Lifestyle
92NY, a historic cultural center, turns 150 — grappling with today's Israel-Hamas war
The 92nd Street Y, New York is celebrating its 150th anniversary. As a Jewish cultural institution, it’s also facing criticism related to the Israel-Hamas war.
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92NY
The 92nd Street Y, New York is celebrating its 150th anniversary. As a Jewish cultural institution, it’s also facing criticism related to the Israel-Hamas war.
92NY
Nonprofits often struggle to adhere to their original mission statements, especially as they develop new programs and serve new audiences. For Jewish institutions, the Israel-Hamas war has been an inflection point.
That’s been especially true of The 92nd Street Y, New York, which turns 150 this month.
92NY was founded by a group of German Jewish New Yorkers as one of the earliest branches of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, which were modeled on the Young Men’s Christian Associations, better known as the YMCA.
It had a simple goal — help immigrants assimilate, said Seth Pinsky, CEO of 92NY.
“They saw a growing wave of Eastern European Jews and felt that these new immigrants would need a place where they could learn how to become Americans, become educated, gain skills, and adjust to a new life in a new country,” Pinsky said.
Swimming at New York’s Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) in 1911. The YMHA eventually became The 92nd Street Y, New York, a cultural force that hasn’t lost its community center vibe.
92NY
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92NY
Over time, The 92nd Street Y, New York became much more: a nondenominational, cultural powerhouse open to all. “Even though it was founded as a Jewish institution, has always been a Jewish institution, it is also an institution that has always served the wider world,” said Pinsky.
‘Category buster’
Look through the archives and it seems like anybody who’s anybody in culture, science, politics and the like has appeared at 92NY: writers such as Dylan Thomas and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, entertainers like Paul Robeson and Carol Burnett, and scientists like Dr. Jane Goodall. Modern dance pioneers Martha Graham and José Limón taught at 92NY before founding their own companies. Alvin Ailey debuted his best known work, Revelations at 92NY in 1960.
Martha Graham was among the modern dance pioneers who taught at 92NY before founding her own company.
The 92nd Street Y, New York
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The 92nd Street Y, New York
Every day, thousands of people still use The 92nd Street Y, New York as their local community center. They come for its swimming pool, daycare, gym and numerous classes, from tap dancing to jewelry making.
They also come for events and lectures. Recent speakers include actor Emily Blunt and actor/singer Audra McDonald, former U.S. Rep Liz Cheney, and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Antisemitism. During the pandemic, 92NY started streaming virtual presentations online, reaching millions of people around the world.
“It’s a category buster and there’s really nothing else like it anywhere,” said Pinsky.
Pinsky said 92NY was built on Jewish and American values including “debate and a robust exchange of ideas.” From Israeli prime ministers to civil rights activists, for decades it has thrived as a place for diverse programs and points of view.
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, spoke with Rabbi David Ingber, senior director at 92NY’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Life on Jan. 24, 2024.
Vladimir Kolesnikov/Michael Priest Photography/The 92nd Street Y, New York
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Vladimir Kolesnikov/Michael Priest Photography/The 92nd Street Y, New York
But that identity was shaken after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Afterward, 92NY postponed an event by one of its divisions, the well-regarded Unterberg Poetry Center.
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Viet Thanh Nguyen was scheduled to talk at 92NY two weeks after the attacks. But he was also one of hundreds of writers who’d signed an open letter in the London Review of Books condemning Israel’s occupation and calling for a ceasefire. The Israeli government says that a ceasefire could lead to further attacks.
Nguyen’s novels are about surviving war and trauma, but Pinsky said it was not the right time for him to appear at 92NY.
“It was during the traditional Jewish period of mourning, and it was about a week after the so-called Day of Rage, when Hamas called for the targeting not just of Israelis, but of Jews and Jewish institutions,” Pinsky said. “And so what we said was not that he couldn’t hold those opinions and not that he could never appear on our stage. But maybe that moment wasn’t the right moment.”
The Poetry Center’s director, Bernard Schwartz, refused to postpone and quickly arranged for the event to take place at a local bookstore instead.
Nguyen told the audience he believed he was canceled.
“Art is supposed to keep our minds and hearts open. So the greatest irony of all of this is that what could save us — or one of the things that could save us — art — has been silenced,” Nguyen said.
Writers, including playwright Tony Kushner, signed an open letter angry at 92NY’s decision. Some of those scheduled to speak last fall withdrew. Schwartz and the two other members of the Poetry Center’s staff resigned, effectively suspending the program.
“It sends a terrible message, because writers have to be able to express themselves,” said James Shapiro, an author and English professor at Columbia University. He’s been actively involved with 92NY for years, including teaching a class on Shakespeare. He said he’s so furious, he doesn’t plan to return.
“I’m a Zionist. I’m a supporter of the Y. I’m a defender of my community,” said Shapiro, “And when a group within that community is effectively making it worse by aligning it with a view that Jews censor writers who don’t line up with their beliefs, it sets a terrible example.”
Shapiro praised the work of the Poetry Center’s small staff and “the brave stand that they took in defense of free speech.”
Pinsky said he’s well aware there are people in the literary world “who are not happy with the decision we made.” He vowed to rebuild the Poetry Center. “We’re ready to do the work and we think our poetry program and literature program is an important one, and it’s one that we want to get back on its feet.”
Cultural institutions need to ‘reconsider everything we do’
92NY is just one of many cultural institutions getting heat for whatever they do — or don’t do — related to the Israel-Hamas war. The decisions they make could affect their funding, audiences and staff morale.
“The 92nd Street Y, like all Jewish institutions, but I think all institutions with conscience, have to think ‘How do we respond?’ ” said Susannah Heschel, chair of the Jewish Studies Program at Dartmouth College. “I think it means we have to reconsider everything we do. As a professor of Jewish Studies, what do I hope to achieve? And I’m not sure.”
CEO Pinsky said 92NY’s commitment to a “robust exchange of ideas” hasn’t changed. Since Oct. 7, it has featured conversations that have been both critical and supportive of the Israeli government.
Trying to make sense of difficult topics is one of the many reasons people go to 92NY. But they also come for concerts or to take a class or go for a swim. Pinsky said its mission to enrich individuals and create community is needed now “more than any time” in its 150-year history.
“The fabric of society is being pulled apart in so many different ways,” he said. “And bringing people together and making them feel connected is incredibly important. And that’s who we’ve always been and that’s who we continue to be.”
This story was edited for audio and digital platforms by Jennifer Vanasco.
This story is part of Image’s May Momentum issue, which looks at art as a sport and sport as an art.
I love reading about artists’ processes and routines. Toni Morrison wrote before dawn, before her children awoke and she had to go to her publishing job. In the evenings, Maya Angelou cleaned and put away all her dishes before she sat with what she had written that morning. Louise Bourgeois only worked in complete silence. These rules and routines are reminders that art takes work — and immense amounts of energy.
I grew up with parents who are also artists and had to find time for their projects between life and daily obligations. My father wrote in the early mornings; my mother painted in the hours after lunch and before we were done with school. It normalized for me the intentional carving out of time needed for writing, reading and creating. This has meant that I’m almost always busy doing something, and sometimes tired, but when I don’t carve that time, I’m guaranteed to be in a bad mood, like the hanger that comes from skipping a meal.
In Viv Chen’s interview with Tory Burch, the designer compares her workdays to being “like an athlete where it’s about discipline and grit and endurance.” It’s a sentiment that sums up much of the spirit of this issue, which looks at art as a sport and sport as an art. Whether you’re playing fútbol, sewing clothes or staging a performance, it’s a physical as well as mental game.
Above all, the artist-athletes in these pages show us the rewards of their commitments. We witness this in the sizzling images of Tory Burch shoes pounding the hot Los Angeles pavement and in the sportswear designs that Otis students worked on for months, the results literally glowing and electric. We witness this in the portraits of Betye Saar, regally dressed in a Gucci kaftan for what will likely be the last exhibition she’s involved in during her lifetime. We witness this in the image of our fútbol queen on the cover, strong, reverent and at peace. These stories are all reminders that dedication to one’s craft is not just life-giving, it’s what makes life worth living.
Elisa Wouk Almino Editor in chief
Jess Aquino de Jesus Design Director
Julissa James Staff Writer
Claire Salinda Staff Writer
Keyla Marquez Fashion Director at Large
Elizabeth Burr Art Director
Jamie Sholberg Art Director, Web
Samantha Lee Editorial Intern
Jennelle Fong Contributing Photographer
Tyler Matthew Oyer
Contributing Photographer
Mere Studios Contributing Producer
Cecilia Alvarez Blackwell
Contributing Producer
Dave Schilling Contributing Writer
Harmony Holiday Contributing Writer
Goth Shakira Contributing Writer
Cover
Fashion Direction Keyla Marquez
Creative Direction Keyla Marquez
Photography Guicho Palma
Styling Julianna Aguirre Martinez
Talent Yusra, Natalie Renelle Muñoz,
Dylan D. Lopez
Hair Jeanette Ponce
Makeup Selena Ruiz
Nails Tatiana Calderon
Production Cecilia Alvarez Blackwell
Styling Assistant Matzi
Videographer Abraham Anzurez Galindo
Gaffer James Armas
Photo Assistants Monica Zulema,
Diego Luciano
Image Flag Bas van Brandwijk
Ken Jennings attends Kennections during the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival on April 30, 2026 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for TCM)
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This week’s show was recorded in Chicago with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Ken Jennings and panelists Tom Bodett, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and Faith Salie. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.
