How Louisville, Kentucky, native Sara Klein Wagner is carrying on the legacy of the Trager Family JCC.
Sara Klein Wagner’s office window overlooks the main entrance of the Trager Family JCC located in Louisville, Kentucky, famously known as the host city of the Kentucky Derby. From there, she can easily look out during meetings and phone calls and see the hustle and bustle of the JCC.
From devoted parents bringing their kids to swim lessons to fitness enthusiasts eager to try out new gym equipment to teenagers rehearsing an upcoming performance, she sees the many and varied faces of community members.
Wagner has been in her current role for nearly nine years. However, she has worked for the organization in many capacities for over three decades. She literally grew up at the JCC in Louisville, attending ballet classes, learning to swim and going to summer camp each year.
“The JCC was really a second home for my friends and me until we graduated high school,” said Wagner. “Even as a small child at summer camp, I loved bumping into my grandmother who was at the JCC for senior programs. A generation later, my daughters also would stop by to visit my dad having lunch at the JCC. I love that my daughters are the fifth generation of our family to be a part of the JCC community.”
Wagner is currently leading the organization through an incredible period of growth, with the most significant achievement for the community being the April 2022 opening of the new $44.5 million Trager Family JCC.
Thanks in part to the contemporary facility, the JCC is now making an even greater impact in Wagner’s hometown.
A Plan Comes Together
The Louisville JCC was first founded in 1890 as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association. Over the next century, there would be three different homes for the community center. Wagner said leadership realized several years ago the previous facility — built in the post-war era that had stood sturdy for over 50 years in the middle of the city’s growing community — was no longer functional nor flexible enough to serve the organization’s and community’s needs.
Thus, it was time to start planning another renewal for the JCC. Wagner described the years-long process that would follow as a labor of love.
“We first considered renovation and realized the cost would be incredibly high and the facility would still not meet the current and future needs of our diverse and very active membership,” said Wagner. “So, we made the decision to build the fourth home for the JCC, a new, modern facility located on the same campus as the previous JCC.”
The process itself started seven years ago at the visioning stage. Wagner said there were a lot of big dreams, and they always had the feeling it was absolutely imperative to share those aspirations with the entire community.
“An important part of this process was listening to current and former members who might rejoin,” said Wagner. “I give credit to our talented volunteers and staff members who were on the journey from the beginning. We spent time sharing and listening to our membership and community stakeholders who ultimately made this possible. I also cannot stress enough how this dream came to fruition because of our generous donors.”
Jeffrey Tuvlin, one of the five co-chairs of the capital campaign, began his time in his position in early 2018. While not a Louisville native, the JCC has been a focal point in his life since his high school years. Tuvlin said the campaign was successful because of multiple factors.
“I think we had unbelievable leadership by Sara Wagner, our CEO; Stacy Gordon-Funk, our former chief development officer; Thomas Wissinger, our COO; as well as our consultant David Valinsky Associates,” said Tuvlin. “I feel like we had the right leaders at all points of the process from the dream stage to the fundraising stage. We asked the community to go on a journey for a dream, and we never wavered from that in concept, pitch or design.”
Communities Within Communities
Perhaps one of the most beneficial features of the new facility is the building’s layout. Tuvlin said the center fulfills the concept of being a town square for the local Jewish community.
Wagner echoed this sentiment and said the Kohn Family Town Square is a major hub in the JCC that creates a home away from home for members.
“We envisioned our lobby space as a community gathering place, and it’s so great to see that coming to fruition as our members enjoy the many comfortable sitting areas throughout the building and enjoy being together before or after a workout,” said Wagner. “It’s a place where communities within communities truly thrive. Most days, it’s easy to find small groups enjoying each other’s company. Our senior adults have lunch in the Kohn Family Town Square and many stay for hours afterwards playing cards and other games. I just love that people can easily linger as long as they want to.”
In fact, when first beginning to build the new facility Wagner said they worked with GBBN Architects to construct the JCC with a heart-body-mind-soul mindset. Wagner said the education wing is the mind, the heart is the lobby, the body is everything recreation-based and the soul is everything that makes the JCC unique, like the Shapira Foundation Auditorium and the Kohn Family Town Square.
“Altogether, it turns us into a community hub that’s open and inviting to all,” said Wagner. “We are beyond thrilled to welcome the many new people who come to see the space for the first time. Our membership team has led thousands of tours now and one can feel a palpable, positive and happy vibe as members get to know and explore the new facility.”
