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Young Men's Hebrew Association founded in Manhattan

When
1874
Where
112 West 21st Street
Episodes
1

The Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) was established in Manhattan in 1874 by German-Jewish professionals. Sources provide conflicting dates for its establishment, citing October 10 for founding and September 10 for incorporation. The organization initially operated from rented premises on West 21st Street, distinct from its later cultural center status at the 92nd Street Y.

Episodes

  1. 1874 · 112 West 21st StreetFounding and Incorporation

    German-Jewish professionals established the New York Young Men's Hebrew Association in 1874, with conflicting sources citing October 10 for founding and September 10 for incorporation.

Background and detail

Background. The Young Men's Hebrew Association was founded in New York City in 1874. A group of German-Jewish professionals established the organization, which was officially incorporated on September 10, 1874. Lewis May served as the first president. The organization initially operated out of rented premises on 112 West 21st Street, distinct from its later location at the 92nd Street Y.

Early Operations. Following its incorporation, the YMHA operated from rented premises on 112 West 21st Street. A few years later, the organization moved to larger accommodations on 110 West 42nd Street. The Y also operated a downtown branch, where Emma Lazarus taught English to immigrants. These early activities focused on social and educational support for the community.

People involved

Sources

  1. 92nd Street Y Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
  2. Jewish Community Center Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-04

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.