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Looking around the room at the Ruth Hyman JCC's 70th anniversary gala, Aaron Rosenfeld was moved by the intergenerational crowd, which he saw as a testament to the center's important role in the Jewish community.

"Many people here have been involved since they were children, and now some of them have grandchildren who are part of the JCC," said Rosenfeld, executive director of the JCC. "It spans generations."

On Nov. 15, the Ruth Hyman JCC-The Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth County, located in Deal Park, celebrated seven decades of serving the Jewish community of Monmouth County and the surrounding area at a dinner at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune.

Originally founded as the Long Branch Jewish Community Center in 1939, the center moved to Deal in 1971 and several years later was renamed the JCC of Greater Monmouth County.

In honor of the generous support of Ruth Hyman, who was the major donor in the center's expansion efforts in the late 1990s, the center amended its name once again.

"The needs of the community are constantly changing and we work hard to meet all of the needs of the Jewish community," Rosenfeld said.

Richard Marcus, the chairman of the 70th anniversary committee and a resident of Ocean, said that the event was an opportunity to reflect on all that the JCC has provided for the community over the past seven decades.

"It is a momentous event -- that the community has had the JCC for 70 years now and it will be here to provide services for the entire community for the next 70 years," Marcus said.

Sol Greenspan, a past president of the JCC and one of the evening's honorees, said that while he has seen considerable changes and growth in the center during the 30 years he has been involved there, the JCC's core mission has remained the same.

"It has been tremendous -- the transformation from beginning to now," Greenspan, a resident of Ocean, said. "The mission is the same though: a facility where we can help children in the youngest ages to seniors in all aspects of their recreation, health, and wellness."

For children, the JCC's Center Play School (CPS) offers a fully accredited, year-round program for infants through 5-year-olds, as well as a summer camp for kids ages 2-15.

In the C.I.T. Israel Intensive program, the counselors-in-training spend four weeks in Israel with other teens from the tri-state area and then spend another four weeks at the JCC, where they complete their training programs.

The JCC's fitness center includes state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment as well as two full-size gymnasia and full-size indoor and outdoor pools. Additionally, there are racquetball courts, large group fitness rooms, an indoor running track, street hockey rink, outdoor basketball courts, and several outdoor sports fields.  

For senior citizens, the JCC offers activities such as the daily Lunch Bunch program, during which kosher meals are offered, classes, and other educational and culture programs. The center's Kosher Meals on Wheels programs delivers thousands of meals a year to senior citizens throughout Monmouth County.

Sydelle Schamah, another past president who was also among the evening's honorees, commented upon how the center has expanded and developed.

"It feels very good to celebrate the 70th anniversary. We've worked very hard to get here," she said, "Over the years it has expanded, and it has grown and become more and more beautiful."

Among the most recent additions of the JCC is the Herbert and Evelyn Axelrod Performing Arts Center. Opened in the summer of 2005, the 525-seat performing arts center hosts cultural and entertainment events for all age groups including community theater and concert series.

In addition to Marcus, Greenspan, and Shamah, the gala also honored Patti Blume, Fred Ezon, Jeanne and Donald Epstein, and Jess Levy.

Ruth Epstein, a former executive director, was particularly struck by sheer size of the celebration and said that the large turnout represented how important a milestone the center's 70th anniversary is.

"We've had big celebrations, but I don't think we've had anything like this, with as many as 250 people," she said.

Others, however, said they were not previously aware that the JCC had been around for so many years.

Eliot Winitsky of Eatontown, who has been a member of the JCC for about 15 years, said his entire family takes advantage of all that the JCC offers from the fitness center to the summer camp.

"I haden't realized that they're 70 years old; I had no clue," Winitsky said. "They're young at heart."