgia, the JCC has endured the test of time. With a founding in 1914, continued expansion of the services and programs we offer, and an amazing facility, it isn’t hard to understand why people connect so deeply to the JCC. We’re connected, tight knit, and ready to yell “Wooo!” to support our community.

I hope we’ll always “want it that way,” be inclusive to “everybody,” and recognize that while time blurs some of the harder times we face, there is no better time than now to embrace your community – whether it’s on stage or off. “Just don’t go breaking our heart,” okay?

Shabbat Shalom,

Sam Dubrinsky, CEO