By Sara Klein Wagner
Sara Klein Wagner,
President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Louisville and the Trager Family JCC
If you build it, they will come.
This whispered quote from Field of Dreams has been resonating a lot with me lately. These six words promised a connection for people in search of a place, a community. And when they would come—according to the character Terence Mann at the close of the film: “It’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters.” That’s how I feel about this place we built together. There is something special here.
It is difficult to put into words how thankful I am and how proud I feel about our community, but I will try. Here goes:
Dear Jewish Louisville,
It is with heartfelt gratitude and immense pride that I write this end-of-year note of love and awe. Yes, we have uncertainty amid the heaviness of wars and the hostages who remain captive in Gaza. Yet at the same time — here in our corner of the world — you are leaning into Jewish life, bolstering your connections as you participate alongside old and new friends. In these vibrant Jewish spaces you are living, learning, and playing.
It’s a gift to have inherited a thriving Jewish community. Together we are building on traditions that have sustained us for generations. You can see it happening right here along Dutchmans Lane, where an ongoing reimagination is unfolding on our Jewish Heritage Fund Campus. While our work is not yet complete (more on this soon), the Trager Family JCC on the JHF Campus is a testament to our very real desire to foster a Jewish space open to every part of our community. From our front door to the Kohn Family Town Square to every square foot around us is a shared field of dreams, carrying the imperative to encourage our friends and neighbors to join us on our collective Jewish journey.
One of many examples: Recently, we opened our doors after regular hours to a group of Orthodox women. Their level of Jewish observance does not permit mixed swimming. So, with a little coordination— including an all-female staff—we offered our first women-only swim. As a Jewish woman, ensuring we can welcome all Jewish women is a must for meeting our mission.
If you build it, they will come.
There is something genuinely warm and special about this place, bound up in a multi-generational and diverse spectrum of people, and by experiences that unfold daily. It’s why the Trager Family JCC is an integral component of our journey.
Everything we do emerges through a Jewish lens. The Talmudic sages believed that teaching children to swim was an essential survival skill that would help children grow into successful, independent adults.
The Yarmuth Family Aquatics Center – while a destination for many – wasn’t truly open to all until we welcomed the Orthodox women I described earlier. We are continually challenging ourselves to meet the needs of the growing and unique community we serve.
Another example is the Roth Family Education Center, home to our Early Learning Center, whose curriculum is based on the JCC Association of North America’s Sheva Early Learning Framework. Think of this as a rubric incorporating seven Jewish lenses that help guide discussions, resolve challenges, and inspire and inform educators. Sheva opens windows to Jewish values, creating a learning platform that lives and breathes inside the classroom.
The framework provides a shared language and perspective for building communities, piquing curiosity, enhancing relationships, and making the world a better place. Since opening our new doors, children of all backgrounds — embracing every branch of Jewish practice, Israelis and other faith groups — have flourished. You only need witness our ELC children sharing the joy of Shabbat, first thing every Friday morning, to appreciate the essence of what we’re all about.
I cannot emphasize this enough: None of this – the Aquatics Center, the ELC, none of it – would exist if you had not stepped up to help build and support a vibrant future. Each day our team remains dedicated to infusing all we do with the unique Jewish communal spirit we call ruach, while learning what defines, energizes and sustains us.
If you build it, they will come.
I’m not typically short on words, but just know that I am filled with wonder and gratitude for the sense of community fostered within these walls. Thank you for opening the doors so others may join us.
Kol Tuv,
Sara
Sara Klein Wagner is President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Louisville and the Trager Family JCC