AOC honors 100th Anniversary of Jackson Heights Jewish Center on House floor

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez honored the 100th Anniversary of the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights in a speech on the House floor Nov. 20. Image via US House

By David Brand

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez marked the 100th Anniversary of the pioneering Jewish Center of Jackson Heights during a brief speech on the House floor Friday.

The center, founded as the Queens Independence Society in 1919, moved into Jackson Heights in 1959. Its current location at the corner of 77th Street and 37th Avenue opened in 2000.

The synagogue hosts regular community forums, town hall meetings and a variety of cultural and civic gatherings. It’s also the home base for the Queens Center for Gay Seniors, which has served LGBTQ adults 60 and over for more than two decades.

Ocasio-Cortez honored the Jewish Center’s role in fostering unity across the diverse neighborhood.

 “Today, the center is known in the community as an inclusive and accepting space hosting a number of diverse community events throughout the year, as well as housing our beloved Queens Center for Gay Seniors,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Thank you for your ongoing service to our community.”

Throughout its history, the Jewish Center has had a trailblazing impact in Queens. A group of Jewish residents initially formed the center in Woodside because Jews were restricted from living or organizing in Jackson Heights at the time. 

In 1927, the organization changed its name to the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights.