Stiffel Senior Center

Stiffel Senior Center (1985-2011)

604 W Porter St on September 1, 2019

Former names| Jewish Education Center #2 (1928-1953); Neighborhood Center South (1953-1965); JYC Multi Service Center (1965-1985)
General information
Architectural style| Beaux-Arts influenced
Location| 604 W Porter St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19148
Country| United States
Coordinates| 39°55′04″N 75°09′29″W﻿ / ﻿39.917644°N 75.158171°W﻿ / 39.917644; -75.158171
Construction started| June 1928
Completed| September 1928
Cost| $170,000 (1928)
Height| 41 feet
Technical details
Floor count| 2
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Frank E. Hahn

The  Jacob and Ester Stiffel Senior Center of the Jewish Community Centers of Philadelphia (the 'Stiffel Center') opened in 1928 as Jewish Education Center No. 2 (Hebrew: תלמוד תורה) at the southeast corner of Marshall and Porter Streets in South Philadelphia. The Center was funded by Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The neighborhood's Jewish population aged, and the Federation closed the building in 2011 and sold it in 2013.

Front door at 604 W Porter St on September 1, 2019

The original Jewish Education Center offered free religious and Hebrew instruction as well as recreational activities. South Philadelphia's Jewish population aged in the late 1960s and the Center evolved its programming for its aging population.[1]

The Stiffel Senior Center offered education and social programs, served kosher hot meals, and provided other resources for its aging members. The Stiffel Center was supporting 225 elderly Jewish neighbors in 1989.[2] Before its closing, the Center was serving approximately 500 neighborhood community members of whom 150 were Jewish.[3]

In May 2011, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia voted to close the Stiffel Center due to the Center's increasing costs in maintaining the aging building. Federation reported losing $200,000 a year on the building and another $400,000 was needed to fix repair structural issues. The Federation sold the building in 2013 for $325,000 to Temple Housing Association in Jackson, New Jersey.[4]

In October 2012, the Stiffel Center organization merged with the Klein JCC to create a single agency.[5]

On June 14, 2013, the Philadelphia Historical Commission added the building to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, protecting it from inappropriate alterations and unnecessary demolition.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hildebrandt, Rachel (September 7, 2012). "Key Sites Of Jewish South Philly Are Threatened". hiddencityphila.org. Hidden City Philadelphia. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
2. ^ Chastain, Sue (November 14, 1989). "Faith and Friendship". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. E1. ProQuest 1853863307.
3. ^ Mason, John O. (May 16, 2011). "Saving the Stiffel Center". The Philadelphia Jewish Voice. Philadelphia. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
4. ^ Rubin, Daniel (August 31, 2013). "New life for Stiffel". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
5. ^ Jones, G (May 2, 2013). "New Beginnings: Klein and Stiffel Partner as One". jewishexponent.com. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Group. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
6. ^ "Stiffel Senior Center". preservationalliance.com. Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Peltz, Rakhmiel (2017). "The Vietnamese have a better understanding of yidishkeit than the Jewish Federation officials": A senior day center in historical perspective". Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging. 29 (2–3): 2–3, 164–176. doi:10.1080/15528030.2017.1321326.
* Reid, Sharon (October 31, 2012). "Nomination of Historic Building, Structure, Site, or Object, Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, Philadelphia Historical Commission: 2501-2515 South Marshall Street" (PDF). preservationalliance.com. Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved September 1, 2019.