Who’s Bill This Time
ou Cruise, You Lose; Renovations on the Mall; A New Game Show For Word Nerds
Panel Questions
No Justice For Plumbers
Bluff The Listener
Our panelists tell three stories about an unusual situation on the beach, only one of which is true.
Not My Job: Jeopardy‘s Ken Jennings lives down his demons and answers our three questions about H&R Block
Peter talks to Jeopardy legend and host Ken Jennings. Ken plays our game called, “What is H&R Block?” Three questions about H&R Block, the subject of the Jeopardy question Ken got wrong and it ended his 74 game win streak.
Panel Questions
Open Your Heart and Lock Up Your Assets; Restaurants Get Clingy
Limericks
Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Uranus Overshadowed; Running From Romance; Double Date Danger
Lightning Fill In The Blank
All the news we couldn’t fit anywhere else
Predictions
Our panelists predict, what will be the next show made out something we do to kill time?
Lifestyle
Dressing well is an exercise. These activewear, beauty and fashion items will get you there this May
This story is part of Image’s May Momentum issue, which looks at art as a sport and sport as an art.
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F.C.Real Bristol x Carhartt WIP, Game shorts, $188
Carhartt WIP and Tokyo-based F.C.Real Bristol have collaborated on a real capsule collection … for a fictional soccer club. The pieces, like these breathable nylon satin Game shorts, are designed for style and function both on and off the pitch, whether you’re wearing them to a real scrimmage or just one you’re dreaming of. Available at carhartt-wip.com.
Prada Re-Nylon for Sea Beyond, backpack, $1,990
For the third year in a row, 1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for Sea Beyond collection support ocean preservation and sustainability in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. This year’s five-piece capsule collection includes Prada’s iconic backpack, available in the brand’s core black but also a vibrant tropical palette. Made from recycled nylon material, the entire collection is also 100% recyclable if you decide to skip the archive. Available at select Prada boutiques and prada.com.
Snow Goose by Canada Goose, Celestia jacket, $1,275
Haider Ackermann’s spring/summer 2026 collection for Snow Goose by Canada Goose captures the lightness of spring in both design and feeling. Case in point: the featherweight quilted Celestia jacket with a highly reflective shell that, according to the designer, “comes alive with motion.” Available at canadagoose.com.
Byredo, “sister dreamer” perfume, $350
If you bottled the hundreds of aromatic native plants, fruit trees and wildflowers in artist Lauren Halsey’s architectural park, “sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles” — not to mention its energy and radical joy — you’d get “sister dreamer,” the limited edition perfume in collaboration with Byredo. Even better: that bottle features a sleeve and label designed by Halsey herself, who declares the scent to be an ode to “smelling good n feeling good.” Available at byredo.com.
Miista, Andie socks, $160
Hear us out: socks with sandals. More specifically, the Andie socks from Miista’s spring/summer 2026 collection with their Samia sandals. Miista’s Andie make this usually verboten combination not only doable but downright sensual, with their silky cupro fabric, knee-high cut and thong toe. Available at miista.com.
Dries Van Noten, Hand and Body liquid soap, $90
The introduction of Dries Van Noten’s Hand and Body line offers a new way to wear the brand. The liquid soap arrives with the unexpected scent combinations of Basil and Hinoki, Pepper and Rose and Soie and Amber that echo the emblematic Crazy Basil, Raving Rose and Soie Malaquais Eau de Parfums from the house. You can layer the soap with its corresponding perfume, body lotion and hand cream to build intensity, or, like the other Dries items in your collection, let it stand alone in its sublimity. Available at driesvannoten.com.
ERL’s new Made in California collection embodies the brand’s ethos to capture the contradictions that make California what it is. To that end, these cargos are as intentional and well-lived as a perfectly executed skate trick: they’re hand-dyed, but also arrive bearing natural bleach, oil and scuff marks. Available at erl.com.
Patagonia, Long-Sleeved RØ Surf Top in blue sage, $65
No more lost keys, annoying top riding up on your pop up or rubbed-raw belly with the Long-Sleeved RØ Surf Top from Patagonia’s spring/summer 2026 collection. This rashguard is made for the surf with its connector at the front hem to link it to board shorts and a clutch pocket with key loop. And if those last two sentences sound like surf bro speak, the top’s UPF 40+ sun protection is equally functional for a volleyball game — or elicit paper bag beverage, if that’s your definition of beach sports — on the sand. Available at Patagonia stores and patagonia.com.
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