One feature that’s been very successful is the indoor Yarmuth Family Aquatics Center. Wagner described the space as a game-changer thanks to the increase in offerings now as compared to the limitations of the small indoor pool in the former building.
“We’ve been proud to excel in the aquatics arena for decades,” said Wagner. “We’ve always had thriving outdoor pools, but our previous indoor pool was very small with just two lanes. The pool in our indoor aquatics center now has six lap lanes, a family recreation pool, splash pad, slide and more. There was a desire and a need. We listened to members and swimmers who have been with us for years. The goal was to create a destination. Families are certainly taking advantage and enjoying it.”
Wissinger said the Yarmuth Family Aquatics Center is just one feature of the new facility that’s improved programming.
“Tangibly, we’re able to serve more individuals from the community, whether that’s in our indoor aquatics center, our expanded preschool program, or in our Shapira Foundation Auditorium that serves as the center of our arts programming,” said Wissinger. “The Trager Family JCC has allowed us to welcome thousands of additional people through our doors and as part of our family.”
Growing the JCC’s Reach
With the new building came opportunities to grow the JCC’s reach in the community. Namely, Wagner highlighted how the organization has hosted the Israeli Street Fair for the last two years. Each event saw thousands of attendees enjoying the campus and Jewish culture.
“People were lined up to enjoy falafel and shop among the vendors,” said Wagner. “The event shares the fun aspects of the culture, music, art and food of a street fair in Israel. One of the coolest things growing up in Louisville as a Jewish child was the city held cultural heritage festival weekends for different ethnic groups that brought the entire community together to share traditions, music, dance and food. Jewish Heritage Weekend was always on Labor Day weekend, crowded and fun. The Israeli Street Fair has had the same feeling as the heritage weekends and a similar sense of pride sharing Israeli culture with the entire Louisville community.”
Since the Trager Family JCC opened in April 2022, Wagner said she’s proud of different events the organization has participated in like the Pride Parade in Louisville and local African American history events. It’s a goal of Wagner’s and the JCC’s to be a part of and celebrate the positive diversity of the Louisville community.
Wissinger echoed Wagner’s sentiment and said thanks to the Trager Family JCC’s outreach, programming has continued to evolve with the changing needs of the community.
“However, what hasn’t changed is our commitment to bettering the community one person at a time,” said Wissinger. “We have something for everyone, and we hope while you’re here you connect with others and become part of a community within a community. We want to facilitate those personal connections.”
Tuvlin added the new JCC is now regularly part of city-wide conversations. “Whether it’s the building or gym or a program taking place, you hear our non-Jewish friends talking about what’s happening at the Trager Family JCC,” he said. “Having a place for all to be invited, welcomed and to be relevant in the Louisville community is what it’s all about.”
The Right Leader
While the progress and success of the Trager Family JCC is credited to the leadership team, capital campaign and community donors, both Tuvlin and Wissinger praised one factor as a significant, consistent catalyst for the rec center’s growth — Wagner’s leadership.
“Sara is a natural relationship builder, and she puts that at the forefront of everything we do,” said Wissinger. “I don’t know Louisville without the JCC and I don’t know the JCC without Sara. She has committed her life to improving the Jewish community’s future, and the Trager Family JCC is a physical embodiment of her passion to better the lives of the community we’re a part of.”
“We’re beyond lucky to have Sara at the helm,” added Tuvlin. “In a profession where individuals often gain experience in one place and then take that experience to another community, she has built her career here in Louisville, and we’re lucky to have her choose this city to benefit from her wisdom and dedication. Her leadership style is patient perseverance. She knows when to push forward and when to let things take their natural course.”
For Wagner, she’s continuing to enjoy the fluidity of life at the Trager Family JCC as each day is completely different than the one before. But no matter what new developments or programs are on the horizon, Wagner feels fortunate to have a window to glance toward the thousands of Louisvillians walking into their new home away from home.
“How lucky am I to work side by side with an incredibly passionate team that created the new home for the Jewish community here in Louisville?” said Wagner. “For over 100 years our JCC has inspired and changed lives. I’m grateful to those who created a strong foundation and recognize it’s now our time to steward the organization forward. We’re truly a family and proud to welcome new members. Our team inspires me every day as we embrace the work of strengthening the legacy and passing the torch to the next generation. There’s no doubt I’m honored to be part of it.”
