MARGATE – The Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center is getting a new name. The center will hold a grand rededication celebration 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 14 to honor the extraordinary contributions and unwavering commitment of Marjorie and Lewis Katz.
“They are doing a rededication, naming it from my grandparents to my parents,” said Drew Katz, who suggested the renaming to honor his parents, especially his dad, Lewis Katz, who was instrumental in getting the center built in the early 2000s following a strategic study.
Since then, the JCC has been transformed into a vibrant community hub with more than 1,000 daily visitors, numerous special events, a bustling early childhood learning center and the popular summer Camp by the Sea.
“It was my suggestion to the JCC board asking if they would be interested in renaming the center after my mother and father, and they loved the idea,” he said.
Lewis Katz A self-made businessman who grew up in Camden, Lewis Katz often gave his time, talents and energy to good causes. He was instrumental in building the facility, which boasts recreational opportunities for the community that enhances Jewish life and culture.
The building was erected in the same footprint as the JCC before it, except for the pool and gymnasium that remained, Chief Executive Officer Marg Rosenblatt said.
“Lewis Katz was the one who spearheaded, fundraised and pledged $1 million to rebuild the facility,” she said.
Rosenblatt said Katz would often frequent the JCC, shooting baskets in the gym or running on a treadmill.
“He would sit in the lobby just watching people go by, saying to himself, ‘This is what it’s all about,’” she said.
“The reality is, when my father named the building after his parents, he was doing so to honor thy mother and father, but Margate, Longport and the Jersey Shore was synonymous with Lewis Katz,” Drew Katz said.
The elder Katz, born in Camden, grew up in the Parkside section, and following a storied business career, came to own a home in Longport starting in 1974, where he and his family enjoyed their summers.
He was a lawyer and successful businessman who made his fortune as the owner of parking lots and billboard companies. He owned radio stations at the shore, invested in New Jersey sports franchises and for a time owned the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Within a year of seeing her son married, Marjorie Katz died from a stroke in 2013. Four months later, Lewis Katz was tragically killed in an airplane crash that also claimed the lives of six others when a plane he chartered ran out of runway and crashed at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts.
“I guess you would say the universe wanted to keep them together for all eternity,” Drew Katz said. “They basically walked me down the aisle and said, ‘Our work here is done and you’re in good hands,’” Drew Katz said.
Lewis Katz was inducted into the 2015 Class of the NJ Hall of Fame in the Enterprise category. At the induction ceremony, U.S. Sen. Corey Booker said Katz came from very humble beginnings but never forgot where he came from, contributing tens of millions of dollars to worthy causes that continue to benefit others.
“He knew the power of small acts of kindness, decency and love,” Booker said. “He was one of the great New Jerseyans who have affected generations yet unborn.”
Drew Katz said he knows that the people who loved his parents and use the building, or even those who just drive by as they leave town through the Margate bridge at the end of summer weekends, would love to see their names on the building.
“There are not many people who knew Milton and Betty, but they all new Lewis and Marjorie, so I thought renaming the building after them would have particular meaning for those people,” he said. “The leadership, including Marg and the board all agreed. That was my offer, my proposal, and they ran with it.”
Milton & Betty Katz JCC at the time of the JCC's 100th anniversary.
The building has become the “heart and soul” of the Atlantic County community, just as the Katz JCC in Cherry Hill that they also supported has become.
“This building would not be here today were it not for Marjorie and Lewis Katz,” Rosenblatt said. “To me, it’s personal. I was fortunate to work with him and over the years see the human side of his vision and what this place meant to him. It has really had an impact on my life.”
The JCC remains a major part of the Katz legacy. Drew and his wife Rachel remain involved, and their school aged children attend the JCC summer camps.
“They maintain a strong connection in the JCC community,” Rosenblatt said.
The celebration includes a renaming ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by games and activities in a carnival-like atmosphere, live music, and Kosher foods.
Speakers include JCC Board President Rosalie Lopez, Past-president Steven Brog, former NJ Sen. Bill Gormley, Margate Mayor Michael Collins, Rosenblatt and Drew Katz.
A tribute book will allow families and business owners to inscribe their personal messages of support for the Katz legacy.
Copyright Access Network 2024
